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Our editors have made a list of the very best of almost everything in Lahore.

The article was written in late 2015 and may also be accessed using Medium.

We all love coming of age movies: films that celebrate the flow of adolescence towards the adult life. These movies are easy to identify not only by their storyline, but the very form of filmmaking employed in shooting them. Flashbacks? Check. Young protagonist as a narrator in the beginning of the film. Check. Young protagonist giving us a ‘moral of the story’ lesson at the end of the film. Check. The struggles of losing virginity subplot. Check (most of the times).

Not only are these movies immediately relatable, but they show us that it is okay to be human and flawed. Here’s a list of such movies that should definitely be on your must-watch list, especially if you’re feeling the burden and monotony of every day life:

Moonlight

Moonlight is the best film of the year, period. To give any plot highlighters would be to do injustice to one of the best scripts of all-time. The film is subtle, beautiful and relates to the vulnerable side within each one of us.

The Age of Seventeen

This is one of the films that leave you spell bound. With pieces glued together by a pitch perfect performance by Woody Harrelson (whose never been more likable), the film is an ode to the conundrums life throws at us that we just aren’t ready for: the death of a parent and of-course, our sibling dating our best friend.

Spectacular Now

Spectacular Now isn’t a memorable film: but it sums up the jist of school life better than any other film we could think of. We all have a carefree Sutter inside of us, who shuts off the world and all it’s pain. And most of us have the girl/guy-next-door alter ego within us that defines Cassidy – which makes this romantic coming-of-age drama all that much more personal.

Pan’s Labyrinth

The film’s protagonist Ofelia does not come-of-age in the conventional sense as in other movies, but that doesn’t stop this from being the best film on the list.- Pan’s Labyrinth takes us to Post-Civil War Spain, where a young girl battles the realities of constant war, an ailing mother, evil step father with escapist imagination. The film is one of a kind – mixing dark fantasy and brute reality in a fashion that has never been accomplished with such effortless gusto in a major motion picture before. It does not, however, seem to far away from home – there’s a young Ofelia in all of us – which comes out whenever the geopolticial realities of the region (terrorism, Pak-India rivalry, socio-economic conundrums) often supersede and aggravate every day life.

Let’s face it – the famous Nihari, Paaye and Gurday Kaporay that the city is famous for are not everyone’s cup of tea. After much feedback from our readers, we’ve come up with a few alternatives that are equally resonant with the masses and have come to define the taste the city is known for.

Salt N’ Pepper Stuffed Chicken

The most iconic continental serving in the city. Although recent feedback has been largely disappointing due to changes in presentation (and also in taste by some accounts), the Salt N’ Pepper Stuffed Chicken has been the favorite of the city for the past two decades. What makes it extra special? The slithering slimy dirty sweet pineapple sauce that makes you want to chew right in.
Butt Karahi
For a city that prides itself on it’s Karahi, Butt Karahi is the hands down favourite. The Karahi is freshly cooked and is full of an array of spices and a generous serving of ‘desi kyo’. For those who don’t appreciate the rather innervating ambiance, there’s good news – Butt Karachi is going a complete makeover to make it more accommodating for those who prefer to carry their hand sanitizers with them.
Fujiyama
For a city with it’s fair share of Pakistan-ized Chinese Food, this one is a much needed, albeit expensive, breath of fresh air. The fact that Lahore’s concept of Asian food is a toned down amalgamation of Indian tastes with Chinese ingredients is no secret. Fujiyama thankfully stays true to it’s roots.

Howdy
Say what you will about it’s pretentious B-grade vibe of it’s ambiance and visual appeal – a poor man’s Gunsmoke at first sight – but Howdy knows how to make it’s burgers. Well, most of the time. This restaurant chain literally paved the way for dozens of local entrepreneurs in the burger trade with Burgers that not only tasted great, but were much better than the wide variety of international fast food chains.

The Dozens of Café Restaurants with the Same Menu
Let’s be honest – a good number of the city’s finest café restaurants offer the same things to eat. There might be a number of reasons: be it the limited training sources for chefs or the monotonous demand of the clientele, but there are usually ten to fifteen menu items you will find in any restaurant within the city – you know: Taragon Chicken, Morrocon Chicken, Thai Chicken/Beef Chilli and the usual suspects. The good news is: they usually taste pretty fine – and sometimes great. Take Café Zouk and Arcadian for example, these restaurants take food items that are available in dozens of other restaurants but stand out due to one reason or another.