COVID-19 creates insecurity in the consumers mind from ordering food online. Royal Park Residence Hotel understandseveryone’s insecurity. Keeping that in mind we have taken maximum precautions to avoid any infection to our guests and staff. We have also taken necessary steps in our kitchen to deliver you the safest food possible.

We are using infrared thermometer to monitor the temperature of every guests and staff members who enter the hotel. We maintain a chart to record the temperature of each and every person who is entering the hotel. Currently, we have only 3 guests who are staying with us. They are safe and sound in the hotel.

We also maintain daily temperature chart for our skeleton staff. If their temperature is high, we will instantly send them home.The skeleton staffs are not allowed to go out for 14-21 days and their food and accommodation are provided within the hotel. Wearing masks and gloves within the hotel premises is mandatory for all the staff members.Hand washing practice is done frequently and it is applicable for all the staffs.

We have placed hand sanitizers in most places in the hotel for convenience and better reach. We are disinfecting the hotel daily for further precaution. Coming to our kitchen, all the staffs wear masks and gloves while preparing your food. The raw fruits and vegetable are being disinfected outside the hotel premises and then they are brought to the kitchen. We are using special disinfectant named “Suma Tab” to clean our vegetables and fruits properly.

We would like to stay at home safe and sound and let us bring your favourite food to your doorstep. We have taken all the precautions just to ensure the safety. At present, we just need to stick together to tackle the situation. Stay home, stay safe and order your food!

We offer various iftar items as well as delicious items from our a la carte menu.

“A Woman is like a teabag, you never know how strong she is until she gets in hot water”- Anna Eleanor Roosevelt

Throughout history, the role of women in society has ensured stability, progress, evolution and long-term development. This women’s day to show honour and admiration to our respected female figure, Royal Park Residence Hotel is inaugurating High Tea. Afternoon tea or high tea is a light meal composed of three courses- tea, sandwiches and savouries. A classic scone with clotted cream and jam or tart comes at the end with sweet pastries or muffins. Everything is bite-sized. The pastries and savouries are eaten with fingers and not cutleries. High tea time is mostly around 4 pm. The light meal is not meant to replace dinner instead to tide over until dinner.

The concept of high tea started in the 1840s and its roots can be traced in England when the Duchess of Bedford wanted a small bite between lunch and dinner. The popularity grew once she started inviting her friends over and it became a small communal gathering for the elite class. However, when the industrial revolution took place the working-class people needed a snack break in between lunch and dinner, as they were further away from their home. From there on, regardless of class division High Tea became a regular happening for all.

When tea first came from China to England between 1650s and 1660s, it was a luxury item accessible only to the upper class. Over the course of 18^th century, the cost dropped and the popularity increased among every class division. In 1791, the East India Company had to import some 15,000,000 pounds of the tea to fulfil people’s demand. Social historian John Burnett writes in Liquid Pleasures, “but they gave some palatability and variety to a monotonous diet, warmth to cold meals, and some stimulation to fatigued bodies.”

The relation among women, tea and their unlimited chitchats are never-ending. Keeping that in mind, Royal Park Residence is introducing our new branch of hospitality, High Tea, to honour womanhood. From the 18^th century tea table became precisely feminine place and space. In order to promote further and give recognition to the tradition our hotel is giving High Tea a better outlook and viewpoint.

Royal Park is one of the oldest hotels of Dhaka and they are well known for their ambience and hospitality. The exotic Sri Lankan food differentiates Royal Park from other hotels. They serve the original Sri Lankan food experience to Dhaka residents, by arranging a buffet dinner “Sri Lankan Night” every Friday night for the guests. The Executive Chef, Rajeeva Mendis says, “I enjoy my work here in Bangladesh because I represent my country by bringing the original taste of my country”. The Chef also added “some of the ingredients are not available in Bangladesh, so whenever I visit Sri Lanka I bring these ingredients with me as Royal Park wants to bring the authentic Sri Lankan flavors here in Bangladesh”.

Royal Park ensures best travelling experience with their top notch facilities. It has 66 rooms which are divided among four types of different setups. The Maldives High Commissioner Her Excellency Aishath Shaan Shakir says, “I am a regular here and the hospitality is over the roof here as always”. The hotel also has different conventional rooms, roof-top terrace with breathtaking and panoramic view of Dhaka’s skyline. It also has many facilities including high speed Wi-Fi, video conferencing support, and business center and many more.

