10 Things to Eat & Drink Under Rs. 1000

1. Tacos by Grains & Greens (stocked at Baked) Rs. 300 each (though you’ll want two, I promise)

Stuffed to the gills, these tacos check all the boxes for a great on-the-go lunch: healthy, flavorful, and equally delicious both hot or cold. The only downside is that they’re often sold out, so plan your lunch and pick them up early – your ravenous-at-work future self will thank you. 

2. Chilli Swirl Garlic Dip by On the Table by Rabia – Rs. 470 for 120 gm or Rs. 700 for 200 gm

Simply put: you need this dip in your life. It’s creamy with the perfect kick. Eat it with potato chips, toasted pita, or crudites for the perfect movie night snack, or put it on a burger, a sandwich, some grilled chicken, or swirl it into some pasta for a meal you’ll want to serve to the not-easily-impressed.

3. Ice-Blended Hazelnut Coffee from Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf – Rs. 705+tax 

This one’s not for the coffee purists, of course, but the rest of us know what a mood booster some cold sweet coffee on a hot summer day is. What I love about this is that, unlike other flavored coffees, the hazelnut in this tastes resoundingly nutty, and not like weak syrupy synthetic flavoring with the faintest memory of a hazelnut. 

4. Vanilla Cloud Cake from Paola’s Cosa Nostra – Rs.550+tax

Given the dollar-rupee exchange rate, we won’t be finding ourselves at a Cipriani restaurant any time soon, but the good news is that this cake will definitely transport you to one! I’d heard of makeup and skincare dupes, but cake is a new one, and possibly much better. This delicious slice is exactly what its name describes – light, airy, with just the right amount of sweetness. 

5. Rina’s Salt Beef Cold Sandwich (Half) – Rs 250+tax

I’m almost afraid to tell people about this one, because they only make a few of these daily, and what if they are out when I next crave one of these (which is more often than I’d like to admit)? This is another fantastic to-go lunch option: portable and quick, and packed with protein to help tide you over the midday slump. 

6. Buldak Spicy Ramen Noodles – Rs. 250 each

If a food can go viral, these noodles have come close. While the eye watering, mouth-burning extra hot flavors are what they are most famous for, my favorite is the hot carbo flavor. Admittedly I picked it up because of the millennial pink packaging, but it’s packed with umami which balances out the heat. 

7. Wedded Sheikh from SMASH – Rs.845+tax

I know you’re thinking that you’ll only want the single-patty, but trust me, you want the double-patty. Because every time I’ve thought I only want the single-patty, I’ve ended up ordering a second burger before I’m even done with the first. Just greasy, grilled meaty goodness. 

8. Caramelized Onion bowl from Awesamosas – Rs. 400+tax (bonus: with a side of their cucumber lemonade for Rs. 150)

Pasta and a samosa seem like a combo that would give you pause, and yet, this is so, so good. The creaminess of the pasta goes perfectly with the sweet onions and crispy pastry-like samosa shell. That refreshing cucumber lemonade will make sure this snack doesn’t weigh you down in this heat. 

9. New York Platter from Homegrown Burgers – Rs. 390+tax (With fries + coke Rs. 540)

If you’ve ever felt nostalgic about New York’s halal carts or alternatively, wondered what the big deal is, this is probably the closest thing you’ll get to it locally. Though there are a lot of places attempting it now, this budget option is probably the best version in Lahore. 

10. Beef chapli kebabs from Quetta Namkeen – Rs. 570+tax 

Probably the best chapli kebabs you’ll get west of Quetta: charred on the outside, tender on the inside. Make a (fantastic) meal out of them with a side of wholewheat Uzbek bread and tomato chutney.