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From Bhaat to Kacchi : A Lunch Break Guide

Stuck at uni from dawn till dusk, clueless about where to get a proper, budget-friendly meal that actually kills those rats running in the tummy? Can’t imagine lunch without rice? Fear not! The second course of BracU Express presents “Foodie Finds at BracU” is here to save the day by showing you lunch spots you might or might not have spotted. 

To go to the first two places you don’t even have to walk far. Just if you go up the stairs that’s in front of the pocket gate there are two places you can have lunch items. On the left hand side upon entering we have ‘Bite delight’ with their tehari out on display. Along with their snack items they have options for lunch like their ‘student meal’ for 180tk that includes fried rice, chicken chili, and vegetables. Well, their display says they also have chicken and beef tehari for lunch. Next door, ‘Chipichapa’ famous ‘Handi’ serves hearty meals like chicken or beef with polao, khichuri, or plain rice starting at 100tk. The portions are generous, and the homely flavors are a hit with students with an in-person student survey rating it 10/10. If you’re not too keen on venturing far from uni, this is perfect for you.

Photo Credit: Antara Raida Huq
Photo Credit: Antara Raida Huq
Photo Credit: Faria Alam & Antara Raida Huq
Photo Credit: Faria Alam & Antara Raida Huq

Walking out of the pocket gate and after escaping Helen aunty there is one cart with a unique twist: fried rice sold by weight! At 20tk for 100 grams, you can customize your portion and pair it with BBQ chicken, wings, or shashlik priced between 20tk-60tk. It’s perfect for a quick, affordable meal, though you’ll need to stand or take it to go.  

For more variety, you can head to Food Valley. On the first floor, Robin Biryani House offers delicious khichuri, polao, and tehari meals from 60tk-120tk, with great taste and portions. The adjective is not only our words, the customers did rate it a 9.5/10.  Upstairs, Tong Dokan serves chicken fried rice (60tk) but there isn’t a lot of options to pair the rice with aside from BBQ wings (90tk/6pcs) and chicken lollipop (120tk/6pcs), which makes the accumulative price less budget-friendly. Tripti offers rice bowls priced at 130tk-150tk—good value with decent flavors. From personal experience with one of their rice bowls, the pricing felt fair given the generous portion size. While the chicken leaned slightly toward the drier side, the accompanying salad added a refreshing balance, so I think we could forgive that. A personal rating would be 8/10. Lastly, ‘Elysia Eats’ offers a diverse range of fried rice meals priced between 99tk and 250tk. Their menu includes intriguing options like Korean and Naga fried rice paired with various sides, making it an excellent spot for those looking to explore unique flavors.

Photo Credit: Faria Alam & Antara Raida Huq
Photo Credit: Antara Raida Huq
Photo Credit: Faria Alam & Antara Raida Huq
Photo Credit: Antara Raida Huq
Photo Credit: Faria Alam & Antara Raida Huq
Photo Credit: Faria Alam & Antara Raida Huq

But if you are an old school person who is craving to eat in the traditional way, cross Food valley to enter “Khushbu”  in the new chipichapa to get served an earthen plate-load of steaming khichuri, polao or fried rice with lots of options to pair those with. Next to that we have Meat Up with a very friendly warm host who serves love on a plate in appropriate amounts and in a comfortable budget of 100/= to 200/= at most.

If you’re up for a short walk, “Jafran Khacchi House” is a crowd favorite for its flavorful beef khacchi, priced at just 140tk along with its polao, tehari and khichuri, is located just past food valley and a left followed by a right turn. It’s highly recommended if you’re craving a more traditional feast and/or to fulfill your midday khacchi cravings with a solid 9.5/10 meal. 

Photo Credit: Faria Alam & Antara Raida Huq
Photo Credit: Faria Alam & Antara Raida Huq
Photo Credit: Faria Alam & Antara Raida Huq
Photo Credit: Antara Raida Huq
Photo Credit: Faria Alam & Antara Raida Huq
Photo Credit: Antara Raida Huq

Now, shifting focus to the main gate of BracU—step out and take a short stroll to the left toward ‘Lava Java,’ and you’ll soon spot the charmingly popular ‘The Ruti Ghosh.’ This serves fried rice platters(120-199tk), khichuri packages (250-320tk), and plain rice with a variety of sides, though the prices are on the higher side (150-290tk). But if you’re in the mood to splurge, their food won’t disappoint. The rating is 9.5/10.

For a more classic vibe, ABC Restaurant is the place to be. A short walk straight from The Ruti Ghosh leads you to here, with an inviting display of snack items at the front. From plain rice to khichuri and naan, their meals are budget-friendly, tasty, homey, feel good and satisfying. Bonus: their tea is a hidden gem and a must-try.  The restaurant is rated at 8/10 but from a personal opinion, the tea itself was 10/10.

That’s the scoop on lunch spots for now. Whether you’re grabbing a quick bite or sitting down for a hearty meal, there’s something here to fit every budget and craving.

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