Slaw reinvents itself once again with its new high-end bistro

Located on the ground floor of the architecturally impressive Shanta Forum Tower in Tejgaon, Slaw Bistro has taken the Dhaka food scene by storm with their new French-inspired café.

Slaw, which had originally started operating in 2023 as a cloud kitchen specialising in gourmet burgers, quickly gained popularity for bringing in the concept of 'smashed burgers' to Dhaka.

"It was important to me that we offer an open kitchen for customers because these days, many customers are more conscious of the food they eat, where the ingredients come from, and how it is made. I wanted to offer that transparency."

Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel

Raiyan Shoeb, Owner, Slaw Bistro

Since then, smashed burgers have exploded in Dhaka's culinary scene, quickly adopted by other popular burger joints in the city.

Now, Slaw has once again reinvented itself with the launch of Slaw Bistro, offering a menu full of unique and tasty dishes.

"Our entire menu was engineered by a chef from the UK. He worked on the menu with us for about one month before launch," said the owner of Slaw, Raiyan Shoeb.

Passionate about offering high-quality, authentic food, Raiyan mentioned that they import their butter straight from France to ensure their croissants are delicious and smooth.

When I walked into Slaw Bistro, I was immediately impressed by the interior. It was full of bright lights, a soothing blue and white colour palette, and indoor plants that added a sense of liveliness to the café.

It also has an open kitchen concept, "It was important to me that we offer an open kitchen for customers because these days many customers are more conscious of the food they eat, where the ingredients come from, and how it is made. I wanted to offer that transparency," said Raiyan.

The impressive interior made me wonder if the food would offer the same level of quality, and I can undoubtedly say that it does. With its unique meals and consistent quality across the menu, Slaw has once again positioned itself at the forefront of Dhaka's culinary scene with its new bistro.

While trying out Slaw Bistro's menu, we left with a few new favourites. Here are a few dishes that are worth trying on your next visit. 

Truffle Scrambled Eggs

Right out of the gate, this delicious breakfast item stood out as distinct from anything else you would come across in the Dhaka food scene.

Consisting of croissants shaped into cubes- crispy on the outside, smooth on the inside- along with scrambled eggs cooked to perfection, the dish is topped off with a special truffle sauce.

The truffle sauce is the highlight of the dish. Its thick, smooth consistency is so delicious that it keeps you coming back for more. This was a winning combo and a must-try!

Rating: 10/10

Price: Tk850

Chimichurri Benedict

The Chimichurri Benedict was another stand-out dish, tasting as wonderful as it looked on the plate.

Drawing inspiration from Argentinian cuisine, this is a twist on the classic egg benedict. Alongside the eggs, the meal consisted of shaved beef and caramelised onion on toasted brioche, topped off with avocado.

The main attraction of the meal is a unique blend of spicy hollandaise sauce mixed with chimichurri sauce. The result is a delicious meal bursting with distinct flavours. 

The Chimichurri sauce tastes excellent and draws you in, but it can be slightly overwhelming, overshadowing the items in the meal. 

Thankfully, the avocado works as a great balance.

Rating: 9/10

Price: Tk600

Bang Bang Shrimp Roll

Placed on a high wooden board instead of an ordinary plate, this item immediately catches the eye as soon as it is served.

The unique presentation sets the mood for a dish that is truly incredible yet simple. Butter-poached shrimp are sandwiched gently within toasted fluffy bread with a side of vegetables, reminiscent of how tacos are served.

The shrimp were expertly cooked and full of flavour. This mouthwatering dish will delight the tastebuds of all shrimp lovers.

Rating: 9/10

Price: Tk700

San Sebastian Cheesecake

The San Sebastian Cheesecake has already made waves on social media, quickly becoming Slaw's signature dessert dish. So, we ordered the dish to determine whether it was worthy of all the hype.

I can safely say Slaw knocked it out of the park with this cheesecake.

This basque cheesecake, with its golden-brown exterior, was baked to perfection. It was crustless, with creamy insides that melted in the mouth. 

To top off this already impressive dessert, it also came with a rich, chocolate fondue to be dripped over the cheesecake, adding another layer of deliciousness.

Rating: 9/10

Price: Tk800

Truffle Mushroom Spaghetti

I do not usually gravitate towards pasta or spaghetti because I find them a little bland, but I ordered this meal because the truffle mushroom flavour was something new that I had not seen before in spaghetti.

I was not disappointed, as the creamy truffle sauce, with the sauteed mushrooms, parmesan cheese, and tomatoes, was an excellent combination that really set this meal apart from other spaghetti dishes I have tried in various restaurants.

Rating: 8/10

Price: Tk850

Spicy Tuna

A big tuna sandwich consisting of tomatoes, jalapenos and pesto, this dish also came with a slight twist. Instead of ordinary soft bread, the meal uses a hard, crispy flat bread made using a waffle machine.

The different bread types used here made it a fun meal, and I liked the spices, but since I am not a big fan of tuna, I did not enjoy this as much as the others. However, if you enjoy tuna, you should definitely check this out!

Rating: 7/10

Price: Tk500