For The Quintessential Dining Experience
For a long while now, Dhaka city has been considered the ultimate hub of foodies. With very few options of activities around, eating out seems to be the best bet when in need of a good rendezvous.
With this objective, options of restaurants are flowing in more than ever before. Banani Road 11 is filled with new eateries, Dhanmondi is over-flowing with cafes, and there are upscale restaurants as well as dhabas and carts, popping up everyday around the city. One restaurant that definitely stands out amongst the many is Watercress Restaurant, on the third floor of Shanta Western Tower on Bir Uttam Mir Shawkat Sarak.
Since its inception, Watercress Restaurant has been in the limelight as one of Dhaka's most progressive eateries. Their Managing Director, Sheikh Aftab Ahmed, established the restaurant based on his passion for quality food and service. Despite his career in a different field, he decided to open Watercress with experiences from the world over, after witnessing a significant lacking in the Food and Beverages industry in our country.
He strives to portray the industry as a place where there are abundant opportunities for talented individuals to have a good career. Watercress and Sheikh Aftab's main objective was to provide quality food of global standards to be served in the utmost presentable ambiance, at a reasonable price—a task not too easy to achieve, but still done with perfection at Watercress Restaurant.
Their chef is no less than a celebrity, not only having been a judge of the biggest cooking competition in Bangladesh- Rupchanda The Daily Star Super Chef, but also because of his past and journey as a chef. Chef Syed Tazammul Huq Tareq was trained in Australia, under the guidance of famous chefs such a Gary Mehigan, George Calombaris and Matt Moran from Masterchef Australia. Tareq has worked internationally, and his team also includes members trained in the Middle East. His staff members are chosen as they meet requirements such as educational merits, friendly communication skills, and of course- a smile that tops it all off. The staff members are well trained to meet western serving standards, blended harmoniously with our world-renowned warm eastern hospitality. What strikes most is that there is no gender discrimination in the staff as both men and women are hired, both of whom are trained well enough to have their service match the standard of the food.
When we say of global standards in terms of the food and ambiance, we are not, in any way, exaggerating. Watercress Restaurant serves exquisite dishes from both Pan Asian and Continental cuisines. Amongst the dishes, one of the popular appetizers is the Crab Rangoon-- a deep-friend dumpling stuffed with a mixture of rich cream cheese, crabmeat and herbs. For entree, the fried rice with sweet soy based Mongolian Beef or stir-fried spicy Kung Pao chicken with peanuts really hits the right spots. And when you finish off with Molten Lava Cake that oozes out chocolate fudge when you break into it, paired with vanilla ice-cream, your whole meal will turn into pure bliss.
The menu still has an array of items which can really put one in a dilemma—each seeming more delicious than the other. The talent and precision of the chef and his team are so evident in the taste of the food, that sending compliments to them every few minutes could actually be considered.
What holds it all together is the unparalleled ambiance. The setting lavish with service par excellence, the lighting dimmed to perfection, smooth music that consoles your ears, as your taste buds get all the attention—what else could sum up the quintessential dining experience?
Photo courtesy: Watercress Restaurant
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