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| Home | Issues | The Daily Star Home | Volume 2, Issue 40, Tuesday April 12, 2005 |
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Street Wise Binging on Boishakh Pohela Boishakh has danced her way into our lives once
again. She brings with her a whirlwind of festivities, ladies clad in
red and white thronging the streets, and the sweet, overpowering smells
of savoury deshi dishes wafting through the Spring air. It is a beautiful
day, not to be spent dawdling at home or within the closed confines
of your office. This Bengali occasion not only gives you ample excuse
to shop a teeny tiny bit more, but also invites you to indulge in a
deliciously gargantuan eating spree! After all, what better day is there
for a family to get together and eat out? If your kids have grown sick
of home cooked meals, and trips to boring Chinese and Italian restaurants
with predictable menus, Boishakh gives you the perfect excuse to try
out our deshi delicacies. Don't even think about cooking food at home.
Why not spend the entire day outdoors… Waking up early in the morning deserves the best cup of steaming tea, and you can find so at Dhanshiri in Gulshan 2. You can still catch breakfast at this restaurant if you wake up a little later than ten, but they only serve the special cha till 11:00am--definitely a good reason to rise 'n shine earlier! Even if you're no tea drinker, Dhanshiri's tea is irresistible, and many will swear by it. Asides their famous tea, Dhanshiri's beef / mutton bhuna, khiri kabab or chicken tikka, along with some of their large crispy-soft butter naan makes for a scrumptious and filling breakfast. If you want to start off the day with khichuri, Ghoroa(left of the Shapla Chottor) is the place to be. This restaurant is a veritable khichuri paradise; the place serves only khichuri and you'll get whatever kind your palate desires, whether it is beef, mutton or chicken. All the festive merry-making under a scorching mid day sun will compel you to ease your thirst with a soothing, refreshing drink. Instead of purchasing your regular can of coke, give the Juice Bar on Baily road a shot. Slurp on all kinds of freshly squeezed seasonal fruits there, or if you're in the mood for good lassi, try Beauty Lassi, an old and favourite haunt of many, in Old Town. You can also get an assortment of other traditional drinks like matha and borhani, not to mention delicious kulfi and faluda. By lunchtime, everyone will be feeling ravenously hungry, and what a delightfully delectable greasy spread we have in store for you! If you're truly a 'maache bhate Bangali,' you'll appreciate Nobanno at Karwan Bazaar where you'll be served with quite an impressive, not to mention scrumptious array of different kinds of big fishes; the fried Pomfret and Shorshe Ilish (Hilsha) are a couple of examples that have frequenters at this restaurant drooling for more. If your taste buds are screaming for an assortment of good old deshi bharta, rush over to Mandira at Kemal Ataturk Avenue for some lip smacking shutki, eggplant or Taaki fish bharta. The cool part of lunching here is you'll get complimentary servings of tamarind juice, including a Pati Shapta pitha at the end of the meal. Khushboo at Gulshan 1 also has a rather large selection; these include mashed green banana, prawn, Hilsha fish and bean bharta to name a few. Nirob Hotel at Haji Selimuddin road in Old town is another eatery, well loved for its tasty selections of bharta, bhaji and jhal fry. The place is a favourite amongst Dhaka university students for its good food and reasonable prices. In the mood for some fabulous biriyani? Then whisk yourselves off to the mother ship of all biriyani houses--Haji Biriyani in Old Town. This eatery has been around for 80 years or more, and still follows the tradition of serving food in Shal pata (a kind of leaf) instead of regular plates and opening shop only after Maghrib prayers. At Haji, the food is cooked in mustard oil, which possibly gives their delicacy that extra zing. Other neat places to try out are Star Hotel near Karwan Bazaar (well known for their Kacchi biriyani), Nanna'r Biriyani in Old Town (their Morog pulao and Mughlai are also to die for), Fakhruddin's in Gulshan 1, and last but not least, Star Biriyani in Old Town (also famous for their tongue-drippingly-good roasts and rezala). Top
off your lunch in the evening with some superb cha at Café
Jheel in Old Town, or Dhanshiri. On this particular day, you
are bound to run into vendors on street corners selling fried Hilsha
and Paanta Bhat. However, water borne diseases being rampant
during this season, it is best to stay away from the likes of Paanta
Bhat, phuchka and any other watery treats that you might be tempted
to try out. Still, if you're simply dying for some sweet 'n sour snacks,
Dhaba's (Banani, road 11) mouthwatering Dahi phuchka
is just the ticket. Your conscience may be giving you a hard time by now, all due to the greasy fest you've embarked on today. But hey, it's just one single, deliciously intoxicating deshi food laden day after all, right? You can resume the pushups first thing tomorrow morning, so enjoy Pohela Boishakh to the brim--your stomachs will thank you! By Rubaiyat Khan NewsFlash Pohela Boishakh at Sheraton Pohela Boishakh means 'an early morning start'. So greet the day and welcome the Bangla New Year' 1412. To celebrate the occasion, Dhaka Sheraton Hotel will organise a daylong "Boisakhi Utsab". The "Boisakhi Utsab" will kick off on Pohela Boisakh at the crack of dawn. To introduce the taste of traditional Bangladeshi culture, this pageant will feature a daylong performance of Bangladeshi musical entertainment. The Lobby Cafe will serve special Bangladeshi refreshments & Pithas, such as Patishapta Pitha and Bhapa Pitha. Bithika Restaurant will mark the occasion with a theme buffet breakfast including puri, khichuri, vegetables, meat curry and chicken bhuna. Lunch will also feature mouthwatering Bangladeshi dishes that include Shorisha Ilish, Pangash curry, Beef Kofta, and Mutton tehari amongst others. Dessert will include Roshmalai, barfi and Shahi tukra. So come, enjoy and celebrate the first day of the Bangla New Year at Dhaka Sheraton Hotel with your friends and family. Special Boishakhi offer at Mango Chilli Mango Chilli, a Thai restaurant situated on top of Chicken King, Gulshan, is giving a special Boishakhi offer. This special offer is valid till April 30. They have also opened up buffet dinner. Buffet dinner cost tk260 per person and open from 7:30pm till 10:30pm. Try their authentic thai cuisine. It is prepared by thai chef. Chicken King is also offering special package. Priced at tk99 it is called Boishakhi Hoi Choi meal deal. The offer is also valid till April 30. -LS Desk |
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