Bangladeshi food-icians in Bangkok - The taste of deshi cuisine is on the rise in lands afar










Bangladeshi food-icians in Bangkok
The taste of deshi cuisine is on the rise in lands afar. Photo and text Faizul Khan Tanim


One of my friends once told me that her liking for cities depended on how welcome the city made her feel. I would say, in addition, that the cuisine on offer plays a significant role on the attractiveness of cities, while bridging cultures and establishing a better understanding of countries and their people. After all, the phrase ‘food for thought’ was not coined for nothing.




There are quite a few restaurants owned by Bangladeshis in Bangkok, Thailand and among them, four are running smoothly in terms of food quality, presentation and overall business. Each restaurant has enough history and mystery to make the investigation into their past and present entertaining. Thailand saw the rise and fall of many a restaurant, while others experienced hardship but stood their ground, probably taking inspiration from Don Marquis’ famous quotation - Successful people are the ones who think up things for the rest of the world to keep busy at.




The restaurants are crowded with customers from all over the world who are enticed by mouthwatering spices and the aromatic splendor of rice. Not surprising, as Bangkok is a tourist-friendly city which accommodates different cultures, making it a fantastic city to visit.




Bumrungrad Hospital, the premier provider of healthcare in the city has an added attraction – the Bangla House restaurant, a Bangladeshi restaurant serving quality Bengali, Thai and especially Lebanese and Egyptian food. The directors of the venture, Kamruzzaman and Mohammad Nurul Alam Bulu, claimed that quality is their main priority.




The restaurant has huge fish tanks with live snappers, prawn, and other carp fishes, which are taken out right in front of the customers when an order is placed. The chosen fish is then deliciously grilled, cooked with spices, or prepared in Arabian style, as per the customer’s wishes.




Kamruzzaman affirmed that although there are roughly ten Bangladeshi restaurants in Bangkok, more than 85 per cent of food connoisseurs occasion only four restaurants – Bangla House, Monika’s Kitchen, Al Hussein, and Rajdhani Hotel. Most of these eateries are near or around the Bumrungrad Hospital and caters to most Bengali customers who visit Bangkok for treatment.




‘I learnt cooking from my mother and my fish dishes are most popular, especially the carp recipes,’ added Kamruzzaman.




‘But recently, our business has taken a hit due to the global hike in food prices. It is very hard to employ six specialised cooks when prices of all necessary commodities have nearly doubled. The worst thing is, even the utility bills have increased significantly,’ Kamruzzaman lamented.




Interestingly, Shefali Iqbal, a humble woman who was quietly sitting behind the cash register and randomly instructing her Burmese cook to prepare appealing Bangladeshi dishes, came to Thailand for her daughter’s treatment.




Her diagnosis was followed by higher education in Thailand.




As Shefali’s understanding of Bangkok society developed over the years, she started a catering business – serving halal food with light spices, especially for the hospital patients. She gained enough popularity to open a whole eatery called Monika’s Kitchen in April 2005, where customers enjoy the same fulfillment of home cooked authentic Bangladeshi meals.




‘Balls of mashed vegetables and varieties of spinach are a hit with customers and they sell like crazy. My customers have become part of my family. Their lives are now intertwined with mine. Not a day goes by when I’m not captivated by their tales. It has been wonderful serving our native food alongside the traditional Thai seafood dishes. The competition is healthy and good for business,’ added a beaming Shefali.




The food business is not always great for all restaurateurs in Thailand, and that is exactly the case for Kazi Anwarul Kader Alamgir – the owner of Rajdhani Hotel and Restaurant. He was very disappointed initially because of the price hike, as a lot of makeshift changes came about due to staff cuts, and shifting of the burden on him in a vain attempt to lower the towering costs of maintaining business.




At first, negligence shrouded his response for an interview but he later agreed to sit with this reporter and narrate the tales of his frustration, over cups of tasty Bangladeshi malai chaa.




He finally smiled a bit after taking a sip of the chaa, giving me confidence to get the interview rolling. ‘I’m here from the year 1978 and my life circled around doing different types of businesses in different suburbs of this majestic city. I started this hotel with seven bedrooms, and a restaurant (which, coincidentally, is also adjacent to Bumrungrad Hospital) in 2004. Business was going great until 1/11 struck in Bangladesh.’




‘Not only have I lost many customers (mainly the ministers, political leaders and junior officers and helpers of the high-ups) but it is also hard to run my restaurant with the escalating price hike. I spend time interacting with all my customers, most of whom are patients. If I can serve one good meal and bring a smile to their faces, I consider it a success,’ Kazi Alamgir added.




