Bangladesh's honest, hearty flavours come alive at Darun, where generations-old recipes fueled by green chillies and a spectrum of spices pay homage to a Dhaka family's household heritage.
Darun is the Klang Valley's most convenient and comfortable choice for Bangladeshi cuisine, which has its own distinct identity compared to the Indian subcontinent's other fare, including the more familiar North and South Indian and Sri Lankan favorites.
Curries are slow-cooked for hours, chicken korma emerges with a lip-smacking nuttiness, salads are tossed in Bangladesh's quintessential mustard oil.
Instead of conventional Indian biryani, try Darun's beef tehari fried rice. Also snack on Bangladesh's most beloved snacks, like the shami kebab, shingara and roti rolls.
The result is familiar but definitely different. Bangladeshi families rely on everyday ingredients, straightforward and never pretentious, for satisfyingly comforting nourishment.
Darun - which means 'great' in Bengali - stays authentically true to Bangladeshi traditions.
The brand was conceived in collaboration between a Bangladeshi national and her Malaysian partner. Recipes come from its Bangladeshi founder's family, tracing their roots to her great-grandmother. Her mother, who lives in Bangladesh, frequently travels to KL to ensure Darun's cooking is up to her strict expectations.
Even the rice is genuinely Bangladeshi. Darun relies on Chinigura, an aromatic rice cultivated in Bangladesh, customarily reserved for celebrations and special occasions.
Formerly serving the student community in Taylor's University, Darun moved in mid-2023 to GLO Damansara's COOX culinary hub, strategically between Damansara Heights and Taman Tun Dr Ismail.
Catering services are available with just two days' notice; in the past month, Darun has delighted children's parties and home celebrations, among others. Contact them at 011-1611-1824 for details.
For single-plate satisfaction, check out Darun's Beef Tehari Fried Rice (RM18.90), which packs a flavour-loaded punch with meaty morsels of two-hour slow-cooked spiced beef mingling with the rice, brilliantly tender with a mild, turmeric-forward heat, complete with a choice of fried egg, omelette or scrambled eggs.
For sharing and snacking, the Chicken Shami Kebab (RM19.90 for six pieces) is a moreish marvel - ground chicken patties infused with Darun's secret spice mix, enticingly earthy with daal flour instead of wheat flour, pan-fried to poultry perfection, tasting totally meaty for carnivorous cravings. This is also available as a single set meal at RM18.90 for three kebabs with rice, side dish and drink.
For something to munch on the move, order the Roti Roll (RM9.90) – beef, chicken or egg, ideal to pick up and eat whenever you want. The roti is created purely with flour and salt, left to rise for at least an hour before being baked to order, plumply packed with spiced tehari beef or chicken for a roll to relish and remember. A wonderful wrap, Bangladesh-style!
