Red Window

One lazy Saturday morning, I was scrolling through my Instagram feed and came across what looked like chocolate milkshake in a Mason Jar with a Profiterole on it. I’m not a huge fan of milkshake or profiterole but the Mason Jar got my attention. The hypelinked location flashed The Red Window.

Red Window

Located in the heart of Dhanmondi, this new café has already won hearts of food lovers. If you’re looking for a cozy place with delectable desserts but want to go slightly easy on the pocket, then The Red Window is the place to be.

I’ve been to the café about 5-6 times by now (give me my frequent visitor card already) and the place never fails to make me happy. The Red Window gets an A in almost everything.

The first two adjectives you’ll think of when you enter the café are cozy and homely. The interior is graceful; hint of detailing everywhere yet nothing is overdone.

First you'll encounter the mouthwatering display of cakes and cupcakes, and then as you walk ahead, you'll see a red window drawn on the wall to your left. 

As you walk in further, you'll get the feel of walking into a lavish living room with a TV hung in the center of the red wall and also with a display case of showpieces and candles.

From there on your left, are more cozy sofas and homely decorations. But if you choose to look left after entering, you'll be greeted with an old classroom feel, with its hand painted tables and chairs.

The menu offers snacks, both small and large, along with some meals and a long list of desserts and drinks.

To begin with the light bites, there are Buffalo wings, prawn tempura, poutine, fries etc.

I have had their Buffalo wings and French fries so far. The ‘Suicidal’ wings were served piping hot; with a delicious garlic mayo dip- even someone who cannot stand spicy food will lick the plate clean!

  

The Buffalo Wings, with some garlic mayo dip

When the wings (level 2) arrived they were absolutely, straight-out-of-the fryer, steaming hot.  They looked good and smelled even better.  Each piece had just the right amount of sauce coating each wing.  The sauce is thick and creamy. They really stick the wings. People who are not into spicy food, caution, when they say suicidal, they’re not joking.

I’m extremely picky when it comes to fries. They are a pure vehicle for fat and flavor and fine salt crystals: the perfect food.  The Red Window scores high with fries with me- crisp, golden, evenly cut fries sprinkled with salt and pepper and served with a dip; delicious! The fat, soft, salty steak fries with a kind of dried starch texture; I could legitimately munch on them all day.

French Fries

Moving to bigger dishes in the menu, there are rice bowls with different items like chicken basil leaf, beef basil leaf, chicken teriyaki along with grilled chicken, sandwiches, pasta, seafood and burgers. 

These are priced between Tk 200 to Tk 400.

Being a literal Bangal, I look for Bhaat almost everywhere I go. I love the fact The Red Window serves rice bowls. I tried the chicken Teriyaki rice bowl. It did not top my expectations;

  

Chicken Teriyaki  Rice Bowl with The Shakey

I have had better rice bowls in Dhaka alone. 

The green sauce served with the bowl gives the dish freshness and elevates its taste.

Their signature milkshakes, the 'Shakey', on the basis of looks aren't your ordinary, run-of-the-mill milkshakes. They come in four different flavors: Red Velvet Cheesecake, Waffelicious Peanut Butter, Chocolate Profiterole and Cookie Crush, with the price ranging from Tk 210 to Tk 280.

Chocolate Profiterole comes with a profiterole and Waffelicious is served with a waffle on top. The Shakeys look better than they taste. They’re very heavy and leave you thirstier than before; but hey, at least you get pretty photos for your Instagram!

The drink you don’t hear about is their iced tea. Its 120 taka worth of fresh iced orange drink infused with just the perfect amount of tea. It’s marvelous.

Iced Tea

Meanwhile, The Red Window’s dessert game stunningly is on point! There are cupcakes, éclair, sliced cake, brownie, soufflé, caramel pudding and a lot more for all those with a sweet tooth. They are of perfect sizes, sublime and beautiful.

The lemon cheesecake is a showstopper among all the desserts they have. It's smooth, creamy well whipped and of course with the right balance of sweetness and acidity. It looks like it has a lemon cake base but I doesn't feel like so when you put the cheesecake in your mouth. I think it needs a little thicker base of lemon cake to balance the overwhelming taste of the cream cheese.

Lemon Cheesecake 

Another indulgent treat is their chocolate tart. It’s dark, gooey and chocolate-y with just the right amount of crumbly pastry underneath. The tart is very heavy and might not suit who does not like overwhelming chocolate.
For those who believe in there is no such thing as too much chocolate, this tart is joy, this tart is everything.

Apart from their interior and their cheesecake The Red Window has me with their service. Their staff is friendly and proactive. They give approximate time for the food to arrive and actually stick to it! It’s wonderful to see that businesses have started to take customer experience seriously.

Pricing seem appropriate given you pay for the whole ‘oh this place is so cozy’ experience as well as the food. It is not cheap, I would have liked it better if I could order a meal within 200 Taka including taxes.

The Red Window is a good place for dates, for meet and greet or just to sit back enjoy a drink and a dessert or two. If I hadn’t spent all my salary money already, I’d drop by for their iced tea tomorrow! 

Written By:

Fabiha Farzin