Shahbaz Sumar C

So what does one do at The Basement? Eating good food and listening to great music can get monotonous. And in the land of the pure, the true definition of a lounge cannot be explored fully. Hence, The Basement is now fast turning into a center of activities of a different kind. It helps provide a platform to the talented youth and give restless Karachiites something to do on a muggy weeknight. Infinite Arts organizes stand up comedy and musical performances every Thursday; the FIFA World Cup season saw the Basement overflow with people, sipping on fresh falsa juice and watching the games on the projector screen. Events like these help attract the younger college crowd to add to the more mature Basement regulars who drop in to have a cuppa and hang out before heading home or meet up there before going to a party. A new addition includes DJ nights when DJs like Faisal Baig, Shady (Sheheryar Hyatt), Shakir, Adnan Reddy and Altimish Jiwa spin their sounds. The wi-fi internet service ensures that workaholics can relax and remain connected to the rest of the world. Last and least... the food The first thing that strikes one about the menu are the prices - they're a bit on the high side, with no food item costing less than 200 rupees. However, the quality of the ingredients used makes up for it. Shahbaz's experimental side is visible in the menu as well with items like palak paneer and spicy prawn masala, which are served with corn bread nachos. Desserts are also expensive, but then again, the NY cheese cake IS flown in from New York. New additions on the menu like the chicken pesto wrap and masala fries have jazzed up the menu a bit, but one must keep in mind that they are snacks. The Basement is NOT a restaurant. "I've actually brought the prices down, and the drinks are cheaper than any other restaurant on Zamzama by comparison, since the drinks cater to the college/university crowd who can't shell out the money for the food. The green sauce (habanero) is imported from Mexico; the green tea comes from China!" Focusing on less is more, the Basement stands out as an example that something different can work in the entertainment starved city of Karachi. In a nutshell So what does The Basement really offer to its clientele? Shahbaz categorically states, 'great food, great music. It's a different place for different people. You never know who you'll meet. People end up mingling between tables, there's a guaranteed okay crowd. You will feel momentarily that you're not in Pakistan.' To truly enjoy The Basement experience, one really needs to put preconceived notions of restaurants and cafes out of their minds. It already has a reputation of being a place to see and be seen, but more importantly it is also a place to relax, disconnect from the world and kick back to the electronic sounds. With some spicy prawn masala of course. The Basement is located on 6-C, 4th Commercial Lane, Zamzama. Photos by: Tapu Javeri and Fayyaz Ahmed