Festive buffet at The InterContinental Dhaka

The pandemic and its associated lockdown have made us appreciate the little things, our priorities and most interestingly, even the'finer things' in our daily mundane lives. Things that we usually take for granted because of its habitual presence.

…Every morning, I wake up to the smell of freshly brewed, premium Kashmiri tea loaded with spices, nuts and saffron distilling in my mind. But alas, I make do with the usual home-made green tea, because that's all I can make!

Duringlunch, I miss the random chitchats with colleagues at some posh restaurant in the tri-state area with platters of ordered sushi, deep fried tempura, maki rolls and miso soup pouring in.But I make do with home-made preparations, no extra effort paid there — simple, unfussy and basic. As healthy as it might be, it's simply the repetition of what I had the day before. No extra spice added, no comparisons made; it's as if every new day was a Xerox copy of the previous.

In the afternoons, I miss my favourite savoury afternoon tea with besties, accompanied with finger sandwiches, petit fours, pastries and my most beloved scones, dripping in clotted cream, jam and lemon curd. I also miss the conversations that become louder as the food arrived, because half of the happiness lay in the taste of the food, spread before us.

Last but not the least, I miss my intimate dinner outings with the significant other to explore new dining avenues, Chinese one day, another day Indian, another Pan Asian…the list seemed endless. But I make do with the usual these days.

Last Thursday, I decided to break free from the glum and try-out the InterContinental buffet spread at The Elements Restaurant to reminisce the days of the past, when we were carefree and adventurous. Thankfully, 'the five star' spread had all the meals I had been craving for and more, at one place.

The sushi wagon was overwhelming, the salad bar mouth-watering. The chef behind the open kitchen warmed my heart with kebabs grilled to perfection. If that was not enough, there was also the lip-smacking dessert section,with confectioneries that melted in our mouths.

I can't personally thank InterContinental enough because the food was worthy of acclaim, the safety provided against the pandemic excellent, and additionally, there was the benefit of a BOGO (Buy One Get One) offer with multiple banks, which meant the 20 something friends that I invited to relive the fun days didn't actually put a dent on the wallet.

If you are like me, missing out on old times, then maybe the festive buffet can bring back life into you. One thing to keep in mind though, it is only available from Thursdays to Saturdays due to the prevailing pandemic situation.

Nevertheless, it helps significantly with the feel-good factor for the soul. For I always believe in the aphorism, "food is the best way to heal the heart."

Bon Appetite!

Photo: Shahriar Kabir Heemel