Fatema’s Bonedi Khana: A royal banquet in Banani
Bringing the taste of old Dhaka to Banani, Fatema’s Bonedi Khana serves homestyle Bangladeshi dishes inspired by traditional family recipes in a warm, nostalgic setting
Eating out is probably the number one leisure activity for the residents of Dhaka. With the lack of accessible public spaces or hangout spots, the only alternative to spending time with loved ones other than staying home is to rendezvous at cafes and restaurants.
With thousands of restaurants strewn across the metropolitan, if not millions, one would expect a wide array of global cuisines to choose from. However, reality is far from it, most places, specialises in budget friendly Bangla Chinese, deshi pizzas, momo carts, burgers drenched in sauce which really does not give you much to choose from, unless you are willing to spend a lot at the fine dine restaurants.
"My mother had a lot of children, and she loved to cook for us. The dishes we are offering here are the recipes handed down from her generation to mine, and we are just trying to share the meals that I enjoy myself"
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Another realisation I had while travelling was, while other Asian countries such as Thailand and Sri Lanka take pride and promote their local cuisine, both the foodies and business owners in Bangladesh are more inclined towards global cuisine. One would have to resort to bhaater hotels or Puran Dhaka food places to get a taste of local cuisine.
Amidst this gastronomic chaos of Dhaka, Fatema's Bonedi Khana (FBK) sits silently in Banani Road 10A with its humble offering of Southeast Asian culinary heritage. With items like Siri Paya, Aloo'r Daam, Ghoti Labra for breakfast, Muthi Kebab and Mutton Chaap for lunch or dinner, the eatery is a gentle reminder to the Mughal cuisine of Old Dhaka, which slowly migrated to West Bengal after the partition of 1947.
One of the partners of FBK, Ahmed Armaan Siddiqui shared the story behind the inception of the restaurant. "My mother had a lot of children, and she loved to cook for us. The dishes we are offering here are the recipes handed down from her generation to mine, and we are just trying to share the meals that I enjoy myself".
A resident of Old Dhaka, Fatema, the namesake of the restaurant, specialised in rich vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes. Mutton soaking in a rich gravy of ghee, caramelised onions, Handi Kebab with bold flavours of pepper and aromatic fried perfectly or if you want to take the safer route and go for one of their signature thalis, a lunch at FBK would make you take a long nap after lunch.
Which is why it is a highly recommended place for a heavy weekend breakfast consisting of Siri Paya and Tana Porota.
As you walk into the restaurant through a classic faux French door that is a silent nod to the bonedi architecture of Old Dhaka, you will be welcomed by the servers. Standing beside the door is a blackboard with an illustration of Fatema herself; you will find the day's specials listed by hand. "From the 40+ dishes listed in our menu, we list the seasonal specialities in our specials menu".
So, if you visit on a Friday morning, you will find the Shonamukhi Haluwa, a rich concoction of semolina (shuji) and thickened milk in the menu, whereas, if you walk in on a hot summer afternoon, you will find a Kacha Aamer Shorbot, served in a chilled tall glass, garnished with mint and rock salt.
Once inside, you sit down, and in true Bonedi style, once you know what to order, you ring one of the golden brass bells that would signal one of the servers to come and take your order.
Before the meal is served, one of the servers would come to your table with a brass pot and a jug of water, so you can wash your hands tableside before you dive into the scrumptious meal of freshly fried Luchi, West Bengal styled Ghoti Labra and Midnapur Chicken. "That's how we treat our guests in Old Dhaka", says Armaan Siddiqui.
A meal at Fatema's Bonedi Khana would cost you anywhere between Tk300-1000 per person depending on what you are ordering and how hungry you are. I would either recommend the place for a weekend breakfast or dinner with your close ones, as the food would make your tummy full and usher in slumber. You would not want to go back to work and fall asleep during the day's closing meeting now, would you?
