Deshi Food or Good Food?

Yesterday I went with a colleague for Deshi (as in Bangladeshi) food. I'd commented that I hadn't tried any local food really since I'd arrived, so yesterday I was was taken for a serious Deshi lunch.

Down a side street and up some stairs, the interior of the restaurant looked like a noodle shop in NY's Chinatown. Nothing fancy. Just some tables and tablecloths. And a fish tank with enormous fish taking what may have been their very last little swim. The menus were big laminated pages and also very Chinatown. The "Deshi Food" in the left column and "Good Food" designated on the right. I found myself concerned with the propsect of mutual exclusivity since we were definitely here for the Deshi food.

The waiter, seeing I was a foreigner, brought over a knife and fork. When eating Deshi food, locals use their hands. Right hand only, as left hands are used for la toilette. ::Somewhere my mother has just lowered herself into an enormous vat of purell.:: I offered that I'd like to try using my hands and was, basically, verbally patted on the head. Silly Cara. You will just make a mess. This is true and I was so relieved to use utensils.

So, lunch consisted of:

rice

dal (lentil soupiness)

• red spinach


• chicken tikka masala

"shrimp" (actually the size of a lobster)

and fried pomfret (pictured here)- I heard pommes frit. Ha ha. No fork and knife for these guys - just pull the meat right off the bones. (Photo attributed to: http://www.flickr.com/photos/%20vkn/91446158/)

It was really good and I have filled my foodie adventure quota for the week.