Popular Places for Iftar

Sheikh Iraj

Ramadan is a time for fasting, prayers, sharing, and get-togethers for breaking the fast with special meals.  
People generally like to have iftar at home with their near and dear ones. During this month, restaurants and food stalls around the country also get ready with special arrangements for iftar and sehri. Nowadays, due to traffic jams, classes or jobs, many youths are not able to have iftar at home. That doesn’t mean they are deprived of their favourite iftar items. On the contrary, it has become a trend these days for some youths to have iftar, and even sehri, with their classmates and friends outside home.
It should be mentioned that this year, the fasting time will be about 15 or 16 hours. This summer, heat waves have been causing a great deal of discomfort among the people. So, it is better to have more water and juices and consume fresh fruits, with fewer fried and starchy items during iftar.
This week, Y&I visited some popular places around the capital where you can get healthy iftar items at reasonable prices.
     
Shahbagh

Shahbagh is a favourite gathering place for students in Dhaka. In one direction, there is Charukola (Fine Arts Faculty) and TSC (Teacher-Student Centre) of Dhaka University. Students from all over the capital visit the area to hang around or participate in different programmes held on the DU campus. In the opposite direction, there is the popular Aziz Supermarket, with shops and restaurants that cater to a young crowd.
“During Ramadan, students of Dhaka University mostly eat iftar in their dormitories. I do not live on the campus, but I have participated in some iftar parties there. For the iftar meal in the dormitories, they normally buy different dishes from the street vendors. Some choose to break their fast at Madhur Canteen. Sweet yoghurt, various kinds of sweets, and common fried iftar items are served there,” said Jamiul Adnan, 21, a student of Dhaka University.
On the other hand, many youths visit Aziz Super Market to shop for clothes and accessories ahead of Eid. There are several food shops in the market that serve different iftar items. There are also various types of iftar packages available. For example, for Taka 50, one can have some fruits, a glass of water or juice, puffed rice, some fried vegetables and jilapi. Makeshift food stalls outside the National Museum nearby also serve different iftar items.  

Dhanmondi

Dhanmondi is a residential area known for its calm environment, nice apartment buildings, shopping centres and several private universities and colleges. Some popular restaurants like Star Kabab, Chilis, Santoor, Mama Halim, and bakeries like Oasis, Yusuf and Decent, offer wonderful iftar items. There are also a number of trendy eateries and fast food outlets where one can find any iftar item they wish for, but prices may be a bit higher. Besides, Road 2 near City College is a good place for having iftar from street vendors.
“I go to Dhanmondi to give private tuition. I found that Star Kabab is the best place to have iftar there. I also went to Yellow Café and their food was awesome, I hope they will offer some special iftar packages this year,” said Nafisa Sultana, who recently completed her graduation.

New Market

There are several places to have iftar in and around the New Market area. But check the menu and prices before ordering. Some youths reported being overcharged for their meal. “I went to New Market last year for some shopping, it was iftar time, so I quickly entered a restaurant. I order an ordinary burger and a glass of lassi. They charged me Taka 400. When I asked why the price was so high, they claimed the price was fair! I didn’t want to argue with them and paid the bill,” said Abdulla Al Hamid, a student.
Just in front of Azimpur graveyard, there are about five makeshift eateries, where they serve food around the clock. During Ramadan, they serve the usual iftar items, along with special dishes like paratha, spicy omelet, and mixed vegetable curry. You can have a full plate for Taka 50 to 70, and people from different parts of the city go there to eat.
In Nilkhet, one will find all kinds of regular iftar items at a reasonable price.

Mohammadpur

Just like most areas of the capital, Mohammadpur has countless restaurants that sell iftar. The restaurants near Geneva Camp are famous for their iftar items. All sorts of fried foods can be found there. Mutton chop, beef chop, fried chicken, fried goat leg,  haleem, kebab, paratha, shahi jilapi, grilled chicken, mughlai paratha,  boiled chickpeas, yoghurt drink, etc, are sold there. The best part is that the prices of the iftar items are quite reasonable, compared to some plush restaurants of that area.
“My family doesn’t like the idea of buying iftar from outside. Nevertheless, my friends and I love to have iftar in restaurants. On my day off, I eat iftar with my friends. We like to buy iftar from the makeshift restaurants,” said  Kamal Hossain, 28, a private service holder who lives near Asad Gate.

