Announcing BAGHA Unplugged November 2010

Our first Unplugged event in June received an awesome response, with tunes that ranged from the soulful to the upbeat to the positively hilarious. It was so successful that we decided to do it again in August.

We were amazed. More than 150 people came to show their love for great music, great food and cocktails. And so, we are bringing back Unplugged for you on Thursday 11 November.

Expect three hours of music, a two-hour Happy Hour, Tex-Mex barbeque, and a midnight raffle with great prizes. This is pretty much everything you need for a good time. All you need to do is show up early to grab a seat and a table.

To make sure you can be part of the event, we suggest you pick up tickets (on sale from tonight) as soon as possible.

This Unplugged event is particularly special because it is a celebration of the annual, worldwide United Nations “Universal Children’s Day”. The JAAGO Foundation children’s charity has challenged people to organize fundraising events that will help the 280 underprivileged children at the JAAGO School in Rayer Bazar near Dhanmondi.

BAGHA Unplugged November 2010 is our answer to that challenge.

Our Unplugged events are about relaxing, singing, sharing the love of music with friends, and eating food cooked under the stars. There is no simpler, better way to enjoy life.

Don't miss BAGHA Unplugged November 2010.

~Tickets are 400 taka (BBQ separate). Funds will go to the JAAGO Foundation children’s charity.
~Show an expat club card to enter.

Learn about the next big BAGHA idea: Unplugged

In June, we hosted Colours: a film exhibition, barbeque and unplugged music event. The tunes ranged from the soulful to the upbeat to the positively hilarious. It received such a great response that we are hosting something similar again.

So, get ready for Unplugged. This time round, the music will start earlier, and the theme of the barbeque will be Tex Mex. We suggest that you arrive early (around 19:30) for a good seat, as things will get very busy very quickly.

We think we may be on to a winning formula here here. Great food. Great drink. Great music. And a worthy cause to support. If this event works out as well as the last, we will turn these unplugged music nights into regular monthly features, as the demand for this kind of chilled-out entertainment appears to be tremendous.

Once again, tickets are 400 taka (BBQ separate). Funds will go to the JAAGO Foundation children’s charity. Please help us spread the word.

18 reasons to join our European Brunch

On Friday 27 March, we will host a European Brunch downstairs from 11:00 for anyone who is welcome. The selection of food from our chefs is wonderful, and we hope you will join us for this experimental event with your friends and family. The buffet will be available from 11:00 until 2:00. Eat as much as you like for only 600 taka.

Finger foods: Baguette, Banderillas Of Pickled Onions & Olives, British Cucumber-Mint Sandwich Bites, Chilled Lettuce & Tomatoes, Platter Of Roasted Peppers, Roasted Garlic Cloves, Sun-Dried Tomatoes & Marinated Olives

Accompaniments: Olive tapenade, Lemon-Basil Pesto, Balsamic Vinegar & Olive Oil

German Potato Salad, Mediterranean Chicken Salad

Spaghetti, Stuffed Peppers, Stuffed Tomatoes

British Scones, Swiss Chocolate Truffles

Order tickets today for round two of our gourmet Sampler Dinner

Our chefs are ready for another sampler dinner! Join us on Wednesday 18 March for the chance to try out a wonderful range of dishes that will be on offer. Please purchase tickets in advance so we have an idea of how much food to prepare.

Apple, Pineapple & Mint Juice
Cheddar, Leek & Potato Soup
Crispy Green Salad With Lemon-Garlic-Mustard Vinaigrette
Potato Skins With Salsa & Cumin-Garlic Yoghurt
Jamaican-Style Jerk Chicken With Pineapple Sauce
Chocolate & Cointreau Truffles

We cannot wait.

Don't miss a chance to dine in style at our first gourmet Sampler Dinner

On Saturday 10 January, the BAGHA will host its first gourmet Sampler Dinner. Our chefs will offer a selection of wonderful new dishes that primarily comprise local, natural, fresh ingredients. The items that receive the best response will be added to our a la carte menu. Tickets are only 600 taka.

Take a look at the menu. If you are interested, get in touch with the office before Wednesday.

Apple, Pineapple & Mint Juice

Pumpkin, Lemongrass & Ginger Soup

Green Salad With Pineapple-Honey Vinaigrette

Prawns In Lime, Garlic & Coriander

Spicy Chicken Shawarma With Mint Yoghurt

Banana Spring Rolls

The wonders of the ubiquitous kebab

Last month, we hosted a Kebab Night. It was so well-received, we thought we would write an entry that includes some info from the research that we conducted in preparation for it. At the bottom of the post is the menu of kebabs that we served on the evening.

