THE IFTARI DIARIES: TGI FRIDAYS

                                         I've had better Fridays

Okay- let’s talk about TGI Fridays. A place I’m pretty sure a lot of you have already been to, but maybe not for iftari. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered in that department. Frankly, I was extremely surprised to see the restaurant fuller than dolmen mall a day before Eid when I went there and a little bit grateful that my friends had saved a seat for me. That, and the fact that I travelled via rickshaw (darn those petrol-run ones, cost me a packet), all added to a combined 20 minutes of waiting time AFTER the fast had been opened until I got my food. I can’t really blame them there.

They served a complimentary green chili platter covered in fried golden-brown breadcrumbs and a dip on every table, and ours was no different. They were absolutely delightful at the time, maybe because I was extremely hungry or simply because they weren’t half bad, but too many of those gave me a headache. Don’t let the word chili fool you-  they seemed like a poor excuse for chilies since they were not spicy at all. In fact, if you closed your eyes and ate them, you couldn’t tell them apart from soy beans. So the verdict on the starter would be a 7 out of 10- mainly because of the dip, and because they were free.

During  the twenty agonizing minutes of waiting for my “blackened chicken Alfredo” I took the occasional nibble from my friends’ plates to review them here to give you all a more detailed review of TGI Fridays (once again, you’re welcome). So I tasted the chicken fillet with white sauce and the chicken was very hard, as if I was cutting through a beef steak. However, the outside was crispy, the chicken inside pleasantly moist even though the dish seemed to be unevenly balanced. Since I have tried many chicken fillets that have tasted better, that too at lower prices- maybe a 6 out of 10. Next up was a very  good looking cheese burger- like art on a plate. If only it was as good on the inside as it was on the outside. Like a supermodel with a horrible personality. The beef was dry and bland, and cost a whopping 890 rupees roughly. So I’d rate the burger a solid 5.5 on a scale of 1-10. Burger lovers, there’s a Burger King right next door- I’d advise you to take that route if you’re in a particularly burgery mood.

Now for the dish I actually ordered for myself. Along with the pasta I ordered an electric lemonade as it looked gorgeous on the menu card. Right from the first sip I regretted ordering the blue monstrosity. It had the remnants of lemons, with actual lemons and pineapple chunks bobbling inside of it. Yes, your eyes are not deceiving you, there were actual pineapples, in a lemonade. Having dragged myself half way through the very expensive (R.s 275) lemonade I had to request one of the waiters to put it through a blender so  the residue would be gone and only the juice would be left. He obliged and came back with a full glass of clear blue lemonade. He refilled the damn thing. It tasted the same although much easier to drink without the particles getting stuck in the straw. Being the Memon I am, I still completed the lemonade 70% through. Oh how I regretted not ordering a coke. Out of ten? I’d give it a 1.5. With it came my pasta: the plate housed a hefty amount of white spaghetti drenched in creamy white sauce. It tasted decent. Like how I’d expect  pasta to taste. Nothing that blew my mind away. But they ruined the essence of the extremely Italian dish by putting in diced tomatoes which should never be used in fettuccine. They ruined the essence of the Alfredo but the richness of the sauce and the nicely charred texture of the chicken made a nice dish altogether, both presentation and taste wise. Like its complimentary brother, it scored a 7.

For dessert we ordered a brownie with a scoop of ice cream on top. I wasn’t the one who placed the order thus I didn’t catch the name. It was the winner of the day as the ratio of ice cream to brownie was just about right and the coldness of the ice-cream juxtaposing the warmth of the brownie made a nice array of flavors melting in my mouth. The two complemented each other nicely. This also scored the most popular rating which is (you guessed it) a 7.

 This is what TGI Friday’s has to offer. For me, not something to get too excited about, and not a bad place to go to if you’re in the mood to have something different. Located in boat basin, TGI Fridays is just about your average Joe’s. In there it’s always Friday, but for me, it wasn’t. For you, maybe it will be. You’ll be the judge of that. Do try it and let us know your thoughts in the comments below. Happy eating!

By: Mujtaba Khalid