{"id":19849,"date":"2011-11-20T15:37:53","date_gmt":"2011-11-20T20:37:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/bronxink.org\/?p=19849"},"modified":"2011-11-28T15:55:45","modified_gmt":"2011-11-28T20:55:45","slug":"from-bangladesh-to-the-bronx","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/bronxink.org\/2011\/11\/20\/19849-from-bangladesh-to-the-bronx\/","title":{"rendered":"From Bangladesh to the Bronx"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"attachment_19909\" style=\"width: 563px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/bronxink.org\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/3\/files\/2011\/11\/bangla1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-19909\" class=\"size-large wp-image-19909  \" title=\"bangla1\" src=\"http:\/\/bronxink.org\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/3\/files\/2011\/11\/bangla1-1024x764.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"553\" height=\"412\" srcset=\"http:\/\/bronxink.org\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/3\/files\/2011\/11\/bangla1.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/bronxink.org\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/3\/files\/2011\/11\/bangla1-300x224.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 553px) 100vw, 553px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-19909\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Naan bread and meat curries are among the house&#39;s specialties; the menu varies, but goat, chicken, and duck stews are always available. BIANCA CONSUNJI\/The Bronx Ink<\/p><\/div>\n<div\n\tclass=\"ngg-galleryoverview\"\n\tid=\"ngg-gallery-3f97888e39e18a3756bb88cb76228b04-1\">\n\n    \t\t<!-- Thumbnails -->\n\t\t\t\t<div id=\"ngg-image-0\" class=\"ngg-gallery-thumbnail-box\" >\n\t\t\t\t        <div class=\"ngg-gallery-thumbnail\">\n            <a href=\"http:\/\/bronxink.org\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/3\/files\/neerob_1\/bangla1.jpg\"\n               title=\"\"\n               data-src=\"http:\/\/bronxink.org\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/3\/files\/neerob_1\/bangla1.jpg\"\n               data-thumbnail=\"http:\/\/bronxink.org\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/3\/files\/neerob_1\/thumbs\/thumbs_bangla1.jpg\"\n               data-image-id=\"1795\"\n               data-title=\"Neerob naan and curry\"\n               data-description=\"\"\n               data-image-slug=\"neerob-naan-and-curry\"\n               class=\"shutterset_3f97888e39e18a3756bb88cb76228b04\">\n                <img\n                    title=\"Neerob naan and curry\"\n                    alt=\"Neerob naan and curry\"\n                    src=\"http:\/\/bronxink.org\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/3\/files\/neerob_1\/thumbs\/thumbs_bangla1.jpg\"\n                    width=\"120\"\n                    height=\"90\"\n                    style=\"max-width:100%;\"\n                \/>\n            <\/a>\n        <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t<div id=\"ngg-image-1\" class=\"ngg-gallery-thumbnail-box\" >\n\t\t\t\t        <div class=\"ngg-gallery-thumbnail\">\n            <a href=\"http:\/\/bronxink.org\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/3\/files\/neerob_1\/bangla2.jpg\"\n               title=\"\"\n               data-src=\"http:\/\/bronxink.org\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/3\/files\/neerob_1\/bangla2.jpg\"\n               data-thumbnail=\"http:\/\/bronxink.org\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/3\/files\/neerob_1\/thumbs\/thumbs_bangla2.jpg\"\n               data-image-id=\"1796\"\n               data-title=\"Pakoras and fish\"\n               data-description=\"\"\n               data-image-slug=\"pakoras-and-fish\"\n               class=\"shutterset_3f97888e39e18a3756bb88cb76228b04\">\n                <img\n                    title=\"Pakoras and fish\"\n                    alt=\"Pakoras and fish\"\n                    src=\"http:\/\/bronxink.org\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/3\/files\/neerob_1\/thumbs\/thumbs_bangla2.jpg\"\n                    width=\"120\"\n                    height=\"90\"\n                    style=\"max-width:100%;\"\n                \/>\n            <\/a>\n        <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t<div id=\"ngg-image-2\" class=\"ngg-gallery-thumbnail-box\" >\n\t\t\t\t        <div class=\"ngg-gallery-thumbnail\">\n            <a href=\"http:\/\/bronxink.org\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/3\/files\/neerob_1\/bangla3.jpg\"\n               title=\"\"\n               