Dhaka Dining

Best Of IgoUgo

Overview

Quote:

Dhaka is a city that covers the entire spectrum from black to white. It is similar to the country’s history, alternating between turmoil and peace, prosperity and destitution, and a love and hate of everything Western. The food scene is no different. There are classy restaurants in the up-market suburb of Gulshan that would not be out of place anywhere. Then there are those places that a recent newspaper article chronicled as, “the restaurant people were caught red-handed using chemicals and artificial colors in their food, which are usually used in dying clothes.” There are also hundreds of budget eateries where you see men shoveling down rice, dhal (cooked yellow lentils), and perhaps some ...Read More

Dhaka is a city that covers the entire spectrum from black to white. It is similar to the country’s history, alternating between turmoil and peace, prosperity and destitution, and a love and hate of everything Western. The food scene is no different. There are classy restaurants in the up-market suburb of Gulshan that would not be out of place anywhere. Then there are those places that a recent newspaper article chronicled as, “the restaurant people were caught red-handed using chemicals and artificial colors in their food, which are usually used in dying clothes.” There are also hundreds of budget eateries where you see men shoveling down rice, dhal (cooked yellow lentils), and perhaps some meat as quickly as possible with their hand. Notions of hygiene are pretty basic in these places, and you run a high risk of stomach problems. Women customers are extremely rare. Most visitors will chose the better restaurants for good reasons.

Bangladeshi food consists of rice, vegetables, and meat prepared in different ways. Bhuna is fried meat in a rich gravy sauce. Bhaji can be any kind of fried vegetable. Biryani is a rice casserole cooked with chicken, beef, or mutton, or sometimes just with vegetables. Bhetki is a variety of sea bass with few bones and I recommend it. Kebabs and sugar-loaded desserts are also popular. Try them all while you are visiting.

Quick Tips:

If you want to be safe, you need to be careful with your choice of restaurants. Friends in Dhaka say that while you can go down-market in accommodation and transport, you should never do the same with food and drinks. The restaurants recommended here are mostly in the medium-to-expensive categories for Dhaka, but I followed their advice and didn’t have any adverse experiences. Compared to restaurants in most other countries, these restaurants are cheap.

Water is a big problem. Many locals don’t even use the tap water when brushing their teeth, but even bottled water can be suspect, as some companies don’t treat the water properly and there is a whole industry devoted to refilling plastic bottles with new water. You should pick one brand and stick with that all the time you are in Bangladesh. Mum seems to be a reliable brand and widely available. Make sure the seal is intact.

Milky white tea is widely available, but I didn’t enjoy it because it was usually too milky and sweet. Coffee is way less popular. Cola drinks are readily available, both international and local brands. Try green coconut water, particularly if you have mild diarrhea. Alcoholic drinks are unavailable outside the five-star hotels.

Best Way To Get Around:

Most of my recommended restaurants are in the Gulshan area. Depending on where you start, they can be reached on foot or by rickshaw, three-wheeler CNG, or taxi. Rickshaws cost about Tk10 for a kilometre or so or Tk 60 to 80 an hour. Taxi meters start at about Tk 20. The yellow taxis are better than the black ones. Read Less

Cheer!
Flag

Le Saigon

Best Of IgoUgo

Restaurant

Quote:

Although this restaurant only opened mid-2005, it has already made its mark with its combination of attractive ambience and interesting cuisine. If you want Vietnamese food in Dhaka, this is really the only place to go.As you approach the restaurant, the first thing you notice is the conical roof of the porch, similar to that found on a Vietnamese farmer's hut. You are greeted by a doorman in grand costume, then enter a room that is chic but unobtrusive. Cozy booths with wooden partitions, dark timber tables, wooden beams, colonial-style ceiling fans, antiques, and hanging lanterns create an inviting atmosphere. As if this wasn’t enough, there are paintings depicting Vietnamese life and an...Read More

Although this restaurant only opened mid-2005, it has already made its mark with its combination of attractive ambience and interesting cuisine. If you want Vietnamese food in Dhaka, this is really the only place to go.

As you approach the restaurant, the first thing you notice is the conical roof of the porch, similar to that found on a Vietnamese farmer's hut. You are greeted by a doorman in grand costume, then enter a room that is chic but unobtrusive. Cozy booths with wooden partitions, dark timber tables, wooden beams, colonial-style ceiling fans, antiques, and hanging lanterns create an inviting atmosphere. As if this wasn’t enough, there are paintings depicting Vietnamese life and an old-fashioned Vietnamese kitchen in one corner. The area upstairs is similar.

