Review: SURA, a Korean resturant in Dhaka, Bangladesh

I am starting a new section, a Review section! Since being in Dhaka, Cal and I go out to eat almost once a week and of course our palates are always in need of something new and different...so we cover a lot of restaurants in Dhaka! My mother-in-law gifted us a digi cam for our 1st anniversary, an interesting choice since Cal detests taking pics and dislikes the idea of a cam - but wouldn't ya know it his reaction to the cam was - "wow! exactly what we need!" I am still learning a lot about my hubby :)

So, to inaugurate the camera and celebrate our 1st anniversary (this was back in July) we had gone to a Korean restaurant. It was fantastic!! The decor was simple and elegant, the service fluid and attentive, the food timely and delicious! Anyone visiting Dhaka, Highly recommend a meal at SURA!!

It was on a whim we ended up here after a disastrous day of plans falling through. Premu, Cal's cuz, joined us so that we could end the day without a another blunder! It is in Gulshan, a posher part of town where most are expats or diplomats, a part of town with finer comforts. It was large establishment with large parking lot and polite guards. The area was clean as can be. We were greeted warmly upon entering by an elderly Korean woman and a pleasant waiter showed us to our table.

The decor was warm and sparse, very clean and very big. There were knooks for guests that require a bit of privacy, otherwise large wooden tables are spread out throughout the floor. The waiter greets and introduces himself, hands the menu and leaves us be. No hovering!

Every table is accompanied with traditional Korean condiments of pickles which includes Kimchi (my absolute fav!), pickled cucumbers, radishes and sprouts salad. When we were ready to order, the waiter was helpful and knowledgeable which was great. We started with an Seafood Pajun, a pancake, as an appetizer which was perfect. It was not stingy on the seafood! There were three of us and we couldn't finish the portions.

Cal is the expert on Korean food among us so we let him order. He ordered a Bulgogi, a stir fried marinated beef BB which was cook fresh on the table! A Bibimbab and a seafood dish which was just overkill! Needless to say we had plenty leftover for the next day.

What was amazing was the service, they brought in the food one at a time, keeping an eye on our eating pace. I have had Korean food in NY and this kitchen is above comparison! Can't wait to go back!!

PS: the bathroom was spotless and spacious!!



SURA
Add: Gulshan 2, House 2, Road 90
PH: 8821043, 0173038425

Excerpt from: Imhungrybd.com (they have a menu online!)
One of Dhaka’s pioneers in the restaurant business has struck again. Mrs. Park is no stranger to the restaurant scene and Sura is testament to that. There are plenty of private rooms for those who want a more intimate dining experience. The decor is simple and subtle, yet still able to flaunt detailed Korean art. The food is truly exceptional. Dhaka continues to have a myriad of restaurants but Sura was undoubtedly needed.

Homemade Donuts!

Cal hasn't been well for past week or so and has had practically no appetite :( This evening he actually asked for something to eat - but something sweet. Initial request was a banana chocolate milkshake, so he went downstairs to get milk and bananas. Meanwhile I was thumbing through a cookbook (Ranna Khado Pusti by Siddiqa Kabir)to figure out a menu for Eid and stumbled on a recipe for homemade donuts! I love this cookbook - no wonder my mother and my mother's mother swore by it! I had made them mini and Cal gulped down a bowl full!! Here is the recipe, with my own tweaks of course:




Homemade Donuts

Eggs 2
Sugar 1/3 cup (adjust to your own sweetness, I will add more next time)
Milk 1/3 cup
Clarified butter or Melted butter 1/3 cup (equal to milk)
Flour 1 1/2 cups
Baking Powder 2 tsp.
Salt 1/2 tsp
Oil to deep fry
Few drops of vanilla or any other flavor you prefer
Cinnamon powder or confectionery sugar or melted glaze or melted chocolate, etc. - you gt the idea, anything to top the donuts with!

1) Whip the eggs and sugar together, mix in milk and butter.

2) Mix the flour, salt and baking powder, add the egg mix and form into a sift dough. Leave in refrigerator for 15mins.

3) After 30 mins, spread the dough and roll out thick. Cut into donuts (I used a small bowl to make mini size and a small bottle cap to cut the middle holes out). Set aside for about 10mins.

4) Heat the oil, drop a 'tester' to check temp. It should make a golden brown color, if it becomes a chocolatey color, lower the heat and cool the oil a bit. Flip it to make it evenly colored.

Place them on a paper towel to dry off excess oil, sprinkle with toppings! Enjoy!!

Savory Liver Curry with Yellow Lentil and Rice

I happen to really enjoy the taste of well prepared liver! When my mother makes her chicken curry she always leaves the liver and gizzards and I am always the one to savor it! My aunt used to make liver curry on rare days and I still remember just eating so slowly making it last. I haven't had much of an opportunity to cook liver in the States but here in Dhaka, where there are streets of butchers, a whole liver is easily picked up in any corner. This recipe, however is not mine - its my cook, Alom's concoction. Its delicious, especially with some nice thick lentil curry and white rice with freshly squeezed lime on top! Its just...well, you give it a shot and let me know! Just to Note-Alom does not cook with specific measurements, just eyeballs the ingredients and feels his way through. So, the proportions may not be exact - he just says - 1/2tsp of all spices - but with any good cook - one should experiment with the flavors and settle on what amount of spices are right for your palate!

