Dhaka’s newest Asian fusion restaurant comes from the people behind Manzo so you know it’s going to be as beautiful as it will be delicious.
Following the success of Manzo, Tudo’s founding partner Nuhayr Hafiz said: “We aimed to bring a cuisine more relevant to the local market, emphasizing Asian spices, flavours, and the richness of the palate.”
Food
We began our scrumptious meal with their spinach rolls topped with black bean sauce. The fresh spinach envelopes delicious shrimp on the inside while the black bean sauce steals the show. This savoury-spicy touch makes the rolls both unique and robust with big flavours.
Their chilli crab and mantou buns are standouts. The Singaporean chilli crab is a fantastically flavourful spicy, salty and savoury concoction.
The tomato sauce and tempered shrimp paste and the perpetual aroma of garlic and ginger provide a warm depth without overwhelming our palate. It is supremely satisfying.
The crab is plump, tender and succulent with some sweet delicate meat that holds its own against the thick fiery sauce, while the tangy tomato and tamarind adds a refreshing zesty edge.
The complex thick sauce clings to the shell and the meat, enveloping it in a lushious spicy and savoury layer as well as a faint sweetness that lingers on your tongue creating a boisterous mouthful of flavours.
The delectable crab pairs wonderfully with the mantou bun that truthfully can be eaten all on its own as it is savoury, extremely fluffy and has got a slight crunch to it on the edges.
It is also perfect for soaking up the addictive crab sauce, not just for the heat but for the right balance the buns and the crab sauce creates, making the bites bold, vibrant and thoroughly memorable and taking indulgence to the next level.
Next we had the Tom kha thale, a thai coconut shrimp soup. Served hot, this chlli, garlic, lemongrass and mushrooms infused coconut broth is spectacular and utterly delicious.
The right amount of heat and the sweetness from the coconut combined with a hearty serving of shrimp will leave you spellbound.
The price range for a meal at Tudo is Tk350 to Tk1600.
Ambience
Situated in Banani, Tudo exudes a confident rustic charm with classic rattan furnishings and hanging bamboo lantern lights. The mood is immediately warm, cosy and intimate.
Their elegant and comfortable design with both indoor and outdoor seating comes with a grand staircase that makes your entrance feel ever so opulent.
Challenges
Opened a few weeks ago, Tudo has a fast-paced kitchen owing to an Asian-fusion cuisine and they’ve had to scale up, both in terms of resources and by working with a larger workforce that is ready to tackle issues head on.
“The biggest challenge was scaling because this is a much larger organization as compared to Manzo. The resourcing is very different and we also had to break out of our solitary thinking and adapt to a more corporate mindset,” said Hafiz.
Previously, customers who dined at Manzo assumed Tudo is also a fine-dining restaurant, which it is not. Despite the fact that the quality of the food, service and ambience is well-maintained.
“People end up thinking Tudo is also fine dining because we maintain quality, but our prices will tell you that it's not fine-dining,” said founding partner Sofiur Rahman.
“That was also our initial vision. To create an out-of-this-world experience while also offering affordable food. We don't really have that concept in Dhaka yet. We deliberately keep our prices low in comparison to what we offer,” added Hafiz.
Recruiting a skilled, motivated chef was also a challenge for this establishment.
“ It was difficult to find a chef who is passionate about creating food rather than someone who has been trained to do so. Someone may claim to have 7 years of experience, yet when tested, they do poorly.
“Challenge comes in when the kitchen starts. How the food is flowing, how the kitchen is doing. The kitchen is always chaotic at first, it takes about a month for things to settle down,” he added.
Verdict
Let us just start off by saying that if you don't try their chilli crab and mantou buns, your visit will be incomplete. Their tom kha thale is also top-notch. And personally, we don't think you can go wrong with your order at Tudo, regardless of what you order.