The location of the hotel is very convenient as it is situated in Banani, which is just 20 minutes away from the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. Mr. Peter Thomas, one of the oldest guests of Royal Park said, “I am visiting this hotel since the year 2000. I really like the hospitality the hotel provide me. The suite rooms are very comfortable and spacious with good amenities. The house keeping service of this hotel is excellent. They are always there for any kind of assistance. The authority of the hotel will always get me room even if there is a limit in the rooms available”. Also the hotel is highly secured for a good stay because it’s located in the diplomatic enclave of Dhaka City. About their security, the CEO of the hotel Keerthi Weragoda says, “we spend additional half a million taka for security arrangements following the Gulshan Attack. Earlier, the amount of money was our profit margin, but now we are spending it for security purpose”.

The hotel has been holding a good reputation among their guests. Thus, they have a large group of regular visiting guest. The hotel has received a lot of awards over the years. It has been certified with Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP). This certification is given on food safety preventive system. In which, steps like manufacturing, storage and distribution of food product is scientifically analyzed for microbiological, physical and chemical hazards. The hotel is also certified with ISO 9001, 2008 version. In order to be certified to the ISO 9001 standard, a company must follow the requirements set forth in the ISO 9001 Standard. The standard is used by organizations to demonstrate their ability to consistently provide products and services that meet customer and regulatory requirements and to demonstrate continuous improvement. Soon they will also get ISO 9001, 2015 version. In 2017, it has hot the “Loved my Guests” ward with a rating of 8.3. Moreover, Royal Park Residence Hotel has also been awarded “The Luxury Boutique Hotel-Continent Winner, Asia” by the World Luxury Hotel awards at a function recently held in Lapland, Finland. At the event of 20^th anniversary of Royal Park, the CEO of the hotel Keerthi Weragoda warmly thanked all the patrons and guests of the hotel who have been with the hotel since the past 20 years.

Keerthi Weragoda, the CEO and Rajeeva Mendis, the Executive Chef of the hotel warmly welcomed all the guests. The inauguration program was attended by the High Commissioner of Sri Lanka, HE Crisanthe De Silva and the High Commissioner of Maldives, HE Aishath Shaan Shakir. Both of them relished the food and appreciated the hospitality the hotel provided.  http://m.theindependentbd.com/post/227149

In a brief interview session, the Executive Chef Rajeeva Mendis mentioned, “I think Cypriot food is uncommon in Bangladesh. We served Cypriot food here back in 2005 when I used to work here, but after I left, it was discontinued. I wanted to bring back the tradition and rejuvenate Cypriot cuisine here. I also worked in Cyprus for four years, which was another source of inspiration”. https://www.thedailystar.net/lifestyle/news-flash/news/cyprus-food-festival-1840933

While speaking to the press HE Crisanthe De Silva said; “Food is what brings different people together under one roof. Although we are frequent patrons here, this is the first time I have tried Cypriot cuisine. Sri Lankan food contains many spices but the soothing effect and the mild taste which Cypriot dishes have is a suitable change from the blend of rich spices that we are used to”.

HE Aishath Shaan Shakir also expressed similar thoughts about the food festival, “I am a regular here. Every Friday they have Sri Lankan special menu but today (Friday) they prepared something even more special. The hospitality is over the roof here as always”. https://bangladeshpost.net/posts/cypriot-cuisine-comes-to-dhaka-19717

The hotel was decorated beautifully keeping the culture and heritage of Cyprus in mind. All the staff members including the waitstaff were dressed in traditional Cypriot attire.

Cyprus is close to the Middle East and their cuisine has great impact from Greek and Turkish cultures. Ingredients like parsley, garlic and yoghurts are the essentials in most of the dishes. Hot spices are not used but Italian herbs such as mint, cardamom, arugula and estragon are extremely popular, while lamb, beef and rabbit meat are most frequently used. Tuna and sword fish are also Cypriots’ favorites.  The hotel tried to give their guests the authentic flavors of the cuisine. They served Greek style prawns with herbed couscous, lamb stew with onions, eggplants in tomato sauce and many more.

The hotel had different stations for fruits, handmade breads, appetizers, main courses and one for the desserts. The best part of this amazing festival is that the entire selection of dishes were all baked and not fried.

