The Nest: A multi-cuisine restaurant with a homely atmosphere
Mohammadpur’s The Nest, boasts a jack-of-all-trades menu that provides a classic appetiser to main course and dessert experience
Ifteker Mahmud, one of the owners of Nest, a multi-cuisine restaurant which was opened in March 2022, always felt Mohammadpur needed an eatery that had a homely atmosphere.
"We wanted the place to have a wholesome, comfortable vibe just like we get in our homes. Nest tries to offer that. I live in Mohammadpur, and thought the location does not have many cosy spaces where people can chill with their friends and enjoy good food," shared Ifteker.
The menu contains variations of our guiltiest pleasures. It boasts salivating appetisers, multiple options for soups and salads, noodles and pasta, chicken dishes such as steak, teriyaki chicken, Korean spicy beef (one of their staples), shepherd's pie, and lastly seafood items. They serve desserts and drinks as well.
Even though shrink-flation seems to have its way with this particular establishment, the restaurant might be one of the high-end ones in the city and they make up for meagre portions by serving consistently high-quality cuisine.
The atmosphere in the restaurant was cosy and warm. There are no flashy lights but very unique decor with subtle lamp lights and novel seating arrangements. It is a worthy place to eat with family and hang out with friends.
The Business Standard tried some of their best dishes denoted by stars on the menu, alongside some of their more regular fare. Two of the star-marked items- Korean Spicy Beef and Grilled Sea Crabs gained tons of positive feedback on social media, however, the dishes were unavailable at the time, due to a lack of ingredients. The service however was commendable as the food started coming in promptly after the order was placed and all the items were fresh and finely cooked- the flavours bear witness to that.
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Cream of Mushroom Soup
Sublime and creamy, this soup contains just enough texture to have a lasting effect in the mouth but not feel heavy at the same time. The mushroom had a powerful taste and was complemented by bits of chicken pieces and an overall garlic flavour profile.
As you continue to eat it, the thick cream does start to overpower the pallate, which could have been balanced out with some acidity or complemented with toasted bread. However, that does not wreck its speciality.
The soup is Tk250.
Rating- 7.5/10
Pad Thai- Prawn
The Pad Thai prawn contains prawns, scrambled eggs, vegetables such as carrots, and spring onions- tossed in garlic. It also has chilli oil as a garnish, pepper, and subtle traces of tomato sauce. It is one of their best-cooked items even though the quantity is not enough to share, it runs the full gamut of what makes a Pad Thai authentic; sweet, sour, spicy and salty. The quality completely makes up for the small quantity.
The Nest's Pad Thai was proper and a TBS pick from the items ordered.
Pad Thai Prawn is Tk320.
Rating- 9.5/10
Spaghetti Bolognese
Served with beef bolognese; the beef is cooked in marinara sauce, with veggies such as capsicum, various herbs, garlic and onions minced in. There were hints of lime which brought a different kick to the pasta.
Even though the item is quite commonplace in Dhaka restaurants, most restaurants fail to properly balance the right amount of sauce and moisture for the bolognese sauce. This item was proper with its flavour distribution without being overwhelming. Even though the quantity was off-putting compared to the price, the taste brought our verdict to a content compromise.
Spaghetti Bolognese is ৳380.
Rating- 8/10
Grilled Chicken Steak with Nasi Goreng/ Mashed Potato
A clean boneless chicken with moist rice, shrimp and chilli paste served with special BBQ sauce and sauteed veggies on the side. The item also has the option to swap the Nasi Goreng with Mashed Potato.
The Nasi Goreng is flavourful and light even though it is the heaviest of carbs. The mashed potato on the other hand was creamy even though there were small chunks in the mash, but the texture overall was smooth.
The grilled chicken however, was bland and run-of-the-mill, surprising given that it was a star marked dish. The sauteed vegetables didn't taste like veggies at all, and was unappetising.
Grilled Chicken Steak with Nasi Goreng/ Mashed Potato costs Tk380.
Rating- 6/10