The food can best be described as delicate with a few tangy surprises, but overall I found it rather bland and lacking in interest. The combination of herbs, spices, and sauces makes it quite different to Bangladeshi food and distinctive even from Thai or Chinese. Fresh spring rolls are always one of my favorites at a Vietnamese restaurant, and those at Le Saigon do not disappoint. Of course, there is the Pho Bo or Ga, which is probably the most popular dish in Vietnam. For the beef connoisseur there is diced beef in garlic butter, sliced beef slivers in Vietnamese pepper and onions, and beef rolls stuffed with picked onions. Unfortunately, the beef was so tough that I had to leave most of this on my plate. Some of these dishes, along with the boneless chicken legs, show the Franco-Vietnamese culinary influence.

There are dishes from the three main Vietnam regions, north, central and south. Central food is considered more authentic because the north has been influenced by Chinese cuisine and the south by French, Thai, Indian, and, more recently, American. Probably one of the highlights on the menu is the Lau, a hot pot soup in which your choice of fish, seafood, noodles, vegetables, chicken, beef, and so forth is added to a clear broth. The two Vietnamese chefs prepare this with particular flourish.

When I visited, soothing jazz tunes wafted into the rooms, making a nice backdrop to the food. The service was fast but unobtrusive, and the price, while high for most Dhaka restaurants at around US$23 for two, was probably acceptable. There is a dinner buffet some evenings at around US$10 a head.
Read Less

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on December 6, 2005

Le Saigon
54 Gulshan Ave., Gulshan 2
Dhaka, Bangladesh 1212
882 0523

Cheer!
Flag

Thai House

Best Of IgoUgo

Restaurant

Quote:

Thai cuisine is probably my favourite food but so often Thai restaurants disappoint by delivering dishes that have been changed to meet local tastes or lack authenticity because some ingredients are not readily available. It was thus with some trepidation that I went with a small group to Thai House. I need not have worried.Thai House produced some of the best Thai food I have had outside Thailand. It was authentic, tasty, and reasonably priced. I was so impressed that I returned on two further occasions while I was in Dhaka. The secret it seemed was the Thai chefs who had come straight from Bangkok and their ability to source all the correct ingredients for what they were cooking. On the ...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on December 6, 2005

Thai House
52B Gulshan Avenue Dhaka 1212
Dhaka, Bangladesh
882-2757

Cheer!
Flag

Le Chalet

Best Of IgoUgo

Restaurant

Quote:

I was initially surprised when I went to Dhaka to find restaurants advertising that they served a variety of different cuisines. I was more used to deciding which cuisine I wanted to eat before choosing a restaurant, then finding one that specialized in this cuisine.Le Chalet falls into this ‘several choices’ category by advertising itself as a Thai and Indian restaurant and it certainly is. You are given a menu that is extensive but divides in half between Thai and Indian cuisine. It didn’t seem appropriate to mix cuisines so we decided on Indian.The restaurant occupies most of the ground floor of a small hotel in Gulshan. The whole building is modern and the restaurant from t...Read More

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on December 6, 2005

Le Chalet
5/A, Road 32, Gulshan-1, Dhaka 1212
Dhaka, Bangladesh
881 5689

Cheer!
Flag

Leung Hung Restaurant

Best Of IgoUgo

Restaurant

Quote:

There is no doubting the impression Chinese food has had on the world stage. It seems that no matter which country you travel to, you will find Chinese restaurants there. Bangladesh is no exception and while in Dhaka I ate in at least four of them. In my opinion Leung Hung was the best. The restaurant also has an extensive Thai food menu but I did not ever try this because I regularly visited other specialist Thai restaurants in Dhaka.The restaurant is located on one of the busiest intersections in the suburb of Gulshan so it is well known to most locals. It has also built a good reputation with expatriate people living in the area so on the night I visited there was about a 75/25 mix of l...Read More

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on December 6, 2005

Leung Hung Restaurant
North Circle Gulshan 2, Dhaka 1212
Dhaka, Bangladesh
9896273

Cheer!
Flag

Samdado Japanese Restaurant

Best Of IgoUgo

Restaurant

Quote:

Samdado is probably the best Japanese restaurant in Dhaka. I discovered it by accident, then went there on three subsequent occasions with different people. The staff quickly recognized me and gave a personal greeting and that little bit extra service, so I must say that I am completely in love with the place.The menu is quite extensive, and even after four visits, I don’t claim to be an expert. I enjoyed the sushi so much the first time that on each subsequent visit we also had that. It is not cheap, but it is excellent. After that we tried a whole range of dishes: various hot pots, tempura chicken, tempura shrimp, fried noodles, Udon curry, and so on.There are several interes...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on December 6, 2005

Samdado Japanese Restaurant
House 27, Road 35, Gulshan 1
Dhaka, Bangladesh
8828499

Cheer!
Flag

IgoUgo

Dhaka Journals

Upload Photos