When it comes to fine dining, Dhaka does not have many places to offer. Manzo, located at the heart of Gulshan Avenue, offers seasonal, Mediterranean food, in a calm environment, meant for you to sit for hours and savour the food and conversation. Places like these are rare in Dhaka.
Founding Partner Nuhayr Hafiz of Manzo said, people need outlets to spend on quality experiences. To provide consumers with additional variety, the menu changes with the seasons.
"We focus on seasonal local produce and a rotating menu rather than imports," explained Hafiz.
Food
The mushroom soup is delectable. When asked about the use of dark chocolate in the soup, the executive chef Zohra Maliha replied that it was an accident that turned out to be a success.
There was rich mushroom froth, wild mushrooms, and dark chocolate in the mushroom soup.
The wild mushrooms' umami aroma will engulf your senses like nothing else, and their buttery flavour will make them the star of the dish.
The first dish was an amuse-bouche, a little appetizer customarily served before dinner to whet the appetite. We were served pao bread and miso butter made in-house.
The bun was airy, slightly sweet and nutty, but the butter is the show's real star, with a rich, savoury flavour and a little sweet-salty bite that you'll love until it's gone.
Another appetizer was the Burrata, a fresh Italian cheese consisting of mozzarella and cream with a hard, glossy surface.
This classic dish comes with sun-dried tomato pesto, basil pesto, balsamic pearls, heirloom tomatoes, and rockets to produce the creamiest sweet-sour and tangy bites that will have you wanting more as soon as you put your fork down.
The dish has a mild, milky flavour that is rich and delicious at the same time. The idea is to cut it open and let the cheese seep out and melt onto the matched vegetables and the rest of the ingredients; the somewhat salty flavour of the mozzarella on the outside is a lovely contrast to the creamy interior.
The typical Spanish Gambas, which featured exquisite shrimp cooked in lemon foam and topped with parsley dust, was one of the main meals. The bright green parsley dust and the shrimp's orange-gold tail will pique your interest.
Gambas' tiger shrimp are cooked to perfection, so they're still juicy and flavorful.
The delicate shrimp is the main attraction when you take a bite. The meal is finished with a touch of acidity from the parsley dust and lemon foam, which develops as you savour it.
The price for a summer meal at Manzo ranges from Tk650 to Tk1400.
Ambience
Manzo, tucked away on Gulshan Avenue, welcomes guests with sliding mahogany doors and a sophisticated environment.
On every level, the design is understated elegance, and the hardwood flooring is subtle, calling emphasis to the room's spaciousness and airiness.
The dishes hung in the kitchen are illuminated by string lights.
The off-white tables and fawn-coloured seats provide a classic yet contemporary image.
Lights flow through the crevices in the rustic walls, which are adorned with painstakingly chosen sunset hula artwork.
"We wanted to promote unknown local artists, and we carefully selected the artwork from them to match our setting," stated Founding Partner Rezwan Rahman of the art.
A single central light source casts a warm orange glow over all of the chairs and the patio is open during the warmer months.
Challenges
Despite initial concerns that opening during Ramadan in March 2023 would backfire, the restaurant is doing well more than a month later.
"We expected fewer customers during Ramadan, but it turned out to be in our favour, we got feedback after iftar and quite a bit of footfall," Hafiz stated.
The restaurant is aiming for a specific group of regulars.
"We want everyone to be able to come in, but we love seeing people come back and feel at home here," Rahman said.
Rahman believes their pricing is reasonable for a high-quality dining experience.
"We want people to come back," he says, and, "I think for fine dining we're affordable."
Verdict
As the restaurant caters to a specific demographic, you get a sense of calm and exclusivity once you are inside, something that is difficult to find in other restaurants these days.
For an affordable fine-dining experience in a setting that encourages art and culture discussions, go over to Manzo. Don't forget to try their Burrata and Miso butter before you leave.