data-src=\"http:\/\/bronxink.org\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/3\/files\/neerob_1\/bangla3.jpg\"\n               data-thumbnail=\"http:\/\/bronxink.org\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/3\/files\/neerob_1\/thumbs\/thumbs_bangla3.jpg\"\n               data-image-id=\"1797\"\n               data-title=\"Inside the restaurant\"\n               data-description=\"\"\n               data-image-slug=\"inside-the-restaurant\"\n               class=\"shutterset_3f97888e39e18a3756bb88cb76228b04\">\n                <img\n                    title=\"Inside the restaurant\"\n                    alt=\"Inside the restaurant\"\n                    src=\"http:\/\/bronxink.org\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/3\/files\/neerob_1\/thumbs\/thumbs_bangla3.jpg\"\n                    width=\"120\"\n                    height=\"90\"\n                    style=\"max-width:100%;\"\n                \/>\n            <\/a>\n        <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t<div id=\"ngg-image-3\" class=\"ngg-gallery-thumbnail-box\" style=\"display: none;\">\n\t\t\t\t        <div class=\"ngg-gallery-thumbnail\">\n            <a href=\"http:\/\/bronxink.org\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/3\/files\/neerob_1\/bangla4.jpg\"\n               title=\"\"\n               data-src=\"http:\/\/bronxink.org\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/3\/files\/neerob_1\/bangla4.jpg\"\n               data-thumbnail=\"http:\/\/bronxink.org\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/3\/files\/neerob_1\/thumbs\/thumbs_bangla4.jpg\"\n               data-image-id=\"1798\"\n               data-title=\"Mohammed Rahman\"\n               data-description=\"\"\n               data-image-slug=\"mohammed-rahman\"\n               class=\"shutterset_3f97888e39e18a3756bb88cb76228b04\">\n                <img\n                    title=\"Mohammed Rahman\"\n                    alt=\"Mohammed Rahman\"\n                    src=\"http:\/\/bronxink.org\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/3\/files\/neerob_1\/thumbs\/thumbs_bangla4.jpg\"\n                    width=\"120\"\n                    height=\"90\"\n                    style=\"max-width:100%;\"\n                \/>\n            <\/a>\n        <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t\t\n        \n\t\t\n\t\t<!-- Pagination -->\n\t<div class='ngg-navigation'><span class=\"current\">1<\/span><a class=\"page-numbers\" data-pageid=\"2\" href=\"http:\/\/bronxink.org\/2011\/11\/20\/19849-from-bangladesh-to-the-bronx\/nggallery\/page\/2\">2<\/a><a class=\"next\" data-pageid=\"2\" id=\"ngg-next-2\" href=\"http:\/\/bronxink.org\/2011\/11\/20\/19849-from-bangladesh-to-the-bronx\/nggallery\/page\/2\">&#9658;<\/a><\/div>\t<\/div>\n\n<p>Make no mistake: The food in <a href=\"http:\/\/neerob.com\" target=\"_blank\">Neerob<\/a>, a canteen-style eatery in the Bronx, is Bangladeshi\u2014not Indian.<\/p>\n<p>The Parkchester restaurant first opened over three years ago, spurred by owner Mohammed Rahman\u2019s frustration that numerous \u201cIndian\u201d restaurants actually served dishes native to Bangladesh, and were staffed by Bengalis. \u201cWhen you say that the food in a restaurant is Bangladeshi, no one wants to come,\u201d said Rahman, who first came to the U.S. 20 years ago as a student. \u201cBut when you say it\u2019s Indian, people are familiar with it. They know what to order.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He refused to comment on Indian food, saying only that although the basic principles of Bengali cooking are similar to Indian styles, Bangladeshi cooking uses different spices. For his dishes, Rahman uses less garlic and omits curry leaves\u2014a vital ingredient in southern Indian cuisine that imparts a strong, slightly bitter flavor.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy dream is to make Bangladesh\u2019s food mainstream,\u201d said Rahman, whose family worked in the food service industry back in his hometown\u00a0of Dhaka. \u201cIt\u2019s authentic Bengali food.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The hole-in-the-wall establishment is located in the heart of a Bengali community along Starling Avenue, and it\u2019s evident by the clientele who drop in for some deep-fried <em>pakoras<\/em><em>\u00a0<\/em>(South Asian vegetable fritters) and spiced milk tea. Neerob attracts a varied range of diners from all five boroughs of the city, plus more from upstate New York and New Jersey, but its regulars are by and large, Bengali.