Quality time in the wee hours
Having sehri at restaurants in Dhaka is nothing new anymore. In fact, the idea of having the pre-dawn meal with family and friends has become quite popular among Dhakaites, considering the number of restaurants that keep their doors open to patrons till late during Ramadan. The food scene in the city, in the wee hours, has acquired a character of its own.
When the clock struck 11:00pm, Zakaria Alam stood near the entrance of Nando's in Dhanmondi with a clipboard in hand, checking the number of available tables so that he could accommodate the crowd waiting to be seated. The sound of the cutlery, the flame in the kitchen and the chatter of the people coming over for more than just a meal created quite a contrast to the quietness outside.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. “Our buy 1 get 1 free sehri meal is very popular,” said Saif Ahmed, the Assistant Patrao (manager) of Nando's.
Quite a few restaurants in Dhanmondi offer sehri dine-ins that run up to 3:00am. Many restaurateurs claimed that the sehri crowd was bigger than their iftar crowd.
The picture on the other side of the city was similar. The flow of traffic was surprisingly high, considering it was past midnight. Parking space in Gulshan 1 was hard to get. The managing partner of Nawab Chatga, Shahidul Islam, said that they designated 4-5 people to manage parking outside the restaurant. The restaurant is popular for its mezbani gosh, jhura mangsho, kala bhuna and lau-er dudh shemai.
Anika, Adnan and Roma were quick to book a table at Nawab Chatga because they were already hungry from waiting in a long queue at another restaurant nearby. “We waited for at least 45 minutes; we couldn't wait any longer,” said Anika.
According to Ali Reza Iftekhar, managing director and CEO of Eastern Bank Limited, finding a restaurant for a sehri get-together was not very difficult. “Nawab Chatga offers different types of beef dishes and we wanted to try Chittagonian food. I would say the food is good; I'll be back with my wife tomorrow,” he said, adding that he prefers iftar at home.
Shomi Kaiser, media personality and president of e-Commerce Association of Bangladesh, was seen with her colleagues at the restaurant as well. “We're having a 'sehri-meeting' here,” she said.
Online food delivery services are also active during sehri hours. Foodpanda and HungryNaki are providing nocturnal services during Ramadan.
There was a time when people would flock to Old Dhaka whenever they wanted to have a break from the casual sehri at home but those who cannot make it to Al-Razzak are not left behind anymore. Quality time with family, night out with friends or corporate meetings, it's more than just a meal. With great offers from different restaurants, the sehri scene in Dhaka is thriving.
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