This food carnival brings the hills to Dhaka

The PAHARI LIVE Food and Dessert Carnival, organised by Shantigraam, in partnership with Biskut Factory, and supported by Khut, is not just a food festival; it is an invitation to people who want to experience a different cuisine.

Founded by Biskut and Sarwat Sameen, Shantigraam was created with a vision of serving healthy, organic food to people while creating meaningful cultural experiences through food and the community.

Initially, the founders just wanted to cultivate mushrooms in the hills, but the idea slowly evolved into something larger. Shantigraam started its journey around 2021-2022 in Dhanmondi. It was built on a commitment to serving food without any artificial or chemical elements.

“Our vision was simple. We just want to feed people healthy, organic, and good food," said Sameen. "We are trying to create a space where people can have different types of cuisine from different parts of Bangladesh, alongside Bengali food.”

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That vision inspired the PAHARI LIVE Food and Dessert Carnival.

As a lover of hill cuisine, Sameen wanted more people to experience foods that are rarely seen in Dhaka and understand the culture behind them.

“People there have very healthy food habits compared to ours, and I wanted people to know and experience it,” she explained. The carnival menu perfectly reflects this goal. Visitors can enjoy different types of mungdi, including chicken, egg, crab, and seafood options.

The laksu selection highlights unique ingredients such as thankuni leaves and bamboo shoots, alongside chicken, squid, and seafood versions. One of the standout items is the renowned bamboo chicken meal, served with rice. Lastly, two types of desserts are available, which are bamboo shoot malai and mango sticky rice.

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“People who love exploring new things that they cannot usually find will definitely like it,” Sameen said. “Right now, it is bamboo shoot season, so we are serving bamboo shoot laksa and bamboo shoot malai dishes, which I have never found in Dhaka.”

All the ingredients which are used in this food carnival are sourced from the hill tracts, and the cooking is done by indigenous cooks themselves.

“No matter how much we try, we cannot recreate these dishes the way they can,” she explained, further adding, “It is their tradition, and naturally, they prepare it best.”

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Biskut and Sameen see this year’s carnival as only the beginning. While the current event focuses just on food, in the future, they want to showcase more elements from Bandarban, Khagrachhari, and other hill districts and create a broader cultural platform.

“We are starting small,” Sameen noted. “But eventually, we want to showcase everything related to the hill communities; their culture, crafts and traditions.”

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A live musical session featuring emerging local musicians will take place on Thursday evening.

The carnival runs until 27 June, 2026, welcoming visitors daily from 12 PM to 10:30 PM. People who are curious about Bangladesh’s rich culinary diversity will find PAHARI LIVE offering a unique opportunity to taste, learn, and connect on one plate at a time.

Photo: Courtesy