Along with the excellent food quality, Royal Park also maintains the highest security for their guests. http://www.newagebd.net/article/93096/cyprus-food-fest-draws-food-lovers

The hotel is renowned for their uniqueness of the food items that they serve their guests. This was an amazing experience for the residents of Dhaka to explore Cyprus cuisine. Royal Park Residence Hotel is pleased to present authentic taste of unfamiliar cuisines from around the world. It is a great opportunity for Dhaka residents to enjoy different cuisines from around the world.

When asked what the chef’s favorite dish was to eat he replied with a chuckle, “I prefer eating whatever my wife makes for me”. He added, “I am currently living here alone and I visit my family in Sri Lanka once in four months. My wife & only son are there. When I am in Sri Lanka I cook for my son and wife on weekends. In my spare time here in Bangladesh, I usually spend time with my brother-in-law, who also lives here. Apart from that, I just relax at home and go to church on Sundays.”

Chef says, “I enjoy my work here in Bangladesh because I represent my country by bringing the original taste of my country”. Royal Park has introduced Sri Lankan Night that is held every Friday night, where everyone gets a chance to taste the authentic taste of Sri Lankan cuisine. To top it off and add a touch of Sri Lankan tradition they also serve a lunch pack, which is wrapped in Banana leaf. “I always try to give a small touch of Sri Lankan cuisine in my dishes”, Chef Rajeeva adds. For instance, he serves the special crème caramel in a coconut shell.

And when asked, “What is your favorite dish to prepare?”, he replied, “My most favorite Sri Lankan dish to cook is Maharaja Bhojon, inspired by the meals of Royalties & Kings of Sri Lanka.” The dish is traditionally 36 different items which includes a number of curries of vegetables, fish, chicken and lamb and served with rice. Here at Royal Park the number of items are lesser but you’ll be left feeling like a king nonetheless after you taste Chef Rajeeva’s amazing culinary work.

He also loves to make “Hoppers”, a signature dish of Sri Lanka. It is a pancake made with rice flour, water and salt. It is also made with eggs which is known as egg hoppers. Along with hoppers chef loves making crab curry. As Sri Lanka is well known for seafood.

In fact, one of the chef’s special item of Royal Park is the crab curry. There is currently a Crab Fest is going on at The Royal Park where the Sri Lankan delicacy “Crab Curry” is the star of the show.

“My journey with Royal Park has been wonderful and I am glad that apart from sharing my knowledge of cooking I have been able to spread some love for Sri Lankan music too!” says the chef. To make work fun he sings Sri Lankan songs exchanging a few words with Bangla words and the Bengali staff has also got a grip of the song. We all try to enjoy the work we do here.

As the interview was coming to an end the Chef provided us with some valuable knowledge from his multicultural experience. He mentioned that, “I have two tips for the home cooks who are reading this article, first you must concentrate on what you are cooking and second you have to be able to eat what you are serving to others.”

It’s a warm summer morning. Here I am having a conversation with the first Sri Lankan chef in Bangladesh. His name; Chef Rajeeva Mendis. The Chef chose to study hotel management because he thought he didn’t have to study a lot and it’d be a piece of cake for him. Chef chuckles and says; “well let me tell you it wasn’t a piece of cake, it was a lot harder because I was baking the cake”.

He graduated from Ceylon Hotel School and School of Tourism in 1992, specializing in Professional Cookery and his first job was at Palm Beach Hotel in Sri Lanka as a Commis cook. From there he got the opportunity to work with a lot of great hotels and resorts.

After being asked about his frequent job change chef says, he found it hard to stick to one place for a long time. Hence he shifted jobs quite frequently initially in his career. Chef adds; “I don’t know if this trait is a blessing or a curse but I got to travel a lot for this trait of mine”. He has working experience in Dubai, Cyprus and Bangladesh alongside Sri Lanka.

Being a chef has its own privileges the chef says; “I had the opportunity to learn authentic French cuisines from Dubai, where I worked under a French supervisor. I also worked in Cyprus and travelled to Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore for different culinary events representing Sri Lankan cuisine”. Safe to say he got the first hand learning experience of different cuisines of different countries.