Khilgaon

A few years ago, a feature published in The Independent newspaper labelled Khilgoan as ‘the New Bailey Road’ for the number of newly opened restaurants. Today, Khilgaon lives up to that reputation as over 200 restaurants serve normal meals during daytime and special iftar items from noon.
Kazi SaminYasar, a 16-year-old student and a resident of the area, said: “In just a few years, Khilgaon Taltola has transformed from a residential area to a busy happening place for foodies. There are about 200 restaurants here and it is quite hard to say which one is the best. I have seen many students having iftar at the Taltoal Market. In different restaurants, one can find fresh fruit juice, chicken shashlik, burgers, beef kabab, piaju, jilapi, veggie pakora, halim, mutton chop, chicken chop, aoo chop, chicken lollipop and khichuri, and many more items. The makeshift eateries offer affordable prices. I believe their quality of food is as good as the posh restaurants. They serve hygienic and tasty iftar dishes at half the price, compared to well-decorated restaurants.”   

Mirpur

Mirpur is a densely populated area of our capital. From Mirpur 1 to 14, there are numerous fast food restaurants and makeshift stalls, which all sell iftar items during Ramadan. Where you want to have iftar depends on your budget and where you live. At Mirpur 10, there are many restaurants that offer iftar packages.
Ashik Mostofa, 27, who recently completed his graduation, said: “Every year we organise iftar party for our school friends. Hopefully, we will be able to organise it this year as well. We buy chhola (grams), piaju (onion-lentil fritters), muri (puffed rice), aloor chop (potato croquettes) and jilapi (a fried sweet) from the shop and mix them together. Some years, we buy iftar boxes from well-known restaurants.”
“If you like mutton chops, beef chops or any other kind of fried meat, then you must visit Mirpur Banarasi Palli. There are a number of restaurants there that serve mouthwatering fried meat dishes,” said Samrat Shakawat, 29, a resident of Mirpur 10.
“You will see an overwhelming number of youths queuing to buy iftar items from the shops. Sakaqat’s Kabab is the most popular restaurant there. The prices of the dishes are reasonable and I buy iftar from there every year,” Shakawat added.          

Photos: Mahmud Zaman, archives.

