PAPPAROTI: NICE BUNS

Among all the restaurants I have reviewed, PappaRoti happens to be the one in business for the longest time. It started sometime around two years back but has not received the kind of limelight it should have. Happy and high on caffeine as I write this, the café came off more relaxing and refreshing to me than any other glorious coffee shop you can wear your jeans to. Just kidding.

PappaRoti on a weekday seemed to me what an ideal coffee shop should look (and smell) like. Infused with an intoxicating aroma of coffee and buns fresh out of the oven, the place was just as laidback as its customers. Situated on a busy road and adjacent to the famous burger joint Preetom, the chilled and caffeine filled air inside the eatery was the perfect respite for those who stopped by. 

The menu was very simple. In fact, it's sized like a little card that fits well inside your palms. The first thing on top of the menu was the PappaRoti Bun priced at Tk 130. There were four add-on toppings available for this – chocolate, honey, caramel and whipped cream. Then there were the non-caffeinated drinks aka the fruit smoothies and chillers. From the espresso based drinks, we picked Cafè Latte and Cappuccino at Tk 190 each and Iced Caramel Macchiato priced at Tk 290. 

The bun-like roti came in a nice wooden board. As I dug my fork into it, the crust crumbled in and revealed a gooey yet fluffy inside. At first glance, it looked similar to a regular crusty bun but biting through the crispy outer layer revealed a sweet caramel flavour. The centre was moist and gave me a hit of the rich buttery filling. The flavours in the bun and topping were mild and the sweetness restrained. I felt the caramel topping was a perfect complement but you can pick any of the other three. 

The Iced Caramel Macchiato was a very good investment. It had the perfect bittersweet balance and we relished it to the last sip. The Cafè Latte and Cappuccino may not have been extraordinary but they were more than decent. The place was neither cramped nor very spacious but looked well-equipped to serve the average crowd on a given day. 

PappaRoti is Malaysian and has its stores in many countries of the world. The place is nice and comfortable – perfect for catching up with an old friend or talking about life over coffee. Away from the crowd and hype, a relaxing place like this is what one often needs to reflect on life. Okay, too cheesy.

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/PappaRoti.Bangladesh?fref=ts
Address: 32, Kemal Ataturk Avenue, Banani, Dhaka, Bangladesh