EATING OUT BEFORE DAWN
Sehri is a meal that most of us eat with groggy eyes but lately, having sehri is turning into a social gathering of friends and families at the city's culinary attractions in the wee hours. This has long been a popular trend in Old Dhaka but of late restaurants in other parts of the city have also been catering to this growing need of the urbanites. So this Ramadan, we offer you our list of lively places -- offering the most appetising food -- that you can visit for sehri.
Star Kabab: We don't even know why we are mentioning this, since Star Kabab is always THE place to be, on any occasion. For sehri, Star Kabab remains open and offers its usual items. If you can't decide on a fancier place, or if your wallet simply isn't heavy, go for the safest bet and have Sehri at any of the Star Kabab outlets. However, try to go early, or else you won't get a table; Star Kabab is usually filled to the brim during that time.
Nando's: This place has been a popular sehri option since the inception of this trend. If you want a large and delicious filling of Peri Peri chicken, Nando's is the place to go. It has branches in Dhanmondi, Gulshan and Banani, which makes it accessible for people from different ends of the city. The food is appealing and the portions are ample but the pricing might just be on the high-end spectrum.
Cilantro: This quaint place in Dhanmondi is open on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays to liven up your sehri on weekends. The interior is designed creatively and the place offers some exotic Mediterranean flavours, of which the steak is worth mentioning. Prices are relatively high though.
Baburchi Restaurant: Situated on Sat Masjid Road, Dhanmondi, Baburchi Restaurant can be a good place to visit if you have Tk 200 or less in your pocket. You can have beef khichuri at Tk 160 and chicken biryani at Tk 150. They also have an array of Mughlai food.
Hotel Al-Razzak: Sehri in the old town is festivity itself. The various hotels and restaurants remain open all throughout the night and boast the Puran Dhaka flavours. The most popular choice for sehri in Old Dhaka, hands down, is Hotel Al-Razzak. Immediately after midnight, the restaurant starts getting crowded. Be it their regular dinner items of rice and daal, or their biryani or full-chicken roast, the tastes never disappoint. Prices vary on what you'd like to have, but Tk 300-400 is a safe bet.
Tarka: If you want a generous serving of delicious Indian food, Tarka, in Banani, is a must for you. It has three amazing offers for sehri: Rice Thali at Tk 350+, Naan Thali at Tk 450+ and Biryani Thali at Tk 300+. Tarka can satisfy your desire of good food at a reasonable price. The place is bright and warm and has a kitchen you can peep into.
Fool's Diner: Fool's Diner in Banani (behind Shwarma House) has some tantalising offers for iftar. But they also have set menus for sehri, and you can wrap it up within Tk 315 per person, inclusive of all charges. The menu for sehri consists of egg fried rice along with any two choices of beef, prawn or chicken. It's a chic little café with an amiable atmosphere, making it a nice place to dine in at 3 o' clock in the morning for an affordable price.
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Tastebud: Already quite popular for its sugary treats, Tastebud, located in Banani, has emerged into the sehri scene this year. Alongside its extensive line of sweet and savoury dishes, it will have one or two new items in its list for sehri. If you want to have a fine dining experience with soft lighting and cosy seating, Tastebud might just live up to your expectations.
The Backyard Chef: Following last year's suit, The Backyard Chef in Uttara is offering sehri this year as well, starting at midnight. Last year's speciality was old town styled Biryani. This time, throughout Ramadan for sehri, there will be Chittagonian traditional Mezban buffet, complemented by polau, rice, Beef Kalabhuna, Chatgaiya Chicken and daal, among others, for Tk 550+ VAT. It's a safe place to go with family and friends, and eat your heart's fill in the Chatgaiya way. However, be informed that many weren't satisfied by last year's offer, and made complaints in public.
Gloria Jean's Coffees: GJC is a popular hangout place on Eid, with its abundant space, quality food and a rather young and cool crowd. But this time around, GJC decided to join the sehri bandwagon. Offering a pretty good deal of “Buy any two and get one free”, GJC will be serving Butter Chicken with Basmati Rice, Mutton Rogan Josh with Basmati Rice, and Chicken Manchurian with Fried Rice for Sehri at Tk 478+VAT for each of these items. We suggest going there in groups of three, so that you can avail the offer starting from 2 am till end of sehri time.
The Cart Company: The various carts that are popping up around Dhaka are staying up for the sehri time as well. The Cart Company in Gulshan 1 will remain open till 4 am, offering their usual dishes. Similarly, Naga Inc. in Gulshan 2 will be open too. We haven't been able to spot any other carts that will serve sehri at the time of writing this, but there are good chances of others following suit soon.
Hungrynaki and Foodpanda: These home-delivery service giants are committed to bringing you food from your favourite restaurants at your doorstep. Keeping in mind the World Cup season and the month of Ramadan, they take orders from 8 pm to 2 am. They are quick and reliable and ideal for those who want to have restaurant-quality food wearing pajamas. Visit their websites to order or download their apps on your smartphone to order.
Sehri is an excellent opportunity to spend quality time with your loved ones amidst the streets of Dhaka in the dark hours with the overpowering aroma of good food and no traffic jam. So, go out there and have your fair share. Do not, however, eat uncontrolled amounts and too much of oily and spicy food because that will make matters more difficult the next day. It is also better to go out in groups of friends or families, considering the safety issues at night.
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