Sonargaon's iftar treats

The signature fountains of Pan Pacific Sonargaon -- as you enter its premises and walk through the lobby -- somehow provide a refreshment in this hot and humid weather, especially if you are fasting. Just before you enter the hotel eatery Café Bazaar for iftar, the decorative display featuring minarets, crescents, tiny fountains, a huge 'rehal' and intelligent lighting provide you with the theme of Ramadan.

The tables of Café Bazaar are set -- along with candles and rose petals -- with three glasses of different drinks (lemonade, mattha, Rooh Afza, etc.), lending in a splash of colours. 

Café Bazaar's iftar cum dinner buffet is no doubt a lavish affair. The buffet, on one hand, features numerous Middle Eastern dishes. On the other, it also offers you many 'deshi' delicacies. 

Because after all, our iftar seems incomplete without a dose of 'bhaja pora' essentials like 'begooni' and 'piaju', pakora and so on. And Café Bazaar provides you that, with scrumptious taste and maintaining the highest standards of hygiene. Meanwhile, Sonargaon's 'halim' has earned a good reputation over the years. 

And there is a wide assortment of salads to accompany your meal. 

Meanwhile, the delicious kebabs and falafel provide you with the much-needed packets of protein. Lamb shanks-- juicy, hot and so tender that they melt in your mouth almost as soon as you take  a piece in -- is a gravy item that would go great with the biriyani or tehari or Arabian rice they serve. 

The list of items of course does not stop here, and you will surely find many others that will delight you. 

The deserts section, like the rest of the buffet, is a mix of both Middle Eastern and Bangladeshi cuisines. Middle Eastern confectioneries are world famous, with delicacies like 'kanafeh' and 'baklava' among the many that are highly cherished. And there is of course the jilapi, which, like Sonargaon's halim, is much sought after.

For those wishing to break their fast with a larger group of friends, family or colleagues, Café Bazar can save you the hassle of finding the right place as it is able to provide its iftar buffet to groups of up to 15 people. The hotel is also particularly renowned for its spacious, well organised banquet facilities to host big iftar functions. 

Price of Iftar cum dinner buffet at Café Bazaar is Tk2500 (all inclusive). For bookings and reservations, please call 55028008.