Lahore Restaurant Review: Cafe Mondelano

Life in Lahore was getting a bit mundane, so last weekend my husband and I decided to drive up and down M.M. Alam Road and find a restaurant we'd never tried before. It was Sunday afternoon, so we didn't have to deal with the usual bumper to bumper traffic on one of Lahore's most popular avenues. We spotted a newer restaurant, Café Mondelano, and decided to give it a try.

Upon entering we were impressed with the décor. Everything was in light neutral tones that gave the place a welcoming air. It looked really fancy, so we were afraid that the prices would be outside of our budget. Since we were committed to our spontaneous choice, we took a seat and checked out the menus.

Entrée prices were a bit higher than most other restaurants that we frequent in Lahore, but at 500-600 rupees ($6-$7) for dishes like filet mignon and baked salmon, it was still a good value. The café did have some sandwich options for 200-300 rupees. As we perused the menu, the server came over and asked if we'd like to try the buffet. Since the buffet only cost 350 rupees ($4.30), we decided to go for it. This would give us an opportunity to try several different things, and it was all you can eat!

We proceeded immediately to the buffet, where a waiter went before us and opened up steaming trays of food. There were several varieties of salads, hot n' sour soup, and all sorts of entrées. Since it was Sunday afternoon, the place was not crowded and we were the only ones at the buffet. The presentation of the food reminded me of fancy wedding services that I have attended here in Lahore, but at Café Mondelano I did not have to jostle elbows with hungry ladies just to get a piece of chicken. The buffet included Pakistani, Chinese, Thai and Continental cuisine along with white rice and hot thick naan bread.

As I started trying each of the entrées, it became clear that Café Mondelano has one of the best value buffets I've ever tried in Pakistan. The Thai chicken with cashew nuts was delectable, and the peppercorn chicken was cooked to perfection. The meat just fell off the bone in the Pakistani dishes, and the sauces for the continental dishes were so delicious I found myself scraping every last bit of flavor off my plate with the bread. Everything had just the right amount of spice and was very flavorful. While we enjoyed the meal, two waiters attended to our every need and brought us fresh bread when we ran out.

I was too excited about the dessert options, but Duarte filled a plate with custard, mousse, and green gelatin. The food was all so good that he completely stuffed himself and could barely walk out of the restaurant!

When we got our bill, it was less than 800 rupees ($10). The 350 per person price for the buffet included all taxes. We just got mineral water to drink since we didn't want to fill up on soft drinks. At less than $5 per person for all you can eat gourmet food and first-class service, Café Mondelano's buffet is one of the best values on M.M. Alam Road. Next time we'll have to try their regular entrées!