Tasting authentic Dhakaiya food outside Puran Dhaka
A bowl of buttery chicken with naan, a cup of masala cha with the Dhakaiya special — bakarkhani — and a colourful wall painted with some of Dhaka's historic monuments: some phrases to describe the new little aesthetic cafe in town — Dhakaiya Chapkhana
Upon our entrance, we were moved by the picturesque view to our right: the wall showcasing Dhaka's important architecture. Then came the food ordering episode. We were recommended the most special item on their menu: Chicken makkhanwala and naan. The combination of the two was a delicious affair; the gravy did justice to the name 'makkhan,' given the chicken pieces were soaked in butter and ghee. Despite the texture, the item was very light to the stomach, yet very fulfilling. Additionally, we also went for the butter chicken and paneer butter masala: both delivered a great feeling to our taste buds.
The array of chaaps and kebabs is delicious too, beef boti and chicken hariyali topping the list. At that point, our stomachs were full but taste buds were still tempted for more. Thus, we wanted to put an end to our cravings with a glass of badam-er-shorbot (almond milk) and masala tea.
I must add that these two beverages were the show stoppers for me! While the rich badam-er-shorbot delivered a perfect blend of milk and nuts (had saffron too), the masala tea did full justice to the sweet and savoury arrangement. Moreover, with that sweet bakarkhani dipped into the tea: each bite into it immediately melted in my mouth!
Next, the bill came in while we were waiting with our bloated but satisfied tummies. We did enjoy the food on a budget! The total bill amounted to around Tk 1,800-2,000 for a fulfilling meal that was shared by three people quite easily.
Finally, as we were done with our shares of the aesthetic photo session around the Dhakaiya wall, we left feeling accomplished, with the utmost desire to visit again.
A little bit on the duo that started this amazing place:
The venture started on a very small scale by a pair of ambitious brother-sister duo who put a great deal of their savings into developing a mere cart offering traditional Dhakaiya food: chaap and luchi.
"Coming from a true Dhakaiya background, we wanted the people of the new town to experience an essence of authentic Old Dhaka food. We wanted to keep our traditions alive," shared Md Aban Uddin, the brother and one of the owners of the restaurant.
For more information, call 01677-636972, or visit https://www.facebook.com/dhakaiyaChapkhana
Photo Courtesy: Doodle with Prova