George's Cafe: From New York with Love

"Every day is a good day at George's Cafe," says the manager, Atiqur Rahman. As clichéd as it sounds, it's amazingly true for a small cafe in one of the quieter parts of Uttara, Dhaka. Extracting the calmer, cooler side of one of the busiest cities in the world, George's Cafe has successfully recreated the jazzy side of New York for the people of Dhaka. 

George Smith, founder of the cafe, saw the room for better quality, innovation and better use of ingredients in the Bangladeshi market. He took the initiative to build a "nice oasis" where people could duck in and relieve themselves from the regular hustle and bustle of Dhaka. Stepping into the softly lit cafe, you are greeted with Broadway music along with a refreshing ambience and gracious waiters. George says, "New York is a place where the streets are very busy but you also have nooks and crannies where people kick back and relax. That's the part of New York we've tried to create here." 

At George's Cafe, everything comes in the right proportions – big flavours and large food portions but at relatively affordable prices to suit the budgets of various age groups. Indeed, the cafe has a menu with the quirkiest descriptions and attractive prices that can make almost everyone smile. Offering a wide range of wallet-friendly food items, from espressos, smoothies and baked goods to appetisers, burgers and hot dogs, the cafe boasts some of the most quintessential food items of New York.

One of the biggest highlights of the menu has to be the "Hot Dawg Corner", which offers an array of mouth-watering hot dogs representing the flavours and names of the celebrated places in NYC. The "Times Square Dawg" includes bright orange toppings and a burst of flavours with sauerkraut and BBQ onions. Another item that delivers big on the flavour is the "Wall Street Dawg"; with kimchi, relish and brown mustard, it has the perfect balance between tartness and meat. To suit the milder taste buds, there is the "Yorkville" with a more meaty bite. All the regular hot dogs are priced at only BDT 120 and the "Jumbo Dawgs" with fries are reasonably priced at BDT 250. Like a lot of the items on the spicier spectrum of the menu, these "Dawgs", with diverse toppings, mayo and sauces made from scratch, all lead to "multi-napkin experiences". What's more is, the cafe is looking to host another "All You Can Eat Hot Dog Contest" this April. Stay updated!

Another notable aspect of the menu is definitely the "Espresso Bar". Starting with their regular Espresso at BDT 130, the menu offers the distinctive beverages you might expect at a NYC cafe such as lattes (BDT 190-275), macchiatos (BDT 150-180) and cappuccinos (BDT 190-275). Their caffeine based drinks landed the cafe in the Top 3 of the Best Coffee in Town, listed by Mehereen Aziz in The Daily Star. Having worked in the food industry for many years in the US, George understands how the beans change as they age and how they have to be roasted and ground to develop the same top quality coffee consistently. After all, according to George, its "attention to detail" that makes the cafe what it is.

In the last year and a half, since the cafe first opened, it has grown tremendously in nearly every facet – the items on the menu increased; expanded from a single room to two; service, which was initially the biggest challenge, started to get more appreciation from customers. Focused on being as authentic as possible, George hopes to keep delivering the best flavours of New York. And he's not done; George's Cafe is planning on expanding beyond Uttara, and eventually Dhaka, bringing a scrumptious bite of The Big Apple with them. 

Address and Contact:
House 2, Road 10, Sector 1, Uttara, Dhaka-1230, Bangladesh, +880 1670 668566

Website: 
http://www.georges-kitchen.com/