Ingredients

1/2 kg of liver from beef cut into bite size pcs.
Onion - 1 whole - half paste, half sliced thin
Garlic - 1 tsp paste - 2-3 cloves sliced/chopped
Ginger - 1 tsp paste
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp powder
Chili - 1/2 tsp powder
Coriander - 1/2 tsp powder
Cumin - 1/2 tsp powder
Fennugreek - 1/2 tsp powder
Bay leaf - 1 dried
Salt & sugar to taste
Oil to fry

Instructions

1. Heat in a pan or pot or wok about 2-3 tbsp of oil, sautee up sliced garlic and onion till well done. About 2-3 mins.

2. Add in all the spices one by one. Start with the pastes (onion, garlic, ginger), then the bay leaf, lastly the powders. Add salt. Fry well, add a little bit of oil if too dried out and scorching or 2-3 tbsp of water.

3. Add the liver pcs and fry and mix well with the paste formed. When well mixed, add about 1-2 cups of water, depending on how much curry you want. More water for thinner curry, less for thicker.

4. Cook covered until livers are well done. Takes about 10-15mins. Taste check - add salt and little sugar if needed.

Serve with some Lentil and rice and Enjoy!

Tips: you can increase the cumin powder to 1tsp. for a bolder taste. Too much fenugreek may turn the curry bitter. Everything else can be adjusted to preference.

Kochu Dal Curry (Colocasia Leaves & Lentil)

I haven't ever cooked "kochu pata" (colocasia leaves)., nor did I know what the looked like because they came bundled in rolls when I picked them at the store. All I knew was an old folklore that said something along the lines - ones who's throat itch after eating kochu pata must be a liar - the idea that these leaves itch your throat - never mind whether we tell lie or not - who among hasn't said a white lie now and then - the idea has always deterred me in any consumption of this vegetable! So, i don't know what promted me or inspired me to pick up these leaves - a man next to me just happed to pick up two bundles and I just happened to follow suite! Once I brought them home, I was struck with a dilemma - I had no idea how to prepare them! So, I called my ready source, my aunt and picked her brain. It sounded so yummy that I immediately set out to cook them...here begins my tiny adventure.

For a little bit of back ground on kochu or colcasia :

When I went to prepare the leaves, I first washed them, tore them into small pieces then put them boiling water. Within a few seconds on putting the water to boil, my hands started itching and burning uncontrollably!! It died away after few mins - i had put some anti-histamine just in case. Now, I started to worry what would be the effects if I actually consumed it! But, my aunt had told me to boil it before cooking, so it should be ok. I finished preparing the dish as she instructed and as soon I had a few mouthfuls - my throat started painful itching!! Almost having a hard time breathing!! But, that too died away with 15-20 mins. So, now I was on a mission to figure out why this occurred even after boiling.

Colocasia, in its raw form, has a presence of calcium oxalate. This chemical compound can be broken down by boiling the vegetable but it has to be a prolonged period - 1 hour - depending on size of leaves - the bigger the leaves - boiling time increases. Another trick I came upon - an important element my aunt had forgotten to mention - it can be equalized with citric acid! Meaning, while cooking add tamarind juice or lime juice or while eating squeeze a helluva lot of lime! And if your throat still itches - suck on some lime or lemon!

Thus is my tiny adventure of making this dish, I hope you won't be deterred, just apy extra attention to detail while cooking it!


Ingredients

1 bundle - about 2 small leaves
Lentils - 1 cup (masoor - orange whole or split)
Onion - 1 med chopped small
Garlic - 2-3 cloves finely chopped
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Dry red chili - 2
Green chili - 1
Tamarind juice or lime/lemon - 1 tbsp. (approx.)
Oil to fry

How:

1. Wash the leaves carefully. Wear gloves or avoid direct contact in some way (i.e.: using tongs). Place them in appropriate pot of water - I used 6 cups of water. Boil for min. 1 hour.

2. Wash the lentils well. Soak the lentils in a bowl to soften to reduce cooking time.

3 . Once the leaves are ready, prepare the lentils. Heat 2 tbsp. of oil in a pot/wok. Add the red chili and let roast few seconds, sautee the onion and garlic till 'mushy'.

4. Add the powder spices and salt, green chili, stir and mix well. Add a little bit of water and mix again.

5. Drain the lentils and add it to the spice mixture. Coat and fry well. Add 1 1/2 cups of water and let it cook uncovered. We want a thick mush.

6. Once the lentils ready, add the leaves and cook well, add the tamarind or lime/lemon juice.

7. Cook for few mins so all spices mix well, check salt and spicy-ness. If too much of anything - try adding a little bit of sugar.

Serve with rice or roti.