a historian’s favorite Bangladeshi style restaurants in dhaka

As someone who loves history I am inadvertently drawn to places with a sense of the past and nostalgia. Here are three of my favorite Bangladeshi style restaurants in and around Dhaka. Perhaps some of these are also favorites of yours and, if not, I hope you will give them a try next time you are in the area.

1. BEAUTY BOARDING, Bangla Bazaar, Old Dhaka

   This is one of my absolute favorite places to visit in Old Dhaka (after my Nana-Nani’s house). Housed in an old colonial home, whose façade probably hasn’t changed since 1947, it takes you back in time to an era where coffeehouse culture was prevalent. In fact Beauty Boarding has possibly witnessed major historical addas of the intellectual and literary circles of Dhaka.

   Due to its proximity to Bangla Bazar, which is the hub of publishing houses and wholesale books in the country, it has long since attracted poets, writers, journalists, theater personalities, and even magicians (Jewel Aich was a regular there).

   In addition to being a boarding house, it has a restaurant on the ground floor next to the inner courtyard. The interior reminds me of my grandparents’ house - that same style windows, wood ceiling beams, tube lights. It serves the typical Bangladeshi menu, ranging from a variety of bortas to maach cooked in different styles. I always order the aloo borta and dhal, which are divine. The menu changes everyday according to the season and whichever fish is available in the market. So rest assured that everything is cooked fresh and is super delicious.

   Afterwards a stroll through the maze of bookstores that is Bangla Bazaar is the perfect way to walk off the calories and pick up the latest Bangla novel or, a copy of Himu.

2. BHOJ, Segun Bagicha (opposite Shilpakala Academy)

   The name says it all. I discovered Bhoj through my sister, Shawon. She took me there after a show at Shilpakala. In ambience it is as different from Beauty Boarding as can be. While Beauty Boarding is a quiet oasis in the middle of the hustle and bustle of Bangla Bazar, Bhoj is the hustle and bustle. It is cacophonous with customers arriving constantly and waiters swooping in and out in absolute synchrony. I can’t fathom how the waiters keep the orders straight.

   Their kichuri is out of this world and most of the dishes are pretty good. They have a comprehensive menu of mostly Bangladeshi dishes. I forget if they have any Chinese options. But you cannot go wrong with anything you choose to order.

   The service is quick and during peak times they expect you to eat quickly and leave just as quickly. If you want a more leisurely paced meal go later in the afternoon, order the kichuri, and settle down with a cha for some good adda with a dear friend. It’s also a great place to people watch as the artsy people who visit Shilpakala make a pit stop there.

3. ZINDA PARK, Gazipur

   Technically not in Dhaka or even in Dhaka district, Zinda Park is a breath of fresh air nestled in Gazipur and only 30 minutes from Bashundhara, maybe even less if you press down on the accelerator. I go there whenever I need a break from Dhaka and all the ganjam.

   The park is owned by a village cooperative society, of which all the villagers are members. It is spotless because when it closes the members chime in and help with clean up. Inside there is a beautiful mosque and school designed by a Bangladeshi architect who is a master of tropical architecture.

   There is also a circular library a few stories high. If you make it to the top, you get a 360 degree unrestricted view over the canopy of trees. Gone are the ugly buildings of Dhaka, and all you see is miles and miles of breathless greenery.

   After you have walked the grounds and meditated by the lake, stroll down to the open style canteen. The meals are cooked in large dexis over an open fire. The sweet smell of burnt wood will greet you. There are options for several set menus. Not all menus are available every day. Each menu comes with a vegetable dish and a meat dish. There are also options for desserts (mishti doi and such). The food is what you would eat at a typical village home. I would recommend visiting on a weekday to avoid the weekend crowds.

   I just adore the simplicity and sereneness of Zinda Park. It is a piece of village life that is such an integral part of our Bangaliana, and which you easily forget when caught up with city life. I imagine that this is what life must have been like back in the day - open rice fields, coconut trees as far as the eye can see, sweet breeze from the river, ripe mangoes in the orchard and all night pala gaaner ashor. Ah, what a life!

“ Graam chara oi ranga matir poth. Amar mon bhulai re.”

- Rabindranath Tagore