Every week, my group of Food Adventurers Tasting Treats in Exotic Spots try out a new restaurant. This is part two (I wrote part one in March) of my review of places we’ve tried plus some I’ve been to on my own.
Goong (the Castle – as one can tell from the large wooden gate) is on Road 50, House 12. Previously called Dae Jang Geum until a copycat restaurant opened up down the street! (13/13): Korean palace food. Best restaurant in Bangladesh. Best service and best food which happens to be Korean food. You can cook your own meat at the table on the 4th floor. Go for the fresh food, service, and salmon sashimi.
New Kings Kitchen (5/13): Cantonese. Note: they have karaoke.
Saltz (8/13): Seafood continental style. Like an underworld theme park. Must try: the fresh juice.
Spitfire (8/13): Western style. Same good juice as Saltz upstairs. Must try: serves warm bread rolls with every meal.
New Mermaid Cafe (9/13): Large airconditioned location on Gulshan Circle. Note: wish they had an elevator but maybe that would not be eco-friendly.
Rok (8/13): Meat of choice on volcanic hot rock. It’s a gimmick. Note: interior is more swanky than caveman.
Sajna (7/13): Indian. Good for business meetings. Must try: Can’t think of what.
Red Shift (6/13): Cafe. Rooftop. Note: It’s a coffee shop. Enough said.
Flambe (4/13): Random menu but not much to offer. Note: some dishes okay but not a repeat kind of place.
Pan Thao (8/13): Best Thai food in Dhaka. Note: Service can be slow.
I just moved to Dhaka, and your blog has been the best source of information (besides word of mouth) that I have come across yet! Thank you so much for chronicling your adventures, and I may have to start asking you for the names and locations of your favorites (especially fabric shops)!
That’s the best compliment I’ve received about my blog! Thank you. I aim for my adventures to be useful. Welcome to Dhaka. I’ll try to blog about the fabric shops in a later blog. Enjoy Dhaka! Maybe we’ll see you at some of the restaurants?
Hi Mikkela – you are a godsend. I am a 48 year old woman from Bondi Beach in Sydney and am here in Dhaka on business for the first time. It’s an overwhelming place i have to say. I’ve travelled in India but for some reason Dhaka seems a bit more intense. I am loving it though.
SO thank you for your blog – it has opened up a new world for me here. I am here by myself so if you need any partners in crime i’m up for it.
Mandy
Hi Mandy,
I’m very glad to hear that you found my blog useful. Welcome to Dhaka! You are very brave to be here on your own. Dhaka is many things and I like to show the parts of it that I’ve discovered. There is much to explore but I don’t have nearly enough time to explore it all. Let me know what sort of information you’re looking for and I might blog about it! Mikkela
Stemming from what the two previous comments have already mentioned, I too really appreciate your blog! It’s so useful and great to hear from others who’ve lived in Dhaka for quite a bit.
I’m really interested in finding out more about cultural/art events and anything in the music scene. I know there are some postings in the expat clubs. I’ve heard of some art shows, fairs but always after they’ve passed. Any help on finding out more would be much appreciated! Thanks 🙂
Thanks for the compliment! I’m glad that my blog is of some use. I’m not sure about the cultural/art events or the music scene. I usually hear about it from the flyers on the expat club walls or from people who have been here before. The best thing to do is to befriend you local Bangladeshi colleagues and ask them. They’ll be thrilled to share Dhaka life with you. Other than internal listservs, I can’t find that much online so I understand the frustration. You should just talk it up with everyone and eventually, you’ll get some information BEFORE the event happens. You could also join some of the clubs if you can.
Having lived in Bangladesh for 10 years, I can’t agree more with some of your comments regarding the restaurants. Sajna used to be the restaurant that served lunch at the American School cafeteria up until 2-3 years ago and their Indian food was quite good!
Another interesting fact about Sajna! Thanks.
Thank you so much for these posts they are so helpful. When you say “Food Adventurers Tasting Treats in Exotic Spots” is this a real group that tries out restaurants in Dhaka? I would absolutely love to be part of a group like that. I arrived last week and am staying for 3 months and want to make the most out of it. Thank you!
Yes, it was a real group but it is no longer active. You should start your own.
Hi Mikkela , we love what you are doing on food adventure. i2eat.com is the largest food review site in Bangladesh and we are growing every moment with the power of honest reviews. We Would love to have your reviews here. Please email us your mail ID etc. Best Wishes and keep up the help for many 🙂
Thanks for your encouraging words. Keep up the work on your site. Perhaps you can compete with Yelp and TripAdvisor?