I will forgive you if you call me a glutton after reading this, for my antics were such that they qualify for such righteous terms. I walked into Mouthful with extremely low gastronomic expectations simply because I was there to indulge in some interesting photography of their food items, not in the least expecting delicious morsels coming my way.

As soon as you walk in you see Albert Einstein sticking his tongue at you at the far end of wall with the staircase winding up to the first floor, which seats about 26 foodies. Housed in Phase 4, DHA, Lahore, the bright red ‘Mouthful’ logo, waiters attired in black, and a black board featuring the menu of the day greet you as well. The busy kitchen is on the ground floor separated from the walkway leading up to the first floor by thick ceiling high glass sheets. Two friends, Afdash Chaudhry and Faisal Haroon, are behind the meticulously planned food on the menu, the service and the restaurant interior. Berkely and McGill graduates, intense home cooks and pukkay Lahori at heart, they signaled me from their live kitchen to walk in and generously made space for my work.

And soon after I was digging my fork into their signature, served-all-day, pan pizza shaped omelet that was served with brown freshly toasted triangular bread and cubes of sunny yellow butter. The cheese oozed out like that of a freshly made pizza and the rest was definitely not history. Perfectly set eggs, tomato chunks, melted cheese and lightly spiced, this was as revealing as a molten cake!

Return Factor (For gooey cheese lovers) - 7/10

Whilst in the middle of the conversation with a journalist from the Guardian NY, and sharing our photographic experiences, Faisal bought us the Tandoori Chicken Wings. Greasy, succinct and clay tandoori in flavour, they were surely ‘mouthful’ and certainly a popular item if you have kids in your company.

Return Factor  (For Kiddies on the block)- 7/10

The last time I had Iranian kebabs was about 10 years ago in London, and I then had the pleasure of eating chicken koobideh kebabs made from free range chicken with skewered veggies, buttered steamed rice topped with wonderfully scented saffron strands. The two friends proudly revealed – while I was stuffing my face with the tender ground meat – that their saffron was directly sourced from Iran. I hugely appreciated the forethought that went into the serving of this dish because unlike the traditional dish they had also served a mild curry and a tangy Argentinian sauce with it - to suit all palates and gastro preferences.

Return Factor (For wholesome food needs)- 8/10

Whilst I was busy taking images of the items, I saw Afdash tossing jalapenos, sliced onions and mushrooms onto a huge circular pan, and soon after he added pre-marinated steak fillets. Within minutes a toasted baguette appeared and he plodded everything onto the open halves, finally topping it with melted cheddar. This open faced Philly Cheese Steak sandwich, which was messy, dripping with vegetables juices and tender steak fillets, won me over.

Return Factor (For those who cannot visit Philadelphia)- 9/10

I can understand if you’re feeling overwhelmed by my gluttony expertise but I kid you not, for the next item I had was foodastic. The Beer Can Chicken - a free range, naturally fed chicken plopped over a beer can and roasted in the oven for over an hour. The quality that came out was a crisp and spicy outer skin with a bear-hugging, buttered tender meat on the inside. Rubbed with a blend of inhouse spices, this chicken was served with minty baby potatoes and garlic baguette slices. As soon as I got done with the photos and was ready to devour the bird I asked one of the waiters to re-heat it for me and I was rather shocked when they informed me that they do not possess a microwave oven. And the shock soon turned into applause - realizing that these guys were indeed offering options that were radiation, MSG and GM free!

Return Factor (For those who want to get drunk on chicken)- 10/10

Waiting between food being prepared and shooting images for the restaurant, I finally got hold of their newspaper style menu card, which carried the eight dishes that they offer along with beverages. And before I could haul them up for a cold drink I was offered their ‘House made Zeera Pani’ – A concoction of cumin, tamarind and dried plums. I thought the drink lacked the kick and would have preferred a spicier, tangier mix.

Return Factor (Not for those who have tasted better ones) - 5/10

I promise I did not have the heart or the stomach to ingest more, yet last but not the least, a white tagine was placed in front of me. Originally North African, this dish has made inroads into many countries over the years, and I was indeed looking forward to the spin that these guys had given to the dish. As the white cone was picked up and carefully put on the side a cinnamon waft came my way, followed by an extremely colorful dish to look at. Slow cooked mutton leg, baby potatoes and fresh pomegranate seeds with a carefully tucked in couscous bed on the side. I did not have to dig in my fork because the meat was creamily tender and fell off the bone as soon as it sensed intrusion. Personally I hit off with spice more than sweet, which I conveyed to the antagonists. Also, the dish smelled and tasted more sweet than savoury yet it created a happy balance with the couscous and potatoes. I reckon an improvement on this will be made very soon.

Return Factor (For those who want Moroccan food in Lahore) - 7/10

I swear by my work but I don’t know how I managed a morsel of the last item that was offered - the oblong, silver coated Gulab Jamuns - melt in the mouth, sweet and syrupy!

Return Factor (For the sweet tooth) - 8/10

Offering a spin on some of the most popular dishes worldwide, these guys have made intelligent choices in terms of sourcing their organic ingredients, serving limited yet wholesome food, being not too hard on the wallet yet satiating all kinds of appetites- Food for thought it might be, but ‘Mouthful’ is certainly food for change on the Lahore Gastro Map.