Kebabzz is a new kebab restaurant in Banani offering a mix of traditional and experimental dishes, promising a unique dining experience. However, there is still room for improvement when it comes to the food. Here is our take on this new restaurant.
“I have seen people travel from Gulshan and Banani to Mirpur, so I wanted to bring the taste of Mirpur to Banani,” said Kebabzz, co-owner, Hasan Reza.
Food
We started our meal with their cheesy boti kebab, which was a cheesed-up take on the boti kebabs. Unfortunately, the botis were too tough and hard to bite into, making them difficult to eat. Their texture was almost rock solid, which made them unpalatable.
The dish had cheese on it, as expected from the name, but there was too much cheese. The cheese unfortunately overpowers the flavour of the meat.
Then, we tried their crab masala. The sauce, dominated by sweet-spicy flavour intended to have a traditional touch.
However, the dish was overly sweet and spicy at the same time. Usually, the sweet-spicy combination teams up well. Unfortunatley the alarmingly overwhelming sweetness coupled with the intense spice was not working for this crab masala, which needed a balance rather than an extreme rendition of both flavours.
The laccha parathas and naans were served hot along with the daal makhani. The butter garlic rice, naans and parathas were good accompaniments to the daal makhani.
The daal makhani was a bit greasy and only had a small amount of butter. It needed to be thicker to taste more like authentic daal makhani.
Their Turkish yumurta is a variation of the Turkish of sauteed chicken with eggs. The well-seasoned, spiced eggs stood out with their moist texture, which we enjoyed. We liked having this unique dish on the menu along with the more common options.
We enjoyed the murgh makhanwala, which had a sweet and thick gravy over tender chicken pieces. The gravy paired well with the tandoori chicken because the butter and cream combined with the charred chicken created a lasting smoky-sweet flavour. The garlic butter rice complemented the dish and added to the overall enjoyment.
We finished our meal with their shahi tukras. Their version of shahi tukra was different because the bread pieces were almost completely toasted, giving them a texture like a toast-biscuit.
This was okay, but we missed the creamy, milky froth that usually comes with a well-made shahi tukra. The cream that covered the toasted bread had a thick, sticky texture and taste, more like semolina.
The price range for a meal at Kebabzz is Tk550 to Tk990 for kebabs.
Ambience
Kebbaz, located in Banani, has a bright red and beige interior. The chairs are blood red, and the wooden tables have jharoka-style windows that add a Mughal touch. Yellow lights create a warm atmosphere, while big windows provide natural light during the day.
Challenges
Kebabzz, which launched a couple of months ago, remains relatively unknown to some, and familiarising people with the place has been one of their toughest challenges, according to Reza.
“We are still trying to familiarise people with our restaurant and the kind of kebabs we serve,” Reza added.
They intend to keep prices the same and unchanged for approximately a year, despite the fact that inflation is looming over the economy, Reza is confident that they will be able to sustain at the same prices for at least a year.
"We cannot raise prices right now. We expected to maintain our current pricing for a year, even though the cost of ingredients keeps rising every week," he explained.
Verdict
Kebabzz is a restaurant that is still developing and has room for improvement. Their portion sizes are good, and they are willing to try unique dishes like Turkish yumurta and bold shahi tukra. However, they need to pay more attention to details and could benefit from customer suggestions.
When you visit Kebabzz for the first time, try the murgh makhanwala and the Turkish yumurta. You can also enjoy a coke or a lassi with your meal. Who knows, you might come up with a suggestion that helps them in the long run.
