F E A T U R E – E A T S T A G R A M
Food blogging is all the rage, and Farhina Tahrim Hasan, better known as @tahrimeats, is one of the reigning foodies in Bangladesh. From sushi to red velvet cakes and Deshi Dawat Spreads — her feed presents layers upon layers of mouth-watering delicacies. And when she isn’t dreaming about food, Tahrim is dreaming of making it.
Joyita Faruk from The Dhaka Apologue had a conversation with Tahrim for the first session of TDA x EatstagramBD. Let’s see the recommendations Tahrim has in store for us this time.
Joyita: What are your recommendations for good pocket-friendly restaurants?
We’re always on the lookout for fulfilling and tasty meals that we don’t have to save up weeks for. So, I wanted to know what Tahrim thinks.
Tahrim: In the Gulshan/Banani area, Ginza is pretty pocket-friendly.
Loved each and every item, and the best part is, all of them are very reasonable!
Yum Cha District
Chicken & Basil Potsticker from Yum Cha District. The best part is how it’s lightly fried. Love the little trace of crispness on the outside and the softness on the inside. 🥟
If you’re looking for Japanese food at a reasonable price, you can try the bento from Tokyo Express.
Everything is just so perfect about this bento box; people who don’t like Japanese food come to Tokyo Express just for this!
Joyita: What are some overrated restaurants that you can’t seem to get the hype around?
We all know the moment: when scrumptious food grams pique our interest and we finally go to the place to see what everyone is talking about, only to find it disappointing. People are quick to jump on the trending hottest bites but reality often diverges from the hype train. Since our food blogger of the week is a seasoned taste tester, we wanted to see what she thinks.
Tahrim: I really can’t answer by the names but kachhi places are now overhyped and overrated.
It seems as a professional blogger, she can’t divulge names, but we’re glad she gave us a hint.
Joyita: Are there any underrated restaurants you’d like to recommend?
Underrated restaurants, like underrated songs, TV shows or books, are those that you kind of want to blast to the world and also want to keep to yourself at the same time. You want the restaurants to get recognition for all their delectable menu items, and succeed in their business, but they’ve also become your special, and often quiet, place. Tahrim shared with us some of her special places.
Tahrim:
- El-toro. (It’s not underrated. It’s just still not known to a lot of people.)
El-toro’s chicken nachos – a dish I’ve been having since the late 90s.
Joyita: We often find ourselves ordering the same food over and over again from popular restaurants. Is there an underrated item that you’d like people to try?
Tahrim: Please try the Margherita pizza from Cheez!
Tahrim is a fan of pizzas, and her stories are filled with her guilty snacking sessions while doing Chloe Ting’s workout challenges. Cheez is a well-known thin-crust pizza place in Bangladesh, so we’re sure their Margheritas are worth a try!
Joyita: During the lockdown, did you find any must-try restaurants that delivered to your doorstep? Which one would you recommend?
Tahrim: I would highly recommend Kavazo. I have a sweet tooth, and during quarantine I’ve always relied on them.
From snacks to groceries to winter shopping, this quarantine we’ve done it all at our doorstep. Tahrim’s sweet tooth has led us to the bakery Kavazo. They provide desserts that hit the sweet spot!
Joyita: What are your top 3 comfort foods?
Comfort foods can wash away the exhaustion of a long day, or make our bad days feel a bit more like home. These can be foods tied to our nostalgia, memories linked to special people or phases in our lives or simply tastes that feel like solace.
Tahrim:
- Daal, bhaat, bhorta
- A good burger
- Khao Suey (Khao Suey/Soi is a meal of Burmese noodles in coconut curried sauce.)
Hands down to the best Khao Suey in Dhaka from Laughing Buddha!
Joyita: Bangladesh is a hotbed of overlapping and recreated cuisines from around the world. What’s your favourite cuisine among them?
Tahrim: Thai, always.
From Asian fusion restaurants to authentic-style foods with internationally trained chefs, here, we have it all. Thai cuisine construes the balance of five flavours. It’s known for its perfect combination of salty, sweet, sour, bitter, and spicy. For our Bangali tongues accustomed to the curry tastes of turmeric, onions and masala, it’s a welcome change of pace. A treat aimed at the heart!
Joyita: Any food scares you’ve had?
Tahrim: Food scares? Nah, not really. I just don’t eat a few types of meat/fish.
Food scares, like exposure to certain allergens or the common lactose intolerance, is a great worry here as we don’t have highly strict regulations or systems in place for restaurants. Luckily, Tahrim hasn’t had one but we urge our readers to practise safety and awareness.
Joyita: We’ve noticed you travel a bit. What are some must-try eateries outside Dhaka?
Tahrim: I do travel outside Dhaka and the country, but not as much. If you ask me about what to eat in India, Thailand, Singapore, Srilanka, I can definitely tell you. But usually, when I travel outside Dhaka, I focus more on nature than food.
Food is a significant part of the travelling experience. Alongside stimulating our eyesight with new views, we want to spice up our taste receptors with exciting flavours and flavour combinations. Despite her preference to enjoy nature, Tahrim has story highlights dedicated to her travel eats.
Joyita: Do you ever plan to become a vlogger?
Tahrim: I do, but I am too shy. Well, I have always wanted to do cooking videos which I’ve started now along with this. I just didn’t know how to create, edit or what camera to use. Now, I’m slowly learning how to make them. So, despite wanting to open a cooking channel first, I opened this blog and here I am!
While introducing herself, Tahrim told us about how she started food blogging. It turns out her original plans were of creating videos!
So, maybe we’ll see some TahrimCooks, soon? Her IGTV section on her Instagram already has a few cool recipes. Like this: Cheetos Pop Chicken, @tahrimeats.
Joyita: What makes you distinctive from other reviewers, or how do you try to stand out?
Tahrim: I love what I do. It’s my passion, and I would never want to be the hype. I don’t know if it makes me stand out but I’ll keep doing what I love to do.
Indeed, Tahrim has a genuine aura about her work. We can see how much she loves creating Eatstagram content just from her efforts towards the blog. She has been doing this for about 3 years now, so we’re really enthused about her recommendations.
Aren’t you excited to try them out? Here’s to more mouthfuls of the elixir that is food!
Interviewed and written by: Joyita Faruk