Dhaka Journals

Dhaka Dining

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A July 2005 trip to Dhaka by LenR

Travel Photo by IgoUgo memberMore Photos
Quote: Dining in Dhaka can be an enjoyable or frightening experience. This journal helps you negotiate some of the problems.

Dhaka Dining

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Overview

Travel Photo by IgoUgo member
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

Le Saigon

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Restaurant

Inside the restaurant Photo - Le Saigon, Dhaka, Bangladesh
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

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on December 6, 2005

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

Thai House

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Restaurant

Travel Photo by IgoUgo member
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

Le Chalet

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Restaurant

Travel Photo by IgoUgo member
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

Leung Hung Restaurant

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Restaurant

Prominent location Photo - Leung Hung Restaurant, Dhaka, Bangladesh
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

Samdado Japanese Restaurant

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Restaurant

Restaurant from the street Photo - Samdado Japanese Restaurant, Dhaka, Bangladesh
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