Today I’m going to share my experience of my first ever iftar + dinner buffet at Ibn-e-Battuta, a restaurant that claims to be a "unique theme restaurant" that’s their slogan written under the name. But is it really true? That’s what I want to share with you all through this post.
First, let me say that I’ve never had an iftar buffet before, mainly because Shabhai is completely against buffets. Yes, I’ve eaten at buffets many times before, but after going to Ibn-e-Battuta, I now understand why Shabhai is so against them.
I’m not saying buffets are bad in general, it really depends on the place. But one thing I can definitely say is that restaurants earn a lot from buffets, way more than they should, especially when the quality of food is not at par with their à la carte menu.
Back to my story. On March 11, I went to the office and found out that the iftar was being arranged by the office, and not at the office itself, but somewhere outside. I asked where, and was told the location hadn’t been decided yet. Then they asked me for suggestions. I started searching and gave 2–3 options, including Double Cheeze, because I really wanted to try their pizza, thought it would be great if the office paid for it! But sadly, our CEO wasn’t convinced. It seemed like he had already made up his mind, and eventually, we headed to Ibn-e-Battuta.
Also, I should mention, this is my new office, and you’ll see some new faces in the pictures. I haven’t shared this story with you all yet, but yes, I changed my job, will talk about it soon.
Back to Ibn-e-Battuta again, when I saw the banner at the entrance, I got excited. It said 70+ dishes and showed all kinds of food, including a picture of Prawn Karahi. As soon as I saw that, I mentally decided that prawns would be my iftar and dinner.
Now PKR 1800 per person is not a small amount. We paid and went upstairs where the buffet was set up. I must say, from the entrance to the dining area, the place was beautifully maintained and decorated, it did feel like a “unique” place. But the staff? Totally disappointing dull and not helpful at all.
And then I saw the desserts placed in open air. There were flies all over them, which was very off-putting. You’ll see in the pictures, flies sitting on the sweets. That moment really killed the mood for me. I couldn’t hold back and started complaining. Everyone was listening. I said, “Where have we come after paying so much?” It really felt like a waste.
Maybe I overreacted, but honestly, I was not happy. We had to stand in line for iftar like we were in jail. When I filled my plate, I found the chicken rolls oily and burnt, the pani puri/gol gappay were stale, pakoras were hard, and the fries were cold. The only decent thing was the sharbat, probably because I was very thirsty.
After praying, we took a short break and went for dinner. Again, there was a line. All the food was crowded in one corner, and there was chaos. It felt terrible to have paid for this and still feel like I was eating in jail. I kept looking for prawns but never found them, turns out that was false advertising.
I settled for chow mein and seekh kebabs. The food was just average, nothing special. But since I had paid, I focused on the seekh kebabs and ate a lot, just to get my PKR 1800 worth. Others had biryani, qorma, and chicken karahi, which are the same things we regularly eat at the office.
The office did spend money on us, but honestly, I didn’t enjoy it at all. Given how nicely the restaurant was built, I did not expect such average food. I’m definitely not going to Ibn-e-Battuta again. And as for iftar buffets, I might never go again if I have to pay myself. If someone else takes me or invites me, then sure, can't say no to that hahahaha
All above pictures are taken by me through me cell phone Infinix Hot 40i.