Top 7 places to try Bengali cuisine in Dhaka

The city of Dhaka caters to different palates, providing a wide range of choices for everyone. However, despite the flurry of foreign options, a Bengali heart sometimes craves the taste of deshi cuisine. Thus, we took a tour around the city in search of the best places offering Bangali food, and here are our top 7 picks:

Kasturi Restaurant Dhanmondi

Kasturi is perhaps one of the best Dhaka has to offer in terms of Bengali cuisine. Starting from perfect Bengali lunch and dinner, to snacks and evening meals; each item in the menu seems to taste better than the other. Taaki bhorta, daal bhorta, and prawn curry are some of the best sellers with plain rice. Fish lovers also keep going back to them for the rui and the hilsa fish curries.

Search in Facebook for Kasturi Restaurant Dhanmondi to checkout their full menu and make sure to visit them at Shatmosjid road, 11/A, Dhanmondi, Dhaka.

Photo: Sazzad Ibne Sayed

Bangaliana Bhoj

Bangaliana Bhoj, as the name says, is all about the simplicity of Bangladeshi food and is popular for serving the taste of Bengal at the most reasonable price.
Situated in four prime locations in the city, here you will find mouth-watering options for any meal of the day. What caught our attention immediately was their bhaat-bhorta platter, which offers eleven different bhortas, with unlimited bhaat and daal, at an unbelievable price of Tk 150. Their pabda and hilsa curries are undoubtedly two of the best in the city, and the prawn and crab are also lip-smacking good.

Facebook: Bangaliana Bhoj
Instagram: bangaliana_bhoj

Utshob

Despite being relatively new in town, Utshob has us raving about it. What makes them so special is that in addition to the regular Bengali food, they have brought back some of the most traditional items, like khuder bhaat, chui pitha, and an all-year round duck curry! Their bundiya rabri brings a perfect finish to a perfect meal.

Located at the three branches of Chef's table, Utshob ensures a safe and delightful experience for everyone.

For more information, check out: facebook.com/utshob.online
Or visit their outlets in Chef's table Dhanmondi, Gulshan, and Shatarkul, Dhaka.

Photo: Sazzad Ibne Sayed

Chittagong Bull

Chittagong Bull was one of the first restaurants to introduce Dhaka to the authentic dishes of Chattogram, and years later, it still continues to be one of the best.

Starting from their signature mezbaani gosht, and kala bhuna to the special beef akhni biriyani, they nail the flavour of each and every dish. In order to experience the mezbaani gosht in all its glory, order it with their special paratha and chana daal.

Another must-have from their menu is the loitta fish fry. Crispy and juicy, these are the perfect starters to munch on as you wait for your feast to arrive.

Social media: facebook.com/ctgbull
Located at 112 Gulshan Avenue.

Kalai Rutir Adda

Kalai ruti originates from Rajshahi. Made from a mixture of regular flour and ground mash kalai daal, this special ruti is charred on a flat clay pan or tawa without any oil.

Kalai Rutir Adda brings you the authentic taste of this traditional pita bread with curries of your choice. In Rajshahi, kalai ruti is often eaten with spicy mashed eggplant and/or duck curry. Kalai Rutir Adda has captured the essence of this unique combination perfectly and once you try their specials, you are bound to go back.

Find them at U-59, Nurjahan road, Mohammadpur.

Photo: Sazzad Ibne Sayed

Chui 55

Khulna's chui jhal is one of the dishes that has created quite the hype in the past few years. A rare spice found in the branch of chui tree is used to create this a super spicy curry with whole garlic, served hot with plain rice. Chui 55 specialises in this, offering a variation of beef, mutton and chicken, all cooked with chui. Each dish brings a burst of flavours, and despite the spice, we find it hard to stop eating.

Social media: facebook.com/chui55
Location: House 11/A, Road 130, Gulshan 1

Jagannath Bhojonalaya

Jagannath Bhojonalaya is a small restaurant serving an unbelievable range of nearly a hundred vegetable items! No biriyani, roast, or anything fancy, but each of these vegetarian dishes will make your mouth water. The most interesting thing is the absence of a fixed menu. As the food is made from fresh purchases every morning, each day is a new surprise for the customers. Among their most popular items are the paneer curry, soya curry, moong daal, and a number of spicy bhortas. Safe to say, we found a vegetarian paradise in the depths of Old Dhaka.

Located at Taanti Bazar in Old Dhaka.