The kebab, AKA kabob, kibob, kebhav, and kephav. World famous. The term refers to a variety of meat dishes found in Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, African, Central Asian and South Asian cuisine, almost always consisting of a grilled meats served on a stick. Simple and fantastic. Generally, kebabs include lamb or beef, though others make use of goat, chicken, fish and shellfish. Due to the origins of many kebab recipes in predominantly Muslim or Jewish regions, pork kebabs are not commonplace, though they can be found, for example, throughout India.

The simplicity of roasting meat on sticks over an open fire has resulted in worldwide variations on the same basic idea, and this method of cooking most probably became vastly popular around the globe due to the relatively small amount of cooking time, preparation and energy such as fuel or oil - cubes of meat cook quickly over a small flame. Much literature points to Turkish soldiers roasting meats on their swords as the birth of the kebab, though evidence shows shish kebab being cooked in Greece as early as the 8th century BC.

What many North Americans refer to as kebab is actually shish kebab - its translation in Turkish is “skewered grill-meat - and generally consists of lamb or beef, tomatoes, capsicum and onions threaded onto a skewer, though other common vegetables include eggplant, mushrooms and pickles. Variations on the shish kebab include the Greek souvlaki, the Russian shashlik, the French brochette, the Spanish pinchito, the Southeast Asian satay, the India kathi, and the Brazilian espetinho.

And what it is commonly known in the UK and Australia as kebab is actually döner kebab - its translation in Turkish is “rotating grill-meat” - and with variations in the Greek gyro and the Middle Eastern shawarma. Döner kebab is most popularly served in pita bread with salad. Other popular kebab include the chelow kebab - meat served with saffron rice - which is the national dish of Iran, the shami lamb kebab from India, and the adana kebab, which is minced lamb served on pita with onions. Today, though, we’ll be serving you worldwide variations on the shish kebab with some wonderful accompaniments.

Pork French Brochette With Baguette

Pork Spanish Pinchitos

Mediterranean Beef Kofta With Tzatziki And Pita Bread

Indonesian Chicken Sate With Peanut Sauce And Raw Onions And Cucumbers

Indian Chicken Tikka With Mint Yoghurt And Onions In Vinegar

Turkish Beef Shish Kebab With Yoghurt And Pita Bread

Vegetable Kebab

Fruit Kebab

Because everybody loves tapas: our new snacks menu

We are proud to introduce our snacks & appetizers menu that offers a tremendous range of stuff to try while you enjoy refreshments at the bar. This is an ongoing experiment, and we are looking for your feedback. Over time, we will cut down this menu and keep the most popular items.

Next time you are at the BAGHA, ask for a copy of this new menu. Let us know what you think.

£1.10 each

vegetable platter. with thousand island or hummus

baguette with olive oil & balsamic vinegar

roasted potatoes in a basket

garlic-chilli linguini

garlic potato salad

tzatziki

fat chips

chips

£1.50 each

potato wedges

welsh rarebit

garlic olives

£2 each

hummus

bruschetta

salsa bruschetta

feta & capsicum bruschetta

mini chicken or beef pita pockets

mini kingfish fingers

mini chicken satay

shrimp cocktail

mexican shrimp cocktail

£2.50

fried prawns

batter-fried prawns

mini prawn pita pockets

kingfish cakes

lime-garlic prawns on baguette. with salsa

How our most popular restaurant item - the sizzling steak - just got even better

Our classic sizzling beef fillet is by far our most popular menu item, and with good reason. We will go so far as to say it is one of the most enjoyable meals in the city.

And to make things even better, we now offer some alternatives to the classic.

Cheddar-melt. topped with a creamy cheddar-mushroom sauce

Mexicana. topped with a chunky salsa & diced olives

Surf ‘n’ Turf. served with golden fried shrimp

Bacon & Cheddar.

The Royale. the ultimate indulgence. topped with sautéed mushrooms, garlic, onions & a creamy cheddar-mushroom sauce

All steaks are served with your choice of two sides.

baby corn, salad, sautéed onions, sautéed mushrooms, chips, jacket potato, potato salad or coleslaw

How to kick back in style at the BAGHA this September

Sometimes, you want to a change from the general Thursday night bustle. Sometimes, you just need a bacon cheeseburger in one hand & a cocktail in the other while you sit on a couch & casually contemplate the busting of moves out on the dancefloor.

