La Chine — Restaurant in Karachi Division

I visited Lachine for their dinner buffet during the 9 PM slot.

Charges: The buffet costs Rs. 1800 per person. They offer a discount on the tax if you book in advance, which is a nice bonus.

Food: Overall, the food was decent. I would rate it an 8/10. Soup: The soup was quite good; I really enjoyed it. Appetizers: These could use a bit of improvement, but they weren’t bad overall. I particularly liked the Lahori fish and fried chicken. However, the chicken lollipops and prawn tempura had too much batter, and the wontons were quite bland. Main Course: The chicken chilli with rice was the highlight for me was absolutely delicious. The Manchurian was average. I didn’t try the beef dishes as I’m allergic to mushrooms. The garlic prawn gravy lacked flavor. The chowmein was good. The white sauce pasta was too watery, while the red sauce pasta was overly tangy. Initially, the steak was dry, but after I mentioned it to the manager, they promptly replaced it with a softer (though slightly bland) piece. Desserts: There wasn’t a wide variety, but the kulfi was excellent. The gulab jamuns were disappointing, but the kheer was quite nice.

Not everything stood out, but considering the price, there were enough good options to make it worth the money.

Ambiance: The restaurant is located in the basement, but it doesn’t feel too suffocating. Choosing the right spot to sit is important, though some tables aren’t ideal for a buffet setting. Pro tip: Arrive 10–15 minutes early to grab a good table. The space is a bit tight and small overall.

Overall...

This place had always been around but only happened to visit it recently with friends for lunch. We all wanted to tryout something new so decided to go to La Chine and it turned out to be a great place to have good Chinese food. It was hot outside but once we walked in, the chilled AC cooled us all down. The hostess welcomed us with a bright warm smile. The interior was nice with colorful theme and the restaurant was found neat and clean. The seats were comfy, and all the utensils and plates were clean as well. The hostess also took our order while giving her suggestions in choosing the menu. Crackers are served before the meal as is usually done at almost all such places. Meal arrived on time, hot and fresh. They don't serve old food warmed in microwave oven. The large bowl of soup was enough to serve a large family; literally the largest you can find anywhere. It was excellent. Shrimps were definitely much larger than normally served at other competitors. The coating was thin and the meat was tender. The fried rice and gravy both were better than what we expected and the serving size was very generous. Overall our first experience was excellent and we plan to visit them again soon. As we all know, there are so many Chinese restaurants in the area to choose from but I'll definitely recommend it for one visit at least, you won't regret it. Good safe place to visit with your...

From being a loyal La Chine customer to never going there again ever. Read more to know why:

I have been visiting La Chine with my family since many years now, recall them as one of the only few places to allow dining even in the covid lockdown days. The food used to be good and ambiance was amazing.

Then felt their quality going down since they introduced their buffet on weekends and my visits became lesser and lesser. It became too noisy, too crowded, service became impacted and food quality decreased.

But today it came to a point where I would recommend people to think again before going. Disgusting tables, dirty sofas/chairs and some cockroaches waiting to welcome you with your food. Luckily I was able to record one enjoying some time in my glass. Came for dinner and left minutes after my soup came with some extra protein (watch the video).

Had some expectations that a solid complaint might make them realise but guess what? The manager had no response when I showed him this (pure silence not even an apology) and the guy at the billing counter said ‘ aap toh atay rehte hain, agya hoga ek aad cockroach kaheen se ‘. Paid my bill and left. Their response was enough for me to understand why it was...