Yes, I am a day late, I know, hear me out though...
After getting back home yesterday I didn't have much time nor the energy to edit and sort out the pictures, let alone sit for a little "blogging" session. Hence, here were are now, this is how me and the wifey used October 1(International Coffee Day) and turned it into an International Coffee Date.
The day started at 10AM, with me heading towards the Rajarbagh bus station to pick up my wife. She was heading towards Dhaka from Khulna for a little vacation let's say, it's been a while since she's last been in Dhaka. So, after travelling over 200 kilometers in just 4 hours(which is nothing less than a miracle) I picked her up and got back home.
We did know about the date and its international "coffee occasion" as well; yet, we didn't know that Tabaq would be giving us an offer that we simply couldn't refuse. The offer was a cup of coffee for just $1 USD, only for October 1st, no takeaways or online order either.
We got the news from our Facebook feeds, thanks to a post that was shared from Tabaq's official page(Facebook still does come in handy nowadays, not a 100% useless lol). It was one hell of a deal to be honest, the usual price is around $2.50 to $3.0 USD for a top notch cup of coffee in Dhaka.
Now, most of you may already know that I absolutely love Tabaq, and luckily, so does my wife. So, you couldn't really expect us to miss out on this little "event" could you? And we had already planned on going to Tabaq within the next few days; we always come here, especially this little branch of theirs, because it is our go to "dating spot".
So why not get that little date of ours done and dusted on International Coffee Day?
After getting back home from the bus station we had lunch and decided to rest up for a while, planning to head out towards the coffee shop just before 6PM.
This place was just a few minutes away, so the distance wasn't an issue, but we were a bit worried about not getting a table.
This is still their smallest branch out of all the branches they have, it's also the first. I love the fact that even after all the success they still kept this place quite "original", the space is still the same in size, the look still holds the same vibe too. They can very much afford to relocate or at least get a bigger space on the side, but they decided not to, instead they are staying true to their roots and respecting their little home ground.
Luckily, when we got to the place only one table was taken out of the six tables that are available.
In Dhaka you have to get your timing right, or you'll be left standing in line or pushing traffic for countless hours. It's funny, a few minutes ago the place was empty, but just when the clock hit 6PM, people started rushing in; a few even had to leave because all the tables were taken.
That is what I was "hinting" towards earlier, when I talked about being present here before 6PM; because after 6PM whether it be this cafe or another, weekday or weekend, such popular cafes and restaurants are always fairly packed.
For the order we started with my current favorite, the Chicken Tikka Sandwich, paired with a new sandwich they've just added, called the Smoked Chicken Sandwich(Chicken Tikka on the left, Smoked Chicken on the right).
Both the sandwiches were good in terms of taste(as always) but the Smoked Chicken Sandwich was a bit more "fulfilling", and it had to be, because it costs about a dollar more. And to be honest, any of the sandwiches they serve here are tasty and big enough to satisfy and fill your tummy, even if you're someone who likes to eat a bit more than the average person.
After we're done with our sandwiches they serve us our coffee, the waiters here have gotten used to our little "date routine" haha.
It's like the scene from The Wolf of Wall Street, where Matthew and Leo sit down and order a streak of martinis, then they start humming away, performing some sort of a mating call for making making in the brokerage business. A crazy little scene, but funny right? Or am I the one who's crazy?
And of course, with our coffee it's either some cheesecake, a brownie, or this little beauty right here, The Ultimate Chocolate Cake.
A cake made by the chocolate Gods and sent all the way from chocolate heaven; and no, I'm not making things up, that's what really goes on behind the scenes while making this heavenly taste of chocolaty goodness. This thing is the "priciest" item out of all the things we order at Tabaq, priced just above $4 USD. However, it is also big enough to feed and satisfy two people, because that evening we both only managed to finish half of it haha.
So, we got our leftover half packed for takeaway and ordered another piece for my two younger brothers while heading back home. No way we're leaving it behind and wasting food, especially not such a heavenly treat.
Well, that's about it for our International Coffee Day. How was yours? Or are you someone who enjoys and celebrates coffee on the daily? I surely am not that hardcore when it comes to coffee or even tea, but I do have my moments.
Cheers folks. ☕️