He also got the opportunity to work as an Executive chef for Sri Lanka Vs Australia, India Vs Sri Lanka and Sri Lanka Vs South Africa cricket matches. Throughout his career, he has been fortunate enough to work with many inspirational chefs and got to meet many celebrities too! He adds; “my all-time favorite chef has to be Gordon Ramsay, I admire his talent and I love how witty he is”.

For a person who has never stayed put in one place for long stints of time; the only place where he could stay for a long time was in Royal Park Residence Hotel, Dhaka, Bangladesh. He has been working at the Hotel for about 10 years now. Currently, he is the Resident manager and the Executive chef of the hotel. The chef thinks the reason he managed to work here for the longest period is because of the similarities of Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan culture and hospitality and the respect that he gets here. Also, most of the ingredients of Sri Lankan cuisine are available here. However, he couldn’t find a few unique ingredients like Goraka (A fruit used in Fish Ambulthiyal), King coconut and a few spices. Thus he says; “whenever I visit Sri Lanka I bring these ingredients with me as Royal Park wants to bring the authentic Sri Lankan flavors here in Bangladesh”.

Sri Lankan food habit is very similar to Bengali food habit chef says, the only difference that stands is the cooking procedure. Most of the Sri Lankan recipes are prepared using water. It is known as the cold method of cooking back in Sri Lanka. The other method, the hot method, is where they cook food in vegetable oil which is the most favored way of cooking on this part of the continent. Also, another difference is the use of spices. Majority of Sri Lankan dishes include spices, such as; curry powder, curry leaves etc. Another unique aspect of Sri Lankan cuisine would be the use of coconut & coconut milk in the dishes.

Jatra Biroti

Jatra Biroti is a 5 mins way from the Royal Park Residence Hotel. Jatra Biroti hosts a plethora of activities ranging from Dramas, Poetry to Music shows along with Musical instrument lessons. Jatra also offers Yoga and Dance lessons. The most lucrative part of these sessions are you are welcome to participate completely free of charge. So pick your days wisely.

The “Jatras” or dramas performed at Jatra Biroti are based on the actual cultural scenario and struggles of Bangladeshi people. If you are looking to spend a memorable evening and want to immerse yourself in the cultural experience of Bangladesh, then make sure to keep Jatra Biroti on your list of places to check out when visiting Dhaka

Location: 60 Kemal Ataturk Ave, Banani 1212

Get Dirty & Learn to Clay

Our second place on the list is just 15 mins walking distance from the Royal Park Residence Hotel. This place boasts a serene setting with a view of the lake and takes one away from the hustle and bustle of Dhaka. This is a place where you go to get your hands dirty!  The Clay Station offers pottery learning sessions in the studio for those keen on keeping their hands busy and try something therapeutic. It’s also a chance to learn something new on your next trip!

Location: House No 28, Road No 20, Block K., Dhaka 1213

Celebrity Gallery

The next exciting place you must visit is artist Mrinal Haque’s, “Celebrity Gallary”. This gallery consists fiberglass statues of domestic and international, fictional and real renowned people. The gallery is 15 mins richshaw ride from the Royal Park hotel.

The statues include Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, US President Donald Trump, Rabindranath Tagore, Kazi Nazrul Islam, Charlie Chaplin, Lionel Messi, Shahrukh Khan, and so many more. This gallery is also known as the Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum of Dhaka. To know more about the history and culture about Bangladesh keep “Celebrity Gallery” in your bucket list!

Location: House No. 5/A, Road No, 02 Gulshan-1, Dhaka 1212

Gulshan Lake Park

This is the perfect place to give your morning a beautiful start, or catch a leisurely stroll in the evening as the day winds down. To visit this wonderful park with a lake you have to walk a few hundred yards between rickshaw rides from Royal Park hotel. This is a park where you can turn off your ipods and listen to Bengali Rabindra Sangeet, Classic old Bangla and English songs while enjoying your walk. Speakers mounted on tall poles keeps the place vibrant. Every so often you can spy a woodpecker and parrots. The greenery and lake creates an ambience that truly takes you away from the busy city that is Dhaka. It will take you around 10-12mins, at a leisurely pace, to walk the entire park if you take the walking track of 0.93 km that circles around the lake.

The best way to explore a city is to learn about its history and culture. The places mentioned above will certainly help you to know a little bit more about Bengali culture while you enjoy your luxurious stay at The Royal Park Residence Hotel.

