Dig in to the madness of Pagla Baburchi

The week before, my friends and I wandered into the doors of "Pagla Baburchi", Madchef's latest venture, located at the heart of Banani Road 11. It was a Tuesday afternoon and the restaurant was just starting to get buzzing.

Walking in, you'd be greeted by a mini paan station and walls adorned with vast fictive artworks hinting at the Bengali culture. The space is not as large, however, is well-decorated amongst a theme of royal blue and grey with tables spaced amply.

The menu hosts a range of dishes and we picked several. Starting with the main course, we went for the Mad Kacchi (BDT 399), of course. Despite everything else on the menu, the kacchi has garnered intense attention and customers' anticipations have sky-rocketed (thanks to their amazing promotional video).

The kacchi, serving one, comes in a big bowl served with an aloo and 3 to 4 pieces of juicy, well-cooked meat. If you're not big on eating, it's safe to say it would fill two people. We paired this with a few add-ons which was certainly an interesting option to have. We added more potatoes (BDT 39 each) and a couple of chicken tikka jaali (BDT 59 each); you can add more meat at BDT 149 per piece. The kacchi is definitely delicious. It's not biye barir kacchi, though. Even then, it'd make a great choice for occasional binges.

The polao, on the other hand, tastes exquisite. It genuinely evokes feelings of warmth and home. Combined with shonali morog musallam, you'd be licking your fingers. This combo costs BDT 349. Although the chicken can be ordered separately, it is priced too high; the order does come with a good amount of yummy gravy.

The "Borhoney" priced at BDT 69 is served in a big, fat glass tumbler and relishes a thick, minty, sour-sweet flavour. Unlike the typical glass, the drink does not sport the strong taste of rock salt which I personally love. Cucumber salad, pickled onion, aloo bokhara chutney, and roasted garlic were served complimentary.

Let's talk desserts. The Shahi Tukra (BDT 229) graced with mascarpone cheese and perfected with a cherry on top looks like a dream. While mascarpone cheese may be new to our palate, here's how it feels: velvety, sweet, almost like cream cheese but not quite. After relishing a whole load of rice and meat, the slice of bread lathered in saffron and malai suffices for two.

When the Fruit Yogurtini (BDT 179) arrived, we couldn't be any less disappointed with how it looked. But we judged too early and I ended up craving for more in the end. The recipe is basic: fruits and yogurt garnished with mint and a chunk of vanilla cake. The cool, sour yogurt tastes amazing in the sense that it has a strong creaminess to it and carries the simple idea to a whole new level. For those looking for a refreshing end to a hearty meal, this is perfect.

Pagla Baburchi is a great place if you are willing to splurge on a dine-out as the mentioned prices are tax-exclusive. With room for betterment, they may soon compete with the big names in Bengali cuisine.

Lastly, given the recent surge in infected cases, please stay home and order in your meals. Pagla Barbuchi is available on Pathao Food and Efood.

Hiya would gladly eat the food you can't finish. Follow her foodstagram @eichaiwaiae