Senang: The go-to place to satisfy your cravings for Asian food in Ctg
Senang, a restaurant serving delicious Asian delicacies has grown to be a major eatery in Chattogram for food lovers over the years
Senang was the realisation of a foodie's aspiration— a restaurant particularly focused on Asian delicacies. In less than two and a half years since its establishment, the restaurant has grown to be a major culinary hub in Chattogram for foodies craving to taste dishes originating from Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Sri Lanka, China, and Singapore.
"While studying in Malaysia I was exposed to their diverse and renowned food culture. I set up the restaurant as a hobby after returning to Bangladesh. I focused on Asian dishes," Chowdhury Yameen Anam, owner and CEO of Senang told The Business Standard (TBS).
Describing himself as a foodie, Anam claims his restaurant now offers many food items which no other restaurant in the country can offer. Such items include Malaysian chicken chop, Malaysian butter chicken, Indonesian Beef Rendang, Char kuey teow, Honey noodles with vanilla ice cream, Maggi Goreng Ayam.
The restaurant initially began its journey as Senang Bowl in October 2019 but was later cut short to just Senang– an Indonesian word that translates as 'happy'-- earlier this year. Located on the sixth floor of Innovative Bhuiyan Orchid, a commercial complex, in Nasirabad of Chattogram, their menu currently boasts a total of 78 Asian dishes.
According to its owner, a special feature of Senang is its open kitchen. Visitors will see the 'large and organised kitchen' as soon as they step into the restaurant.
"We can say proudly that Senang is the first restaurant in Chattogram with an open kitchen. Customers can observe the whole cooking process through a glass wall," said Anam.
Senang's business has been booming, which is reflected in the prices of food items. The restaurant used to serve food items starting from Tk80. Currently, it has food menus that cost from Tk299 to Tk1799.
The eatery has been decorated by Anam himself with colourful lights and plants creating a calming ambience. The young entrepreneur also attempted to bring a touch of speciality in food presentation as well. For instance, Bamboo Fusion Plate, a mega-dish comprising 15 items, is served on Banana leaves and platters of bamboo sourced from Kushtia.
Speaking about the cooking method, Anam said in the beginning many of the cooking utensils, especially spices for a particular food item were imported from their respective country. But that changed after the onset of Covid-19 in the country in 2019 when supply chains collapsed and imports were halted.
Now the restaurant's authorities make a separate fusion with different local spices. This ensures a consistent taste of the food items. The fusion, made with a combination of local spices, is named Asian Fusion.