Neco's Natural Cafe & Store - Healthy Food with a Twist

Neco's Natural Cafe & Store is a venture of the Hobnob Group, and comprises of three things in one location - a cafe, a deli/bakery & a store with the common denominator between all three is the focus on natural & healthy products.They not only manufacture in-store (like shampoos',conditioners' & hair oils at the store and salad dressings, cereals & whole wheat pasta at the bakery) but also source from other companies (Daali, Mom's Garden, Zoya's Herbal etc.) providing one convenient location for everything. 

However, no matter how many times I have been to the store (which I love), I have only been to the cafe once (this review being the second time). The reason being whenever Neco's would come up as an option, it would always be 'oh, that place has healthy food, its going to be boring' or 'oh, someone went there but didn't like the food - it felt like diet food' and so on.

This time the same argument popped up but since that was the only option, we were all like 'let's just go' and I am so glad we did because the food was BRILLIANT! It was healthy no doubt (fresh versus processed, brown bread versus white bread) but there was nothing bland or diet about it.

Early Dinner at Neco's

Food:

Ordered the potato wedges, grilled chicken sandwich, chicken & mushroom crepes, prawns laksa & Neco's french toast with banana & honeycomb. 

Neco's Wedges - the best in town!

Potato Wedges: The star of the meal had to be the wedges – beautifully crisped on the outside, with a hint of sweetness (probably honey). 

Grilled Chicken Sandwich - Neco's

Grilled Chicken Sandwich (what I ordered):  Fulfilled my expectations of what I expect from a chicken sandwich - freshly made toasted brown bread in a grilled chicken sandwich with a complementing sauce (spicy aioli in this case) so that it does not bland. The meal was completed with those yum potato wedges & coleslaw.  

Neco's Chicken & Mushroom Crepes

Chicken & Mushroom Crepes: I loved the presentation of the crepes - folded up like a parcel. It's not possible to see the filling, but they its much more easier to eat. I took a bite of this and the crepes were nicely made, with a rich and creamy chicken mushroom filling. Definitely something I can see myself ordering next. However, my friend didn't enjoy the salad. 

Neco's French Toast

Neco's French Toast with Banana & Honeycomb: The french Toast is one of the signature items on the menu served all day. Wasn't the best looking dish in terms of presentation, but one bite was all it took to understand why its one of the most popular items on the menu. Thick slices of this delicious bread toasted to perfection topped with whipped cream, banana's and crunchy honey comb. The fact that it's supposed to be whole wheat bread (baked in-house) was the icing on the french toast. 

Chocolate Milkshake

Chocolate Milkshake: The picture says it all - my friend loved it while we enjoyed the seasonal fresh juices.

Prawns Laksa: Tried only a bite of it from a friend, and loved the burst of flavors, combined with the kick of the chilli oil that was served on the side. However, I feel the laksa will be more preferred by adventurous eaters, since the prawns version which my friend loved and I only tasted was a bit fishy. Next time I go, will try the chicken version. 

Verdict:

Food: 9/10
Price: 8/10
Service: 9/10
After this visit, I can safely say that my misconceptions about Neco's as a cafe are gone and I see myself stopping at the cafe instead of making a beeline for the store downstairs which I normally did. The cafe itself has a great ambiance and the menu features dishes that make it great for breakfast & snacks/coffee. 
In terms of pricing, I felt some of the items were a bit high (main courses), however, the ingredients they use are natural, organic & made fresh in-house which will justify the price for customers who understand the difference. The menu offered does offer food that will be considered diet food but at the same time, they offer super indulgent items like the french toast and their desserts. So just order carefully :)
Also, do get some cookies from the bakery while leaving - they offer chocolate chip and double chocolate chip flavors with chocolate chunks instead of chips which just make them the best cookies in the city in my opinion. 

Contact Details:
Address: 8C, Lane #1, Bukhari Commercial Area, Phase 6, Defence Housing Authority (DHA), Karachi
Telephone: 021-35844517 & 021-35242654
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/necosnaturalstoreandcafe

Timing: 8:00 - 11:00 6 days a week (Mondays closed)