Àmú — Restaurant in Model Town Tehsil

2022 update: The quality has really fallen. My most recent experience was not a good one unfortunately.

So I’ve been to Àmú a total of four times now. Twice for dine in, once dine out and once take away. Out of all the best thing to do is definitely Dine in.

The overall ambiance is extremely cozy and somewhat quaint with lovely artworks but I’ll let the pictures do the talking.

Moving on to food and drinks! I’ve tried their Tropical Lemonade, Passionfruit and Peach Cocktail and both I highly recommend though I have a personal partiality for passionfruit.

Eggs Royale by far my favourite item on their brunch menu and also my favourite Eggs Benedict in Lahore so far. The combination of the cured Salmon which the richness of the eggs and the freshness of the creamed spinach is sublime. If anything I wish they would use an actual English muffin or freshly bake one in house instead of using bread. Along with it you get a fresh salad and lovely baked baby potatoes! Price: Rs 1550 Overall 10/10

Croque Madame My second favourite item on their brunch menu and that too only because I wouldn’t be able to finish it in one go if I ordered it. It’s absolutely rich and delicious. They really elevated this simple French breakfast item and raised the bar. The bread is perfect and crunchy, meat cooked to perfection, perfect ratio of sauce to cheese. The salad is served with it is fresh and tangy and the baked baby potatoes are delicious. DO TRY THIS you won’t regret it! Price: Rs 1760 Overall 9/10

Smoked Angus Brisket Sandwich an entree I throughly enjoyed twice. The slow cooker beef brisket literally melts in your mouth and is seasoned to perfection. Moreover the freshness and acidity of the red cabbage perfectly cuts through how heavy the beed is and makes it a match made in heaven. The bread is baked in house and perfect. Price: Rs 2050 Overall: 9/10

(Vegetarian) Smoked Ricotta Ravioli another very simple yet extremely well executed option. The applewood smoked ricotta is delicious and is definitely a flavour I haven’t experienced before. The pasta is soft and well cooked, sauce is light and well seasoned. The Parmesan cheese adds the perfect amount of saltiness and nuttiness to the dish. This was my first time cleaning my entire plate after a very long time! Price: Rs 1850 Overall: 9/10

Steak Frites 🥩 By far one of the most expensive things I’ve had at Àmú. And though the steak was perfectly cooked and extremely juicy and overall a very simple dish that truly honoured the simplicity and integrity of the Ingredients; I can’t really say it was well worth the money. The Sauce au Poivre could have been more seasoned or a little richer to add to the juiciness of the steak meat and maybe an accompaniment of mashed potatoes would have been better than thick cut fries. The herbed butter was good. Price: Rs 4950 Overall: 7/10

Angus Cheeseburger 🍔 this was one of the things i didn’t really get to sit down and enjoy and was a take away. However I was blown away by how simple and delicious this burger was. At first sight, one might say that is isn’t worth the price you’re paying but that all changes when you bite into it because of how amazing the quality of the beef is which practically melts in your mouth. There aren’t any condiments or accompaniments apart from this delicious cheese sauce that they make in house and weirdly enough after having thousands of burgers I’m shocked by how good a burger as simple as this was. Overall 7.5/10

Lamb Taco 🌮 My experience with this could be partly due to the fact that this was something I had tried in takeaway so I ate it cold. But I really didn’t enjoy the lamb taco even after reheating it. The meat was a bit chewy and hard to get through and the accompaniments and condiments weren’t nearly what I expected them to be. I’ll give it another try with dine in by for now it’s a 7/10 from me.

I really think Chef Shahnawaz has truly changed the Pakistani culinary dining experience with this place. Quite a game...

I rarely ever write a review but felt compelled to write one today. We had an absolutely delightful experience this late Sunday morning while dining at Amu. What a lovely place that has taken the concept of hospitality several notches above others. From the smell of fresh apples decorating the walls of the entry way to the stairs that look like those of a quaint European flat of yesteryears leading to a charming, divided dining area, it was clear that this venue held substantial promise of being altogether a different experience. From the small unobstrusive vases appointed with purple, yellow and white flowers, cut just the right length, on every table to the crisp linens to the perfectly placed cutlery and glassware to the crisp, clean, lightly starched cloth napkins, to the thoughtfully separated tables that permitted privacy and stirred conversation- this is truly a gem worthy of being experienced and appreciated. The menu was printed on crisp, clean paper of appropriate weight and discerning colour and the array of delightful choices available delivered fully, when our food arrived, with the perfect trio of the right temperature, preparation and presentation at our table. All done to perfection. Just as we had finished a meal that was worth remembering and had declared that reluctantly we had no room to enjoy the deserts, a complimentary tiramisu done to perfection arrived from the kitchen. To do something so well and yet do some more, especially when it is not expected, is the true art of hospitality and one that is impossible to deliver without passion. A dining experience is not just about feeding someone well it is about understanding deeply all the elements of experience a diner seeks and the ability to deliver them thoughtfully with grace. On the way out we had a chance and pleasure to meet the lead chefs and the very elegant lady who oversees the entire effort who clearly along with their thoughtfully curated team of staff and servers are responsible for this unique experience in hospitality. What a treat to have dined this late morning at Amu in Lahore. Kudos to the...

A Hidden Gem With temperatures soaring into the 40’s and my visit coming to an end the suggestion of trying out this newish place for brunch was met with a mixed response. Expecting it to be one of the regular places Lahore offers when I found myself stood outside this large blue and white art deco style house it was a dejavu moment for me transporting me back to my trip to Devon last year when we visited Burgh Island. Entering through the side entrance of the house I was greeted by the sweet fragrance of rows of apples neatly lined on tiny shelves, we then went up this beautifully restored staircase leading to the first floor with the original ceiling fan going at full speed double doors on the right opening into a balcony and a hallway to the left leading to the split level main hall. Going up a few steps was the upper dining area backed by large windows and flanked on either side by two “gol kamras”. Ignoring the looks of horror on the faces of my family I went to the other side of the hall going through double doors clearly saying “PRIVATE” where along a long corridor was the kitchen on one side and small rooms converted into offices on the other. It is here I met with the family; two sons being the chef and pastry chef with their mum and aunts supervising the kitchen and drinks that included Jamun ka sharbat with jamuns harvested from their very own trees. My appetite was already full with what I had seen and learnt but I still enjoyed a sumptuous brunch with the most delightful passion fruit drink. A very kind member of staff spared me a few minutes during this very busy shift giving me a brief history of this place. Built in early 1950’s this was originally a 22 bedroom hotel which was later converted into a residence and then let out to school before being finally restored over a period of three years that now houses a resturaunt on the first floor and residence for present owners on the ground floor. Returning to our car I turned around to have one last look at this rare sight in Lahore making a firm promise to pay homage to this delightful house every time I...