Indulge in the world of finger foods
Whether it's dadar gulung from Indonesia, som tam from Thailand or our very own fuchka in a food cart- choose your favourite finger foods from around the world this weekend
Dhaka is a city of street foods. Sure we can have our fuchka, jhalmuri or bakorkhani while hanging out with the people we love. But what if you could take a tour around the streets of cities like Bali, Phuket or Mexico City and get a taste of unique foods like apple tortillas, dadar gulung or som tams?
'Street Food Carnival 2022' is here to provide you with that global experience.
With the presence of Noeke Kusuma, the General Manager of Renaissance Dhaka Gulshan Hotel, Street Food Carnival was inaugurated on June 1 along with two of their newest hires, Chef Firman and Mixologist Andrei.
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In celebration of the seminal street food flavours around the globe, Renaissance Hotel Dhaka is serving a treasure trove of delectable tastes and aromas to Dhakaites this weekend.
Colourful balloons, pennant decorations and sparkling chandeliers complemented the vibrant interior of the restaurant- a very warm and festive arrangement welcomed the food bloggers, influencers and foodies from all over Dhaka, who freely roamed the stations taking in the global spread.
The menu was designed with some of the most authentic flavours from the streets around the world. 120+ dishes were exclusively prepared by the Executive Chef Firmansyah Ramadhan who has come all the way from Indonesia to make it a great feast along with Romanian Mixologist Andrei Campian.
'Street Food Carnival' will continue till June 5, 2022 at Renaissance's Multi-Cuisine Restaurant 'Bahar'.
This buffet is available for everyone at Tk8,500 per person and an exciting buy one get two offer is available on selective bank cards.
Here are the top five TBS picks.
Assorted seafood station
Tailored for seafood lovers, the chefs beautifully decorated the assorted seafood station. Steamed shrimps jutting out from a watermelon base on an ice station, alongside crabs and calamari.
The fishes are steamed to perfection, kept on ice, and served with a platter of sauces to broaden the flavour palette.
To balance the steamed seafoods you will find tomato salsa, pineapple salsa and sweet chilli sauce as dips. The flavourful sauces compliment the seafood perfectly for that authentic seaside cuisine experience.
Charcuterie board with cold cuts
The word Charcuterie derives from French origins in the 15th century, when people used every last bit of the meat and wasted nothing. The meat was then put through a preservation process of curing and often formed into some sort of sausage or dry-aged meat.
A charcuterie board typically features a selection of cured meats and cheeses, like salami, prosciutto, brie, and gouda, and other bite-sized accompaniments, like hummus, olives, baguette, croutons, honey and others.
For the savoury section the board had chicken mortadella, smoked chicken breast, smoked salami, beef salami and beef mortadella.
Accompanied by various options for cheese like mozzarella, brie, gouda and Tillamook cheddar cheese, which is specially made only with cow milk and without any preservatives. To compliment the cheese and cold cuts you will find condiments like dried mangoes and pineapples with cheese crackers and fresh grapes for the perfect charcuterie board.
BBQ Beef Ribs
In the hot food section the dish that will catch your eye the most is the BBQ Beef ribs. As you're immediately drawn in you'll see the slow cooked and braised ribs which is guaranteed to make your mouth water as rich spice aroma wafts over you.
After being marinated with spices and subsequently soaked in a mixture of beef broth and BBQ sauce, the beef is slow-cooked for six hours at low temperatures.
Which renders the meat absolutely tender, making it easy to cleave with just a is easily separated from the bones. The succulent ribs will win both your heart and hunger.
The accompanying greens were grilled vegetables such as potato, carrots and capsicum. The spread itself was decorated with giant chunks of pineapple.
Dadar Gulung
Dadar gulung is an Indonesian traditional dessert that tastes like a sweet coconut pancake. Dadar gulung is one of the popular snacks in Indonesia, especially in Java. In Indonesian, dadar literally means 'omelette' or 'pancake' while gulung means 'to roll'.
This exotic looking dessert had coconut inside and wrapped in a light green pancake. Presented on a leaf and decorated with cherries on top, this dessert set itself apart the most in terms of visual presentation.
For the stuffing inside, it tasted similar to our popular dessert 'naru' which is a must try if you are coconuts about that particular taste.
Apple Cinnamon Tortillas
No Mexican culinary experience is ever complete without tortillas. These thin, unleavened flatbreads are a staple of Mexican cuisine. Apple cinnamon tortilla is one of them.
This item from the dessert station is almost reminiscent of apple pies. Served with a sweet sauce, and stuffed with fresh glazed apples. The tortillas are made of cornflour and provide an authentic Mexican flavour. If you like fruity desserts this is the item for you.
TBS caught the newly appointed chef Firman and mixologist Andrei amidst the event for a few questions
Chef Firman
Having worked in Indonesia and Maldives for 17 years, Chef Firman is an expert in multi-cuisine. He has worked with Michelin Star chefs Andrew Smith, Peters Marx and Stewart Newbeging. Now he plans to introduce new and different cuisines to the foodie community of Dhaka.
What is your favourite street food from this carnival?
Even though I am from Indonesia, I have prepared Arabic, Asian and Indonesian food for the carnival. But my most favourite street food is fuchka. I also like paya and khichuri.
What do you feel about Bangladeshi gastronomy?
I feel all Bangladeshi people are foodies and I have felt like they love trying out new items every now and then. I am really enjoying working with the local chefs here as I have always prioritised gastronomy.
Mixologist Andrei
Originally from Romania, Andrei has been roaming around the globe to explore the breadth of beverages for the past decade. He specialises in beverages, mixology, curated cocktails and mocktails. From the US, Dubai, Vietnam, the Philippines and now in Dhaka he is ready to slake Dhaka's thirst. Here is what he has to say to some of the questions we asked.
How do you like to mix your drinks?
People here are curious to taste new drinks and food. I was fortunate enough to work in different places around the world and want to give the people here that international experience.
I want to elevate the drinking culture in Dhaka by crafted and customised cocktails and mocktails on the spot. In terms of presentation, ingredients and improvisation I want to provide something new.
How are you liking Bangladeshi spices?
I like to work with local spices and add it to my drink so whatever the local chef is putting in the drinks like ginger, cardamon, cinnamon, nutmeg in my drinks. Wherever I go I try to incorporate local spices and ingredients into my drinks.
