Place-wise
A new attraction towards small, specialised food joints is on the rise, and places like this satisfy that need perfectly. Tree House is located in Banani, opposite Prescription Point, and may not be as difficult to track down as it seems. Entering the restaurant, you are welcomed by a wave of mouth-watering smells from the kitchen, which comes in direct view on the ground floor. The spiraling staircase then leads you to the second-floor seating area and the third, which is an open-air setting. At this point, it hits you how compact the place is, but only before the feeling of comfort and cosiness starts to sink in, as you chitchat with your friends and begin to relax. The mirror, glass and wood interior added a touch of sophistication and so did the menu, which were handwritten on plant paper.
Service-wise
An advantage of a small restaurant is their huge comeback in service. No complaints here, but this may be a no-brainer, as the menu contained only so much to remember.
Root
Juice-wise
Root, a smoothie and juice bar, provides all the drinks here, which comprises of fresh-as-it-gets juices
and water only. The pride of the joint, a few of their offers left us in awe, from the very first sip.
Mango Tk180
What gets to you for this drink is the thickness, and the perfect amount of natural sweetness. Add the slices of mango inside it, and you have a grinning ending as well. But seasonal unavailability of the fruit may leave it sourer than you may like.
Live pineapple Tk260
This was a gem of a find. Served in a pineapple itself, the juice was frothy, rich and plenty, and would be a recommendation to even those who despise the fruit.
Tree House
Food-wise
The bites came from Treehouse, which is defined as the restaurant. The menu did not leave anyone thinking over the choice for long, for there are only two permanent options:
Chicken steak Tk427 (Served with BBQ rice)
The first noticeable trait of this splendid dish is how softly the knife sinks into the chicken as you cut it. The second thing is the smoky spiciness that erupts on the first bite, after which you’re welcomed with a subtle sweetness of the BBQ sauce as the chicken melts away. Although juicy and tender, the chicken may be a tad undercooked for the picky.
What made the dish even better was the BBQ rice served with it. Every spicy mouthful complied wonderfully with the smoky flavor of the chicken, leaving you with a fiesta inside your mouth.
Beef sirloin steak Tk687 (Served with Spaghetti)
The beef was also juicy and flavourful at the very least, packing an equal punch as the chicken but more of a bite as the chewy satisfaction is present. But the problem was, apart from being two different types of meat, the beef was uncannily similar to the chicken in terms of flavour. A delight nonetheless, you begin to ponder where price hike comes from compared to the chicken.
The spaghetti, however, was a disappointment compared to its rice counterpart. The strong flavour of the tomato puree creates an imbalance of spices, unless tomatoes are your tongue’s bae.
Served with both are:
Sauteed mushrooms
Nothing out of the ordinary, but made to perfection, the mushrooms were as captivating as it could be. It was a great addition to both the dishes, both in terms of flavour and fulfillment.
Sauteed vegetables
Boiled and flavoured well, the vegies were a part of the dish which deserves no special recognition, but couldn’t be ignored either.
Pros
ambience and service
juices
steaks
location and setting
Cons
similar flavours
spaghetti