Location: Rd No 63, Gulshan 2. Dhaka 1212

Like elsewhere boutique hotels are also flourishing in Bangladesh. The Royal Park Residence Hotel with 66 room, in operation since 2000, in Dhaka’s diplomatic enclave is one of the early boutique hotels in Bangladesh. Royal Park Residence distinguishes itself by providing personalized attention to its clientele because it’s a boutique hotel and by definition is small in size.

Royal Park Residence is a trendy hotel located in the upscale and fashionable urban area of Dhaka city. Sri Lankan owned and managed this luxuriously appointed hotel provides superior service to its guests.

Bangladesh also has its share of boutique hotels and many such hotels are dotted around Dhaka city each having its own distinctive themes and styles.

Although there are many boutique hotels in Dhaka city but what differentiates Royal Park Residence is its uniqueness in providing an authentic Sri Lankan experience in Dhaka. It has exclusive and exotic Sri Lankan fine dining menu as well as international menu.

Royal Park Residence also provides the perfect blend of style and comfort through its unique accommodation services. It has four main types of rooms – suite room, standard twin sharing room, standard single room, superior room all of which are perfectly styled to meet the demand of any individual guests.

Royal Park Residence is also a great place where business comes together. It has a exceptionally equipped business centre and conference hall. The business centre at Royal Park Residence has a small yet useful library and also provides translation and secretarial support.

The conference hall or the Royal Ballroom provides a good amount of sitting accommodation as well as high speed Wi-Fi and fulfils other corporate requirements like exclusive dinner, video conferencing, etc.

Royal Park Residence is well known as one of the oldest boutique hotels in Dhaka not only because of its elegance and style but also because of its ability to provide exceptional comfort and service to its guests.

The highly personalized service that Royal Park Residence provides is a unique blend of its hospitality. So if you are visiting Dhaka for some time do not forget to check out Royal Park Residence for an authentic Sri Lankan experience. For more information please visit – Royal Park Residence or call +880-2-55033452/53.

Sri Lankan cuisine has a long history. They have been moulded by many historical, cultural and ethnic groups over the years. Its cuisines are a blend of tropical fruits, sea food and an abundance of spices giving it a myriad of flavours for the taste buds to relish. The influence of various spices used in its cuisine is a result of the country’s history as a spice producer and trading post over several centuries. Today some of the staple of Sri Lankan cuisine is rice, coconut and spices.

Sri Lanka was part of the spice trade route between historical civilizations in Asia, Northeast Africa and Europe. These spices found their way to the Middle East before the Christian era. The true sources of the spices were withheld by the traders and associated with fantastic tales.

Over the centuries various nations controlled the sea routes and thus the spice trade route. During the first millennium, the sea routes to Sri Lanka and India were controlled by the Ethopians. By mid 7^th century AD Arab traders dominated the maritime routes.

It is believed that rice was cultivated in the Indian subcontinent as far back as 5000 BC and is now a staple of Sri Lankan cuisine. Rice dishes in Sri Lanka comes in many varieties from Kuruluthuda a type of red rice to suwandel a type of fragrance rice used in cultural and religious ceremonies. If you happen to stay at Royal Park Residence Hotel in Dhaka, Bangladesh you are definitely going to enjoy these authentic Sri Lankan cuisines.

Some of the cuisine you shouldn’t miss for a truly Sri Lankan culinary delight for your taste buds.

Authentic Sri Lankan cuisines are unique and exotic in nature. They have been influenced by western colonizers as well as by Indian and Arab traders. Sri Lanka is a very fertile land with abundant tropical fruits, spices and vegetables all of which are essential ingredients in Sri Lankan cuisines.

The cuisines are a blend of Indian, English, Dutch, Arab, Malay and many other cultures. These multiple influences over the centuries has created a very distinctive type of cuisine that stands apart from other cuisines available in the Indian subcontinent.

Sri Lankan dishes are cooked differently in different regions of the country. In northern regions of Sri Lanka, dishes have distinctive south Indian flavours whereas in the southern regions where there is plenty of fishing villages, sea food dishes appear more prominently.

Sri Lankan food explodes with distinctive flavours both hot and mild. If you are looking for an authentic Sri Lanka experience in Dhaka, you should look no further than Royal Park Residence where you can enjoy many different curry concoctions and mouth-watering dishes.

More about Sri Lankan cuisine and the Island’s history.