sassilysoloI moved to Bangladesh about three years ago. My basic travel instinct had ditched me and I realized on arrival and through furloughs for groceries, that vegans had little option to dine out. The seekhs lined with meat ended whatever little hope there was to find even some semblance of Veganism in Bangladesh.
Moving from a country which was comparatively friendlier for vegans made Bangladesh even more daunting. However, the one thing I absolutely love here is its weather. The evenings are mostly pleasant and the sky ensures to turn a different shade each evening.
Understanding the eating habits of a country is peculiar – they are motivated not merely by religion and culture, but also by the region. In my travels through the country, I could hardly find a vegan restaurant to eat in. Tired, I began exploring Dhaka and was surprised to see what it had in store.
Some restaurants in Dhaka, though high-end, had few options for vegans/vegetarians and ensured that a customer got what she was looking for.
Bamboo Shoot
The restaurant offers authentic Chinese cuisine and it is true to its word. About ninety percent of the menu is meat-based and, admittedly, I was initially disappointed at the pick. However, a few pages later, its elaborate choices of meat paved the way for vegan options. I found about twenty dishes that were either vegan or vegetarian.
Stirring or not:
- Vegan-friendly: 4/5
- Cost per person: ৳৳
- Did the ambience set the mood right: 3/5
- How spotless was the Ladies’ room: 4/5
- Did I feel welcomed: 3/5
- Would I visit again: 3/5
Hong Bao
The restaurant just popped in one of my searches for places to eat at. Admittedly, I was reluctant to try out another restaurant offering primarily Chinese fare. However, while the Oriental cuisine will throw you off, the restaurant does have dishes to offer for vegans. And it soon became a dining option that I would often frequent.
The dishes were exquisite and so was the dessert. It had a variety of other vegan options including Edamame Truffle Dumplings, Snapped Peppered Vegetables, and Jasmine Rice.
Stirring or not:
- Vegan-friendly: 4/5
- Cost per person: ৳৳৳৳
- Did the ambience set the mood right: 5/5
- How spotless was the Ladies’ room: 5/5
- Did I feel welcomed: 4/5
- Would I visit again: 5/5
Signature By Khazana
This place can never be a disappointment, at least to a typical North-Indian palate. With an elaborate selection, Khazana stands out among other places that serve Indian cuisines, largely those characteristic of North India. That said, its options for vegans are equally large and delicious.
Khazana has a plethora of vegan and vegetarian options to choose from including, pulao (rice), chapatis, and daal (lentils prepared with gravy).
Stirring or not:
- Vegan-friendly: 4/5
- Cost per person: ৳৳৳
- Did the ambience set the mood right: 5/5
- How spotless was the Ladies’ room: 4/5
- Did I feel welcomed: 5/5
- Would I visit again: 5/5
Kapara Kafe
An authenticate eatery for the lovers of South-Indian food, Kapara Kafe would scarcely fail to satiate the taste buds. Originally housed in a smaller space, it has seen a renovation to a bigger and relocation to a different part of Dhaka.
Stirring or not:
- Vegan-friendly: 4/5
- Cost per person: ৳৳
- Did the ambience set the mood right: 3/5
- How spotless was the Ladies’ room: 3/5
- Did I feel welcomed: 2/5 (the service was unusually slow)
- Would I visit again: 4/5
Jatra Biroti
Loosely translated as a ‘stop-over’, a break in a journey, Jatra Biroti is a paradise for vegans. The restaurant is purely vegetarian with over seventy percent of its dishes vegan. It offers both indoor and outdoor seating with beautiful artistic creations dominating the scene. The dishes served are not only vegan but traditional to the Bangla cuisine.
Stirring or not:
- Vegan-friendly: 5/5
- Cost per person: ৳৳
- Did the ambience set the mood right: 4/5
- How spotless was the Ladies’ room: 2/5
- Did I feel welcomed: 3/5 (the service was slow)
- Would I visit again: 5/5
Lucknow
Namesake of a city in India, the restaurant offers an array of dishes characteristic of the city. This means its menu has an elaborate selection of meat-based cuisine. However, some of its dishes are entirely plant-based.
Stirring or not:
- Vegan-friendly: 1/5
- Cost per person: ৳৳৳
- Did the ambience set the mood right: 3/5
- How spotless was the Ladies’ room: 4/5
- Did I feel welcomed: 3/5
- Would I visit again: 1/5
Bistro E
The eatery has remained in my good books for one particular reason – I can gorge on a favorite Mediterranean delicacy with a perfectly brewed coffee early in the morning, when almost all other diners are coming to their waking senses. Its location in a quiet corner of Dhaka, housing most of the city’s elites, is an added advantage.