<\/p>\n<p>Rahman, a jovial, stocky man in his late 30s, shakes hands and exchanges a few words with every customer who comes in. Although Neerob means \u201cquiet\u201d in his native tongue, the atmosphere of the restaurant is anything but. Space is limited; lunchtime tables are inevitably filled with groups sharing banter over large platters of curried meat, wiping up traces of mustard oil and sauce with pillowy triangles of <em>naan <\/em>bread. Even deep in the afternoon on a Sunday, the restaurant is never empty.<\/p>\n<p>Fish, the staple of the Bengali diet, stars prominently on the menu. Pan-fried in mustard oil, minnow and catfish are covered with onions, chili, and cilantro, and doused with sauce. Prices don\u2019t go over $10, so it\u2019s a common sight to see blue-collar workers tucking into bread and curry, as well as a steady stream of professionals toting takeaway cartons of food for their families.<\/p>\n<p>Meat curry and a saffron-hued pilaf cost about $7.50-9 for the combination; a $1 piece of <em>naan <\/em>and a $4 dollop of <em>bharta <\/em>(a mashed dish of vegetables sometimes mixed with seafood) is a meal on its own, although $1 portions are available for curious diners who want to try different varieties. <em>Pakoras <\/em>are three for a dollar. Desserts are limited, but<em> sh\u00f4ndesh,<\/em> a creamy ball of cottage cheese soaked in syrup, ends the meal on a satisfying note.<\/p>\n<p>Customers come for the food as well as the cozy atmosphere. Taxi driver Khandoker Huq, who comes in at least twice a month for some chicken or fish curry, said, \u201cHe\u2019s a fantastic guy and cooks good food.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Bani Chodhury, a physician from Bedford Hills, often makes the trip from Scarsdale to Starling Avenue to purchase food for her family. \u201cDuring the week, I can\u2019t always cook,\u201d said Chodhury. \u201cI even have Neerob cater my parties, and the best part is, they always provide a surplus of food so there\u2019s no shortage, no matter how many guests come\u2014and in Bangladesh, people take home food from parties.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Rahman doesn\u2019t hesitate to pass on recipes to customers, some of them American-born Bengalis yearning to learn more about their culinary heritage. \u201cI always tell the recipe,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m not losing anything. When you help somebody, they will come again.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But don\u2019t ask him what\u2019s in Neerob\u2019s signature tea, a fragrant mixture of milk and spices. \u201cThat\u2019s my only secret,\u201d he said, winking.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Neerob,\u00a02109 Starling Avenue (Olmstead Avenue), Parkchester, Bronx; (718) 904-7061<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>By subway: Castle Hill on the No. 6 train<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<iframe src=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/plugins\/like.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Fbronxink.org%2F2011%2F11%2F20%2F19849-from-bangladesh-to-the-bronx%2F&amp;layout=standard&amp;show_faces=true&amp;width=450&amp;action=like&amp;colorscheme=light&amp;height=80\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"border:none; overflow:hidden; width:450px; height:80px;\" allowTransparency=\"true\"><\/iframe>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Bengali cuisine comes to the borough by way of a hole-in-the-wall Parkchester eatery.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":455,"featured_media":19909,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[662,13,276],"tags":[461,7555,7593,8202,1646],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/bronxink.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19849"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/bronxink.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/bronxink.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/bronxink.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/455"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/bronxink.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19849"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/bronxink.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19849\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/bronxink.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19909"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/bronxink.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19849"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/bronxink.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19849"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/bronxink.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19849"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}