Frustration and angst eventually diminishes throughout the city as darkness approaches. Bangkok never sleeps and neither does the insomniac streetlights and neon signs. Tourists can experience the buzzing atmosphere of the exciting city, and as they do, ‘One night in Bangkok’ by Murray Head can be heard muffled in the background. One cannot help but hum the lines One night in Bangkok makes a hard man humble, Not much between despair and ecstasy. One night in Bangkok and the tough guys tumble. Can’t be too careful with your company…I can feel the Devil walking next to me.




Even from behind the replica Ray Ban shades, the sight and sounds of the great city scintillates the senses. The fake Rolex displays how quickly time flies at times of delight.




Al-Hussein Restaurant, the forth popular dining location in Bangkok, captures the true essence of the city’s nightlife. Shisha, coloured tea pouring in mugs and shot glasses, brazen atmosphere with lights keeps its patrons entertained well after midnight.




One of the Arabian customers from the eatery commented, ‘The dishes are served in great quantity. The beef and kidney curries are excellent, as are the other dishes. And even if there are no belly dancers or snake charmers attempting to possess you, the atmosphere here is spectacular and definitely makes you think you are in the Middle East, not Bangkok.’

Comments

Anonymous said…
beta gadha address to dibi
Thanks for promoting Bangladeshi food.
Bangkok lover said…
they take very high prices.
Aarshi said…
I need the address and phone number of this Rajdhani hotel and restaurant in Bangkok.
Anonymous said…
your restaurant suck, food is not even tasty. *Vomit* Go sell shoe man
Dorrie said…
I ate at Bangla House today: Hummus, naan bread and chicken cooked with okra. It was very delicious, and even more (if possible) filling!

I make my hummus in a very different way, but well, I love to taste other ways to prepare it and this one was simple and good.

Then I had "Okra cooked with chicken", and again:
d e l i c i o u s !
The only thing I would complain about: I'd like to have the original names of the dishes on the menu. I guess that I'm not the only one who want to cook "my" dish at home!
cosmicice said…
It is pointless to write a post like this without giving the address. What a fool...
tanim-butpar said…
jackass...read the article carefully...all the places are located by giving names of the prominent places
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Anonymous said…
I ate food in all these restaurant. I must say: Manika`s Kitchen has the authentuicity of Bangladeshi food. Hospitable, clean, friendly staff and quick servce. Once you eat in Manika`s Kitchen, you would love to go again.
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Anonymous said…
This hotel is no more as before when it was the premises of Bumrungrad hospital. Now it is located on a fur away street and cooking is not as good as before.
Anonymous said…
Manika's Kitchen is really serving well with quality food and hospitality.
Anonymous said…
Sukhumvit Soi-3, just beside the entrance of Bumrungrad hospital.
Anonymous said…
I fully agree with above comment. Manika's Kitchen food is even better than many renowned restaurants in Dhaka. The restaurant as well help the guest to have food as advices by doctors. Very friendly staff. Strongly recommended.
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Anonymous said…
Now I prefer to eat in Manika's Kitchen. Authentic Bangladeshi food even better than many renowned restaurants in Bangladesh.
Anonymous said…
Yes I fully agree that Manika's kitchen is the best Bangladesh restaurant in Thailand.
Anonymous said…
It is true, Manika's Kitchen is a class eating place. I had a good breakfast with lichi, channa dal and chicken bhuna. Delicious! I recommend for al to visit Manika's kitchen restaurant in Banglokป
Anonymous said…
It is Luchi, traditional bangla staple item.
Anonymous said…
Spent my Eid-ul-adha '13 holidays in Bangkok and have tried out all of the restaurants mentioned above. I found a few more Bangladeshi owned restaurants but only Monika's Kitchen has Bangladeshi chefs, they have two. Also I think Monika's Kitchen is far better than quality restaurants in Dhaka, price is most reasonable. I am writing this comment with the point of helping possible Bangladeshi tourists in Bangkok. I would not waste my money or taste by trying to taste any other Bangladeshi restaurant in Bangkok but Monika's Kitchen!
Anonymous said…
The behavior of the manager/owner is very rude.
Thank you so much for the Beautiful Blog post which I have enjoyed reading and would be happy if you made some more information where can we find Bangladeshi Restaurants in Bangkok and also it would be so nice to have lunch at those places where those Restaurants are available. please feel free to read also more on Bangladeshi food, Bangladeshi recipes and Bangladeshi Restaurants in Bangkok http://bangladeshi-recipes-blog.blogspot.com/
Anonymous said…
Hey man,

thanks for documenting this experience. I think as this Bangladeshi generation becomes more confident, cosmopolitan and globetrotting, we will also start taking an interest in the wide Bengali diaspora scattered in the most unlikeliest corners of the world. I met a small family in rural Spain for instance who were raising money to start an Indian restaurant.

I think its great you're documenting this stuff.
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