If you think you know your food, think again! Beef Carpaccio with onion & maple flavoured gelato? Yes, you heard that right and you know what, we’re lovin’ it! The Verge brings you a Food Experience like no other!
Because, the restaurant is more than just about food – their signature statement underlies the tenet – We Provide the Grub, You Bring the Company!
The Verge is the newest hot spot located in the midst of the perpetually busy Bukhari Commercial, and it just so happens to be FUCHSIA Magazine’s neighbor. It is a two-story homey joint run by two brilliant individuals Aman Virji and Hira Diwan, with a restaurant in the basement and a bakery opening up on the ground floor. The duo share the ideology that good food and good company go together – they provide the food, you bring the company! We had the pleasure of meeting one of the creative minds, Aman, who holds a background in hospitality management with a passion for food which he brought to life with the opening of The Verge.
The menu gives a rustic feel, setting the stage for what’s to come – the selection of dishes is truly exquisite. We had the pleasure to try just about everything on the menu which left our tummies happy and our taste buds wanting more. What sets Verge apart from the crowd is the adventurous & unorthodox menu. When you are brave enough to play with your passion, you create something that teases the senses, seduces the taste buds, and serenades the guests from start to finish – this is ‘food love’ we’re talking about, and Verge seems to have hit the right notes – a Food experience like no other!
What we tried:
Sharing Plates (Starters):
1. Garlic Butter Prawns
The Garlic Butter Prawns were served in a clay dish with grilled bread on the side. The prawns themselves were garnished with parsley, seasoned to perfection and had an intensely perfect buttery taste to them and the grilled bread just brought it all together like a celebration in your mouth
2. Three Chili Calamari
The Calamari was one thing Team FUCHSIA couldn’t stop eating, it was served on a bed of lettuce, fried to perfection, seasoned with three different chili flavors, and topped with chopped parsley with a sliver of lemon on the side which just enhanced the freshness.
3. Smashed Potato
The Smashed Potato was a platter of roasted baby potatoes served on a spread of sour cream, topped with dill leaves and slightly crunchy walnuts. The different textures, the softness of the potato and crunchiness of the walnuts gave us something we didn’t even know we were looking for.
4. Pepper Panzanella
If looks could kill, this salad would have done it for us! The Pepper Panzanella is the only vegetarian item on The Verge’s menu. It is a drop-dead gorgeous salad tossed in an Italian dressing, with not just your regular tomatoes and cucumbers, but with additions like bell peppers, radishes and crusty bread, it was garnished with garlic chives and three dollops of Greek herb yogurt on the side. The balance of flavors was flawless, (Honestly we were skeptical about the radishes) but the amalgamation of flavours was surprisingly delightful.
5. Beef Carpaccio
The Beef Carpaccio was a platter lined with thinly sliced beef, set on a bed of rocket leaves and sprinkled parmesan. It was paired with the most distinct tasting gelato which was onion and maple flavored. Yes you read that right, onion and maple flavored gelato! The two flavors that seemingly do not harmonize well, but we were stunned at how incredible it tasted and it was one of our favorite dishes at The Verge.
6. Roasted Bone Marrow
The Roasted Bone Marrow is The Verge’s recommended starter, which takes about three to four days to prepare. The marrow was served on the bone set on top of four pieces of crisp bread. It was seasoned with garlic, butter, and parsley with lemon on the side for a little freshness. It is to be spread on the crisp bread and then munched on, which we found was a new way to eat marrow
From the Land (Main Course):
All the main courses were served with fried okra, grilled pineapple and veggies
1. Fillet Steak
The meat of the Fillet Steak is aged for around two and a half weeks before being cooked, and can only be served medium. The whole process is what made it the right amount of chewy yet soft. It was laid out on a spread of Argentinian chimichurri sauce, a side of mashed potatoes with gravy and their three mushroom sauce on the side.
2. Flame Grilled Chicken
The Flame Grilled Chicken had a lovely dark brown color, it was also served with the Argentinian chimichurri sauce and their red pepper sauce. The chicken wasn’t too succulent or too dry, it was perfectly moist and the sauces further enhanced its flavor.
From the Sea (Main Course):
1. Grilled Salmon
The Grilled Salmon was perfectly pink and served with the Argentinian chimichurri sauce and their spicy citrus butter sauce on the side. The salmon itself was very rich, buttery and most importantly, so fresh that it melted in our mouths.
2. Seafood Roll
The Seafood Roll had two servings, one was a lobster roll and the other, a salmon roll. Both variations were with very soft, buttery bread layered with rocket leaves, celery aioli, and a slice of lemon on top for that extra freshness.
Desserts
1. Pineapple Chili Gelato
The Pineapple Chili Gelato was something new for all of us at Team FUCHSIA, the gelato was garnished with a dehydrated pineapple slice, and had a regular sweet taste at first and the chili kicked in a bit later making it out to be one of the most pleasant flavors there.
2. Apple Pie Gelato
The Apple Pie Gelato was also such an unorthodox flavor for gelato, you’d think it would be a little strange, but The Verge managed to pull off the taste impeccably with the perfect balance of sweetness, apple, and cinnamon leaving us wanting more.
All the food served at The Verge is completely fresh, nothing is kept frozen. The restaurant supports the local economy by using almost entirely locally produced products. It is also doing its part for the environment by limiting the use of plastic, using plates and serving boards that are made out of recycled materials and minimizing wastage by giving leftover food for animal feed to be composted.
Aman says he and his wife are here to make a difference and we can noticeably see them doing so.
Want to make a reservation? Visit The Verge here to reach their Facebook page.
Check out our Top 5 Places for Pizza Fries in Karachi.
