Review

Revisiting the craze

People standing in lines just to gain entrance, while the interior brandishes a merry atmosphere packed with over two hundred food lovers. Sounds familiar? Well its Pizza Hut right here in Dhaka.

With all the rush on the initial days of its operations here in Dhaka, this International food chain has finally had the chance to settle down a bit. At first, visiting Pizza Hut seemed to be a craze that had engulfed the city, which is already filled with fast-food joints. However the introduction of such a restaurant certainly takes the standards of eating-out to new levels.

Boasting a pretty hip-interior and a fun loving crowd, one of the main attractions of the joint seems to be the jovial atmosphere. With dancing waiters and animated birthday messages viewed almost every day, Pizza Hut brings a whole new dimension to customer service. The food is not at all far behind and they have definitely lived up to their expectations in that sector. It has much more to offer than the regular pizza places in the city and this definitely gives it an edge. Some pizza lovers have even been quoted as to saying that the joint is in fact better than the ones abroad.

'It's a great place to come during the weekends, bringing the kids over and all,' says a regular customer, when asked about the pizza place. 'The service is better than Canada but the pizzas lack a bit of toppings,' says another individual. However, the most common complaint seems to be lack of 'intimate spots' at the restaurant. When addressed about this complain, Akku Chowdhury, the Head of Operations, points out that Pizza Hut is a place where people come to enjoy themselves and the loud atmosphere is a part of the whole occasion. With Dhaka life becoming quite mundane, it seems that we could definitely use this change in ambience to boost up our spirits once in a while.

Prices at the restaurant are not spiraling, as initially expected before it went into business. However, there are a few queries about the fifteen percent tax and it should be noted that its government policy for restaurants.

The restaurant has taken nine months to set up, together with six months of training for its staff. There has definitely been a lot of hard work from many to reach the international standards that have been made accessible to Dhaka dwellers. The management does have expansion plans and intends to set up another outlet in the city within the next year.

With a good number of customers coming in every day, Pizza Hut seems to be a great addition to the city scene. If it can keep up its high standards, then it shall definitely be continuing to attract food-lovers from all over the city.

Ten Pizza Commandments
A pizza is a great pizza when it...
Has a fully cooked base with golden brown edges that tastes mildly yeasty and just a little sweet. No blisters!
Is covered with a smooth, even layer of deep red sauce with no hint at being watery.
It has a pizza sauce whose slightly spicy tomato notes are perfectly complemented by the mild flavour of the crust.
Is topped with golden-yellow, melted mozzarella-the only real pizza cheese!
A really good mozzarella has a pleasing dairy flavour and can stretch for more than 15 cm.
Has vegetable toppings for freshness providing essential fibre and nutrition.
Has meat toppings that provide a range of tastes and textures that can be combined with different ingredients to be smoky, spicy, hot or fiery to suit every palate.
Is easy to eat. Lots of cheese helps to hold all the toppings together.
Is hot from the oven and fresh when eaten, to savour the authentic flavours.
Appeals to your imagination! Square pizzas, rectangular pizzas with crusts stuffed with flavoured cheese, or with special herbs and seasonings mixed in the base...there are not rules any more!
Is eaten by hand...so put away that fork and knite!

By Mishel Ali Khan

For your eyes only…
There is nothing better than a good quality kajal to give that pure dramatic touch to a woman's eyes. There are numerous brands of kohl eyeliners available at stores today. However, not all brands work well and smoothly. At stores like Almas, you can find renowned brands of liners like Personi, Revlon, Miss Claire etc. Miss Claire is a German brand, which is soft and really dark. Each pencil will cost you tk.90. On the other hand, Revlon is quite expensive; each pencil of kajal from Indian Revlon will cost you as high as tk.180.

Mouse Pads
If you have a computer at home or at your office, then a mouse pad should be a must-have item for you. A mouse works smoothly if you have a mouse pad that has a fine texture and adheres to the surface of the table. However, there are various qualities of mouse pads available at stores these days. Even supermarkets like the PQS have mouse pads in their collection. At PQS, you can obtain mouse pads for as low as tk.25. However, the pads with better quality will cost tk.45 or so. Remember that it's always good for your PC mouse to operate over a quality pad.

Low Fat Milk
If you want to drink low fat milk to keep obesity at bay, then try consuming the Dutch Lady low fat milk that is available at superstores like the PQS. Available in flavours like chocolate and strawberry, this low fat milk will provide you nutrition while protecting you from the side effects that might result in from the consumption of regular milk. Each bottle of Dutch Lady low fat milk will cost you tk.140.

Filling, but light
If you are one of those candle lovers and pride in collecting oil candles, then it's necessary that you also buy oil candle refills to make you favourite candles keep lighting up your year. The Banani branch of Archies has oil candle refills that are available at tk.215.

InFOTUAtion
There are really trendy fotuas and short kameezes available at Jatra. Since the fotuas are still in vogue, maybe you too can stop by this fashionable store to see if their collection suits your taste. With hand embroidery done meticulously on the fabric, you can purchase fotuas from Jatra within tk.550 to tk.750.

Noteworthy indeed
Jatra has a cool collection of notebooks. With fine embroidery, and other handiwork done by expert craftspeople, these notebooks are worth being a part of your study table. Each of these smart notebooks will cost you around tk.140.

By Wara Karim

 

 

Essentials Special

Did you know…?
that Bangladesh has a very high maternal mortality rate amongst Asian countries? The main cause of maternal death is attributed to lack of proper reproductive health care. Studies show that around 75 percent of pregnant women do not receive proper antenatal care. About 70 percent mothers suffer from nutritional deficiency and anaemia. Studies also show that health indicators have improved in the last few years, yet the overall health status is very poor in Bangladesh.

Mothercare
To lower the maternal mortality rate, it is absolutely necessary to give special attention to pregnant mothers. The highest mortality rates generally prevail among the underprivileged. It is widely assumed that the educated middle and upper class take good care of their mothers. It may not always be the case. A certain amount of ignorance still remains among them. Even with proper care mothers sometimes develop complications.

Things to avoid
Pregnant women deserve extra food during the period, which they definitely receive, in privileged families. Sometimes, along with all the fine food, several harmful food items find their way into the menu. Chocolate, for instance is an addiction for many. Its consumption remains the same during pregnancy. Chocolate has a significant amount of caffeine, which is harmful for pregnant mothers. Soft drinks can also cause damage and are not avoided most of the times. Sugar may seem completely safe but note that doctors often advise pregnant mothers to avoid too much sugar. These items are usually overlooked while planning a proper diet for pregnant mothers.

Toxic preservatives kill
Fruit is considered very good for pregnant mothers. Fruit stores in Bangladesh are packed with exported apple, orange, grapes or some other fruits. These fruits are usually preserved with highly toxic chemicals like DDT to store it for a long time. Preservatives like DDT is extremely dangerous and can even kill the foetus.

Consulting the doctor
During pregnancy, mothers often take medication without consulting the doctor, which is very risky. Not even an aspirin should be taken without consultation.

Feat of fitness…
Walking and light exercise are always suggested by doctors. They may be beneficial for health but studies prove that swimming is very good for pregnant mothers, which is largely avoided by Bangladeshi families. Although swimming facilities are a few around Bangladesh and expensive too however adding this act to the lifestyle may give birth to a perfect little angel.

 

By Shahnaz Parveen