Been going for that crazy roti/paratha and curry action since Bourdain told us about the place. It’s so good. Get that Yani too. And the tandoori.
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The Mid-City Eater Strikes Again! Great job.
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I’ve been in there to pu up some grocery items but haven’t tried their food—I can’t remember if it’s a buffet (like Bangla Bazaar next door-ish) or if the food is cooked to order. Do they have lamb too?
Eh its ok, I use to live down the block and I tried most of the Bangaldeshi places on 3rd street and honestly much of it was pretty low quality in my opinion.
Goat usually there, not lamb. Warmer trays etc, not buffet but you order from counter same as any indian spice store that has food… BUT they make fresh roti and parathas and have a proper tandoor
Swadesh is high quality in my and Bourdain’s opinion. Your mouth and preferences, not your living proximity matters 
(i’m 2 miles away)
Surprised nobody is talking about the fish egg curry
Maybe I’ve never ordered correctly at these places on this street but I’ve often found the food to be quite oily for my taste.
Also as much as I love and worship Bourdain I never assume amyone’s opinion on taste to be a free pass because we all have different preferences.
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I see. Have you ordered in Bangladesh? We have to rate things within their own context and culture. We don’t get to say it’s oily and I don’t like that, so it’s just ok.
It’s quite oily I agree and easy to get a stomach ache, but it’s extremely delicious and satisfying to me. I destroyed the biryani (by hand) for dinner
Bourdain’s choices, I can trust blindly. Has never disappointed.
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Bengali guy here (lol).
I also live in the area!
My regular order is at Bangla Bazaar – a small takeout container of veggie curry, few pieces of whichever kebab looks good, and one roti (these are giant sheets of bread that are in between a puff pastry and a tortilla. Carby goodness, esp. when fresh.
Beyond the cooked-to-order stuff… Bangla Bazar probably has the best steam table outta all of the spots. Never understood the grease at these places though… it isn’t that bad in Dhaka, or with any Bengali family’s home cooking, tbh!
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Thanks for the insight. That oil rips our guts and my girl refuses to eat here. I’m the one with the bad stomach and I keep going back but being careful. It’s so good and roti is fresh. Next time your spot
It’s a tiny apartment but hey, maybe we can figure something out for the FTC crew, ha.
There’s a ton of really good Bengali cooking that isn’t really trotted out in restaurants – think of thick poppy or mustard-seed pastes meant to be eaten with rice, kinda like Thai nam prik, or whole fish preparations, bronzed in turmeric with a thin (but VERY spicy) tomato-based sauce. OR (personal fav, and something my dad would make a ton when I was a kid…) samosas filled with ground beef, chopped liver(!) and a ton of spices, including a small hit of ground+dried fish. Funky, excellent stuff that I haven’t seen replicated outside of my childhood home, parents’ place etc.
If you want to know more… I think (fellow Bengali**) Mayukh absolutely knocked it out with his review of Korai Kitchen in the NYT.
**=I think Mayukh is West Bengali, not Bangladeshi. Small geographic/cultural difference.
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By your spot I meant Bangla Bazaar
I figured 
I swung by Swadesh yesterday for lunch and saw they had a (very casual and handwritten) for sale sign taped to the door. They also had zero menus despite the TVs still mounted to the wall so I had to order a la carte from the steam table options with no idea of prices. Glad I stopped by, wish I’d made the effort earlier since it seems like it’s on the way out.
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Check out Aladin Sweets and Spices. I actually had delivery from there for lunch today. Love the very bony hilsa fish with mustard sauce (always some roe in there), the bitter melon, and their pilao. Chicken biryani, laccha paratha, and samosas are all good. I’m always craving their base flavors of mustard and browned onion.
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I will, thank you! I’ve been meaning to try some of the places in this neighborhood for a while but I’m rarely in the area. I realized that a semi-regular appointment on Sundays puts me a few minutes away so any recommendations are welcome (especially if they’re takeout friendly).
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that’s sad… but, there’s hardly anybody ever in there except for the cab drivers hanging out smoking cigs and drinking coffee.
I need to check out the kabob/fried chicken place that opened up earlier this year (or may have been last year) across the street from Swadesh.
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