Stirring or not:
- Vegan-friendly: 3/5
- Cost per person: ৳৳৳
- Did the ambience set the mood right: 5/5
- How spotless was the Ladies’ room: 3/5 (It’s quite a walk to the Ladies’ room)
- Did I feel welcomed: 4/5
- Would I visit again: 5/5
Spaghetti Jazz
For those in love with the Italian cuisine, Spaghetti Jazz is the place to be. However, as with any Italian dish, the culinary scene of the restaurant is not sans cheese. And this renders it difficult for vegans to enjoy the Italian delicacies. However, the restaurant serves some vegetarian dishes, which it happily turns vegan, and with panache.
While the chef was happy to make the dishes to suit my dietary preference, some others, especially starters, were already vegan.
Stirring or not:
- Vegan-friendly: 3/5
- Cost per person: ৳৳৳
- Did the ambience set the mood right: 4/5
- How spotless was the Ladies’ room: 3/5
- Did I feel welcomed: 5/5
- Would I visit again: 5/5
The Great Kabab Factory
A Le Menu styled restaurant, The Great Kabab Factory is a comfortable option for vegans in Dhaka. It offers two types of menus – vegetarian and non-vegetarian. Some of the dishes in the former are suitable for the vegan palate. It is the most convenient when the vegan inside you is tired of sorting out the vegan from the vegetarian, as the set menus give few options to choose from.
(1) Classic Salad to work up the appetite, served with Mustard & Pineapple Chutney
(2) Subz Galouti Kabab- Vegetable patties that ‘melt in the mouth’
(3) Khasta Aloo Chaat- Crispy Potato Patties challenging the taste buds left moist with Galouti Kababs
(4) Tandoori Mushrooms & Pineapple Chaat
(5) Malai (Creamy) Broccoli, minus the cream (upon request)
The main course offered similar options with a mix of vegetarian and vegan dishes, the latter dominating the choices.
Stirring or not:
- Vegan-friendly: 3/5
- Cost per person: ৳৳৳
- Did the ambience set the mood right: 3/5
- How spotless was the Ladies’ room: 3/5
- Did I feel welcomed: 5/5
- Would I visit again: 4/5
Shanchayita
The idea to reserve the best for the last is intentional. It is to show that often we find marvels in the seemingly impossible. Shanchayita is one such culinary marvel in the heart of Dhaka. A purely vegan restaurant managed as a small eatery from a household, Shanchayita accommodates a minimum of two, with prior reservation of at least a day. All its dishes are entirely plant-based and particular to Bangladeshi cuisine.
The eatery offers two options of set menus to choose from. The drawback is that one group of guests can choose only either of the two options – it being a small set-up, the preparation becomes easier. Each serve is, however, more than sufficient.
Stirring or not:
- Vegan-friendly: 5/5
- Cost per person: ৳৳৳
- Did the ambience set the mood right: 5/5
- How spotless was the Ladies’ room: 4/5
- Did I feel welcomed: 5/5
- Would I visit again: 5/5
Summing up:-
- Always ask about the food: While most of the dishes listed above are vegan, some use dairy as basic preparation.
- Travelling through Dhaka, even when alone, is fairly safe. A foreign figure may attract attention from locals but that is just out of harmless curiosity. Respecting local customs and traditions is the key.
- A smile and basic knowledge of the language always goes a long way.
- This post is based on restaurants in Dhaka, a capital and main city of Bangladesh. Access to vegan-friendly food preparations might differ in other areas, especially remote parts.
- There are some other restaurants, mostly high-end, which serve traditional Bangladeshi meals, and hence vegan. Two of these are InterContinental and Midori by The Lakeshore.
- One of the most famous vegan eateries in Bangladesh is The Bangu Vegan. However, they cater to about fifteen people at a time and seek a 3-day prior reservation. Unfortunately, I could not visit, despite it being one amongst those at the forefront of Veganism in Bangladesh.
While most of these restaurants were understandably costly, yet accommodative, it bears mention that Veganism in Bangladesh is in its nascent stage. Most of the Bangladeshi staples are plant-based, a trend which probably changed with time and customs. However, with the tide turning towards a healthier lifestyle, Bangladesh has remained no exception. The trend would soon make way for travellers who would find another destination to thrive in as vegans.
