Where do you put the bharta or bhorta in a Bengali menu? At the beginning or in the middle perhaps, but definitely not at the end. At Puran Dhaka though, the bhorta is an all-rounder. It can be had as an appetiser, is enough to be a complete meal by itself and also doubles as a dessert!
“In Dhaka, bhorta is an essential part of the local cuisine. Our menu has seven bhortas and we keep doing other varieties depending on ingredients we get at the local market,” said filmmaker Sanjoy Nag, one of the four partners who opened the 38-seater Puran Dhaka in Santoshpur on April 15.
The partners — four friends including cricketer Wriddhiman Saha — wanted to set up a restaurant that serves freshly cooked food. “We make everything fresh when an order is placed. We do not believe in heating pre-cooked meals in microwave before serving. So we suggest either guests call us before coming over or give us 30 minutes minimum after placing their order,” said Nag.
Fish dominates Dhakai cuisine because “it is a riverine civilisation”, and Puran Dhaka does full justice to it with its extensive fish menu that serves varieties like rupchanda, topshe, pabda, tangra and hilsa.
The menu boasts of a range of dishes from Bangladesh such as Chittagong Chicken, Chitol Peti, Dhakai Pulao and Puran Dhakar Kosha Mangsho. There’s a biryani section too, but Dhaka style! Try Kachchi Biryani, Mutton Tehari and Hilsa Biryani.
The Bengali spread apart, there are a few Chinese dishes too for those looking for a quick bite.
Puran Dhaka
Where: 185/9A Santoshpur Avenue, opposite Survey Park CCD
On the menu: Bengali Dhakai
Open: 11.30am to 10.30pm, daily
Pocket pinch:
Rs 600-plus for two
Sibendu Das
Pictures: Sayantan Ghosh