Popular Places for Iftar

Sheikh Iraj Ramadan is a time for fasting, prayers, sharing, and get-togethers for breaking the fast with special meals. People generally like to have iftar at home with their near and dear ones. During this month, restaurants and food stalls around the country also get ready with special arrangements for iftar and sehri. Nowadays, due to traffic jams, classes or jobs, many youths are not able to have iftar at home. That doesnt mean they are deprived of their favourite iftar items. On the contrary, it has become a trend these days for some youths to have iftar, and even sehri, with their classmates and friends outside home. It should be mentioned that this year, the fasting time will be about 15 or 16 hours. This summer, heat waves have been causing a great deal of discomfort among the people. So, it is better to have more water and juices and consume fresh fruits, with fewer fried and starchy items during iftar. This week, YI visited some popular places around the capital where you can get healthy iftar items at reasonable prices. Shahbagh Shahbagh is a favourite gathering place for students in Dhaka. In one direction, there is Charukola (Fine Arts Faculty) and TSC (Teacher-Student Centre) of Dhaka University. Students from all over the capital visit the area to hang around or participate in different programmes held on the DU campus. In the opposite direction, there is the popular Aziz Supermarket, with shops and restaurants that cater to a young crowd. During Ramadan, students of Dhaka University mostly eat iftar in their dormitories. I do not live on the campus, but I have participated in some iftar parties there. For the iftar meal in the dormitories, they normally buy different dishes from the street vendors. Some choose to break their fast at Madhur Canteen. Sweet yoghurt, various kinds of sweets, and common fried iftar items are served there, said Jamiul Adnan, 21, a student of Dhaka University. On the other hand, many youths visit Aziz Super Market to shop for clothes and accessories ahead of Eid. There are several food shops in the market that serve different iftar items. There are also various types of iftar packages available. For example, for Taka 50, one can have some fruits, a glass of water or juice, puffed rice, some fried vegetables and jilapi. Makeshift food stalls outside the National Museum nearby also serve different iftar items. Dhanmondi Dhanmondi is a residential area known for its calm environment, nice apartment buildings, shopping centres and several private universities and colleges. Some popular restaurants like Star Kabab, Chilis, Santoor, Mama Halim, and bakeries like Oasis, Yusuf and Decent, offer wonderful iftar items. There are also a number of trendy eateries and fast food outlets where one can find any iftar item they wish for, but prices may be a bit higher. Besides, Road 2 near City College is a good place for having iftar from street vendors. I go to Dhanmondi to give private tuition. I found that Star Kabab is the best place to have iftar there. I also went to Yellow Caf and their food was awesome, I hope they will offer some special iftar packages this year, said Nafisa Sultana, who recently completed her graduation. New Market There are several places to have iftar in and around the New Market area. But check the menu and prices before ordering. Some youths reported being overcharged for their meal. I went to New Market last year for some shopping, it was iftar time, so I quickly entered a restaurant. I order an ordinary burger and a glass of lassi. They charged me Taka 400. When I asked why the price was so high, they claimed the price was fair! I didnt want to argue with them and paid the bill, said Abdulla Al Hamid, a student. Just in front of Azimpur graveyard, there are about five makeshift eateries, where they serve food around the clock. During Ramadan, they serve the usual iftar items, along with special dishes like paratha, spicy omelet, and mixed vegetable curry. You can have a full plate for Taka 50 to 70, and people from different parts of the city go there to eat. In Nilkhet, one will find all kinds of regular iftar items at a reasonable price. Mohammadpur Just like most areas of the capital, Mohammadpur has countless restaurants that sell iftar. The restaurants near Geneva Camp are famous for their iftar items. All sorts of fried foods can be found there. Mutton chop, beef chop, fried chicken, fried goat leg, haleem, kebab, paratha, shahi jilapi, grilled chicken, mughlai paratha, boiled chickpeas, yoghurt drink, etc, are sold there. The best part is that the prices of the iftar items are quite reasonable, compared to some plush restaurants of that area. My family doesnt like the idea of buying iftar from outside. Nevertheless, my friends and I love to have iftar in restaurants. On my day off, I eat iftar with my friends. We like to buy iftar from the makeshift restaurants, said Kamal Hossain, 28, a private service holder who lives near Asad Gate. Khilgaon A few years ago, a feature published in The Independent newspaper labelled Khilgoan as the New Bailey Road for the number of newly opened restaurants. Today, Khilgaon lives up to that reputation as over 200 restaurants serve normal meals during daytime and special iftar items from noon. Kazi SaminYasar, a 16-year-old student and a resident of the area, said: In just a few years, Khilgaon Taltola has transformed from a residential area to a busy happening place for foodies. There are about 200 restaurants here and it is quite hard to say which one is the best. I have seen many students having iftar at the Taltoal Market. In different restaurants, one can find fresh fruit juice, chicken shashlik, burgers, beef kabab, piaju, jilapi, veggie pakora, halim, mutton chop, chicken chop, aoo chop, chicken lollipop and khichuri, and many more items. The makeshift eateries offer affordable prices. I believe their quality of food is as good as the posh restaurants. They serve hygienic and tasty iftar dishes at half the price, compared to well-decorated restaurants. Mirpur Mirpur is a densely populated area of our capital. From Mirpur 1 to 14, there are numerous fast food restaurants and makeshift stalls, which all sell iftar items during Ramadan. Where you want to have iftar depends on your budget and where you live. At Mirpur 10, there are many restaurants that offer iftar packages. Ashik Mostofa, 27, who recently completed his graduation, said: Every year we organise iftar party for our school friends. Hopefully, we will be able to organise it this year as well. We buy chhola (grams), piaju (onion-lentil fritters), muri (puffed rice), aloor chop (potato croquettes) and jilapi (a fried sweet) from the shop and mix them together. Some years, we buy iftar boxes from well-known restaurants. If you like mutton chops, beef chops or any other kind of fried meat, then you must visit Mirpur Banarasi Palli. There are a number of restaurants there that serve mouthwatering fried meat dishes, said Samrat Shakawat, 29, a resident of Mirpur 10. You will see an overwhelming number of youths queuing to buy iftar items from the shops. Sakaqats Kabab is the most popular restaurant there. The prices of the dishes are reasonable and I buy iftar from there every year, Shakawat added. Photos: Mahmud Zaman, archives.