Old Dhaka food nostalgia on the memory lane

If you venture into a market these days, the need for indulging in that specific market’s fast food shops (or a food court, if the market is Bashudhara City for example) has become a cultural staple which began since the time it was popularly enforced with New Market’s inception in 1954, described a UNB report.

 

The rise of markets eliminated the need to visit Old Dhaka, which was mired in heavy crowds, narrow alleyways and all-around non-family shopping atmosphere. Shopping and eating out was made easier with the rise of fast food joints since the early 1960’s.

 

Everyone began to love the addition of burgers and sandwiches into our urban culinary inventory post-independence. A few determined individuals tried to emulate the success of eminent hotels such as Hotel Purbani and Intercontinental, whose patties and other delicacies were highly sought-after and desired, but quite expensive for the average consumer.

 

The earliest fast food shop in Dhanmondi was located near Elephant Road, named Delight Fast Food during the early 80’s, which helped food lovers experience the joys of eating a burger, albeit it being a fancy shami kebab topped with tomato ketchup in between a bun. Fast food in Bangladesh has evolved a lot since then.

 

But sadly, most of yesteryear’s joints have closed down over time. Some perished due to stiff competition from newer food shops, some have renovated and revised their menu to meet the trends of the current times, while others are still operational, but still clinging on to the memories of their golden period in hopes of resurgence.

 

The listed restaurants and cafes below are mostly from Dhanmondi and Gulshan area (there are a few restaurants from other areas as well), since these were the two main localities for our food cravings, unlike today where locations like Baily Road, Banani and even Khilgaon take precedence over elite locations such as Gulshan.

 

Candyfloss: After school, this used to be a must-visit site for all of us. Hot dogs and cotton candy were what most ordered. The mayonnaise and extra mustard kept the hot dogs popular, while the burgers and milkshakes kept everyone busy to fill in their tummy before dinner or lunch. They recently re-launched with outlets across the city, but the taste is not what it used to be like.

 

Mollika Snacks: Located just beside Candyfloss, this was for everybody. It offered what Candyfloss did, only at cheaper rates and with local ingredients. Their burgers, fries and shakes are still sought after by those who visited it since the beginning, but their quality and prices are not what it used to be like previously.

 

Sausly’s: A concern of Tabani Foods, this introduced Dhakaites to cold-cut meats and its sandwiches back when Bengal Meat was very much non-existent.

 

Hot Hut: They were the first ones to introduce steaks and other continental dishes to Dhanmondi’s food lovers back in the early 90’s. They still operate and maintain the menu that they began with. The three sauces which accompany the dishes, tomato, mint and garlic – are still delicious even today.

 

Panda Garden: The quintessential Thai fine-dining restaurant near Mohakhali DOHS, they were the first to recruit an actual Thai chef, hence the taste was sublime and closer to authentic Thai cuisine.

 

Royal Orchid: They redefined fine-dining back when Chilli’s and the X-named restaurants were still infants or had not even begun operating. This was located in Gulshan-1. Honorable mentions of similar restaurants are Lemon Grass and Seafood.

 

Light Confectionary and Bakery: A staple for food lovers whenever they visited New Market, this gave stiff competition to Olympia Bakery, who struggled against them for quite a period of time. But lack of change and innovation closed the confectionery down, which was also credited to the rise of fast food shops in the market.

 

American Soft Ice-cream: This was truly special. A deviant away from how Italian ice cream was prepared, their ice cream machine could whip instant vanilla ice-cream in fancied twirl shapes, and true to its name, was soft. This was located in Dhanmondi 6/A, opposite to where Anam Rangs Plaza is situated today.

 

Kosturi: Unlike Haji or Nanna, this Bijaynagar-based hotel did not come under media inspection as much as it deserves, but that can be attributed to the lack of promotional activities from its owner, who started under a tin shed roof back in the late 60’s. Their fish items are still delicious, with the fried Chitol Machher Kofta still the cornerstone of their restaurant.

 

La Bamba: This was the pride of Dhanmondi in terms of fast food by day and kebabs by night, but internal family rift shattered whatever potential it had to be a legend, causing the main branch near Abahani field to close down, with spin-offs still operating, but the taste is not the same.

 

Ananda Bakery and Confectionery: Another middle-class reliance for good food, they still have branches in Shaheen school market and Old Dhaka’s Sat Rouza intersection still act as the flag-bearers of a taste of history. Another honourable mention of a similar establishment is Yusuf Bakery.

 

Yummy Yummy: This was one of the first locally-franchised fast food joints well before KFC and Pizza Hut even considered Bangladesh as a viable business prospect. Their slush-based drink, burgers and set meals are still popular.

 

Tehari Ghar: Imagine one small tehari-selling outfit for which an entire area is famous. Dhanmondi’s Sobhanbag is well-known for housing Tehari Ghar, not the other way around. Their prices may have increased, but the taste remains the same as before.

 

Big Bite: Everyone who has visited Eastern Plaza in Hatirpool knows this place. The retro ambiance with Rock and Roll posters and references were a hit back in the early 90’s. Standing strong even today, the décor has been updated though and the food is not quite as tasty as it was before, but the prices are still low.

 

Shwarma House: The first branch is Hatirpool back in 1993 was the one that introduced us all to Arabian shwarma. Pizza was popular by then, but shwarma was the item to devour. It stands strong even today, with numerous branches across Dhaka, even dabbling in Indian cuisine in their Hatirpool branch, now renamed to ‘Shwarma Kebasish House’.

 

Euro Hut: A small cart which started out from Baily Road, it has multiple outlets now which still serves some of Dhaka’s best burgers, fried chicken, soda float, faluda and garlic sauce.

 

Some still operate, some have closed down. But the level of nostalgia they cause will take many people down memory lane, leading to a momentary sadness, but also with a remnant of happy childhood memories.