Review: It took 8 years to visit but King Street restaurant Lahore Karahi was worth the wait

During my university years, I would pass by this restaurant on King Street which always seemed to be bustling.

On my wanders, I would pass Lahore Karahi’s glowing space filled with content and smiling faces and mentally note it down for a future dinner spot.

Once the bank balance could stretch past baked beans and toast, of course.

It was only recently I was again reminded of the restaurant and thought it was about time I checked out what all the fuss was about.

Aberdeen’s Lahore Karahi

Boasting Pakistani cuisine, Lahore Karahi is named after an “iconic” slow-cooked dish filled with meat, rice and mixed spices hailing from the city of Lahore.

The restaurant on King Street has been running for over 15 years.

When Shaukat Ali moved to Aberdeen from Pakistan in 2005, after working at other tandoori takeaways, he joined Lahore Karahi as a tandoori chef.

A father of six sons and one daughter, his eldest son Ali Raza joined the team as head chef in 2008 and his second eldest son Ghulam Murtaza joined the restaurant staff a year later before becoming the owner in 2013.

Since then, the Ali family have taken Lahore Karahi from strength to strength winning  Best Pakistani Restaurant of the Year in 2019 and Best Takeaway and Home Delivery of the Year in 2022.

After a busy weekend and weeks of dog-sitting a food-obsessed hound, my husband Chris and I were in need of a date night out of the house.

With so many of Aberdeen’s independent restaurants closed on a Monday, we were delighted when we saw Lahore Karahi was not one of them.

As soon as we stepped inside the deceivingly large space, we were greeted by staff member Yadvi and offered a choice of tables.

Picking one near the back of the restaurant I settled into the comfy booth and within a few minutes spurred on by hungriness, we were ready.

Seeing the resolution on our faces, Yadvi quickly came over and took our order which included a jug of mango lassi (£8.95).

Creamy and sweet, the drink gave us around two full glasses each and was a bit of a lifesaver later on…

Starter heaven

Our starters arrived from the kitchen via a dumbwaiter which at first, I thought was quite fun until I alerted Chris to it.

I would then see his eyes swing from my face to the food compartment in the mirror behind me. After the first few times, I was forced to remind him who his date was.

Competition dealt with, Yadvi was greeted warmly as she brought over our starters: the meat samosas and vegetable pakora.

Each dish was piping hot, freshly made and presented with a side salad and a choice of chilli and yoghurt sauces.

The samosas stuffed with spiced meat and potatoes were a hearty and filling choice. They were flavoured beautifully with a slight kick and like the pakora, went very well with the sauces.

The pakora was everything you would want from the deep-fried speciality.

Crispy on the outside but light and delicious within, the veggies were well-cooked and went down very easily.

Chris and I struggled to pick a favourite between them and each plate was carefully halved fairly.

Always a sure sign between mature adults that we do not want to miss out.

By the time our mains came, my shrunk stomach from a weekend of feeling under the weather was starting to show but I was determined to persevere.

What can I say, not all heroes wear capes.

Curry feast

It did mean, however, that the three curries we had ordered might have been a bit overboard.

We ordered the chicken chilli masala (hot) for £12.95, Keema Aloo (medium) for £14.95 and a medium spiced Tarka Daal (£8.95).

Trying to go easier on carbs, we skipped the rice and ordered a naan each (garlic for me £3.95 and butter for Chris £2.95).

However, when we saw the size of the flatbreads we realised we might not have entirely succeeded on that point.

It was hard to know where to start. A problem which only grew as we tasted each dish and realised we loved them all.

The tarka daal was creamy and well-seasoned and for once seemed to be a favourite with Chris while the spicy and rich tomato-based chicken chilli masala offered a fiery and smoky heat.

Let us just say the mango lassi was a helpful reprieve.

The agreed winner though was the Keema Aloo.

The minced meat and potato curry had a lovely mix of ginger, garlic, tomato and fresh coriander mixed through it.

Despite the summery weather, the wholesome and warming dish was a welcome addition and would be top of our to-order list.

While my defeat was assured early on, surprisingly, Chris was also quick to capitulate.

Which, considering one of my first memories of him was successfully completing a Bradford curry challenge, is saying something.

But you know what they say, the only thing better than curry is take two the next day.

Dessert and verdict: We might have found our new favourite curry spot

As we sat there thoroughly full, the small dessert menu caught my eye. I had really wanted to try the Gulab Jamun with ice cream (£4.90).

When we asked Yadvi for some takeaway boxes, I put in our cheeky order. Thankfully Yadvi was gentle in her lack of judgement.

Gulab Jamun is a sweet confectionary made from milk solids – or milk reduced to the consistency of a soft dough.

Neither I nor Chris had tried it before so I did not know what to expect but after the first teaspoon, it disappeared quickly.

The Gulab Juman which was deep fried and soaked in syrup was deliciously sweet and lightly spiced. The consistency of the dessert reminded us of a sticky toffee pudding without any of the heaviness.

With the speed at which it disappeared, I think it is safe to say we have found a new favourite sweet treat.

At the end of the night, we agreed we had thoroughly enjoyed our time at Lahori Karahi.

The service was thoughtful, speedy and welcoming with Yadvi always displaying patience for our small bellies and my questions.

The space was well-decorated and uncrowded and every dish was flavourful, fresh and beautifully presented making it a truly memorable date night and our new favourite curry house.

Information

Address: 145 King St, Aberdeen AB24 5AE

T: 01224 647295

W: www.lahorekarahiaberdeen.co.uk

Price: £67.55 for two starters, three curries, two sides, one dessert and a jug of mango lassi.

Disabled access: The restaurant has disabled access but does not have disabled washrooms.

Dog friendly: Only guide dogs are allowed.

Scores

Food: 5/5
Service: 5/5
Surroundings: 4/5