A big win for Bangladeshi food: Korai Kitchen gets 3 stars from New York Times

Korai Kitchen, a New Jersey-based restaurant that serves Bangladeshi food, has recently earned a rave review and a three-star rating from The New York Times.

The eatery is run by chef Nur-E Gulshan Rahman and her daughter, Nur-E Farhana Rahman, according to a report by NJ.com. The restaurant is in Jersey City's Journal Square neighbourhood.

Farhana runs the front house while Gulshan handles the kitchen, the report said.

The New York Times, in its three-star review -- considered "excellent" -- praised the different types of bhorta, begun bhaji, fried rui fish, kebabs, beef curry, and their famous murgir roast.

Ligaya Mishan of The New York Times wrote in her review, "So much food that you feel you might never eat again, and time gone malleable, even theoretical, so that it's almost a shock when the meal ends."

Farhana Rahman told NJ Advance Media on Wednesday, "We're incredibly honoured. We know how rare it is for The New York Times to give three stars, and for a Bangladeshi restaurant to join that small circle feels extra special -- for our culture and our community.

"It's also a wonderful moment of recognition for Jersey City, and we're proud to call this incredible, diverse city our home."

Korai Kitchen opened in 2018, offering homestyle Bangladeshi food buffet-style. In February 2024, Korai Kitchen began offering a Friday and Saturday night dine-in option. "Amma's Dawat" or "mother's feast" is an eight-course, three-hour dining experience with no menu -- Gulshan simply serves whatever she feels like cooking that day, said the NJ report.

The review also revelled in how the restaurant encourages guests to eat with their hands.

Chef Gulshan Rahman was a James Beard Award semifinalist in 2024.

Korai Kitchen is also ranked No. 10 on NJ.com's Jersey City dining guide.

The mother-daughter duo also owns Hilsa Grocery, a Bangladeshi grocery store in Jersey City.