And so, we bring you Kickback.

6-8 happy hour

8-10 happy hour on cocktails

DJ @ 10

steak & burger grill all night

free entry before 9 (500 taka afterwards)

dress: something blue

bring an expat club card to enter

This is a party of comfort, lounge seating, and fine food and drink at reasonable prices. This is a night to feast, to drink, to dance. Teriyaki steaks, cheddamelt steaks, lemon pesto steaks & mushroom pork steaks. Hawaiian-style burgers, bacon burgers, chilli burgers, inside-out cheeseburgers & salsa burgers. Indulge. Get here early for free entry.

Swim, eat and dance at the pool,food&musicBASH

Join us for the pool,food&musicBASH on Friday 30 May.

We will fire up the barbeque, which will serve hot dogs, burgers and shish kebabs. The food will be well-priced and cooked up quick, so come with an empty stomach.

Rapid Action Band will be on stage from 20:00, and DJ Simon will begin his set at 22:00.

Come early, come hungry, come thirsty, and bring those flipflops. Tickets are 700 taka, which comes with a free drink and a hotdog. Check out our Facebook Group page for more info.

Bring an expat club card to enter. Cheers.

Irish band Four Men & A Dog to play at the BAGHA!

Renowned Irish folk band Four Men & A Dog are flying over to perform a series of unique one-time shows, one of them here at the Club on Friday 25 April! 300 tickets are on sale for 1500 taka each, and more than half of them have already been sold, so move quick if you'd like to attend. The band will be supported by local music ensemble, Purbo Poschim, and dance troupe, Nikkon. Many thanks to HELM, Chevron, Ranks ITT and Homebound for their sponsorship of this fantastic event.

Big screens, burgers from our barbecue, and the chance to see something unprecedented here in Dhaka, and a follow-up DVD of the event! Spread the word, buy tickets soon, and be here on Friday by 19:30.

Event follow-up written on 26 May 2008...

Last Friday, the BAGHA Club hosted its largest event in years! Well-known Irish folk band Four Men & A Dog was supported by local music ensemble, Purbo Poschim (which means East-West in Bangla), and dance troupe, Nikkon. Check out the photos from the event on our Facebook.com Group page - to view them, you'll need to join Facebook, a process that takes about two minutes.

A lot of great people deserve a big pat on the back for the amount of effort they put into the preparation of the show - organizers, performers, sponsors and the Club staff all worked successfully as a great machine that enabled one of the expatriate community's most unique-ever events to come to fruition. Thank you, and congratulations.

It was, in all respects, unbelievable, and everyone left the venue on a high with recollections of an unforgettable night. Let's hope for future events that can be as special.

Coming up on Wednesday is Quiz Night, and we hope you can attend what should turn into an evening of light-hearted, relaxing fun. "Strain that brain for charity!" And on this coming Friday, we'll be hosting the first Great British Sunday Roast (on a Friday) in months, so be here then!

Buy tickets today for the 250th celebration of the Burns Supper

Join us next Friday for the annual Burns Supper, organized by the Dhaka Caledonian Society and this year hosted at the BAGHA Club. 180 tickets are available for 2500 taka each, and all proceeds go to charity. Expect some pipes and drums from the Bangladesh Rifles, followed by poetry from The Bard, a toast, a 3-course meal including haggis flown in from Scotland courtesy of British Airways, and a Scottish Ceilidh. Raffle tickets will be on sale, and you'll have the opportunity to win some truly fantastic prizes.

Tickets will be on sale from today at the BAGHA and BHC Club. Hope you can make one of the best events of the year.

Move fast for tickets to our Great British Sunday Roast (On A Friday)

1:00 to 3:00

5 pounds, 3.50 for children 12 and under

All expat club card holders welcome

Join us for another spectacular rooftop BBQ

Thursday 15 November

BBQ from 19: to 22:00
Bar closes at 1:00
4.50 pounds per person, 3 pounds for children 12 and under
Special 17:00 to 19:00 Happy Hour
All expat club card holders welcome
All-You-Can-Eat salad bar

Announcing one of Dhaka's best-kept secrets: the BAGHA rooftop BBQ

Saturday 29 September 2007

4.75, 3.25 vegetarian, 2.00 kids 12 and under

19:00 to 22:00

17:00 to 19:00 special Happy Hour

Dessert now included

Hope you can make it. All expat club card holders welcome.

Don't miss band Quarter-To's first gig

Quarter-To will play their first gig at the BAGHA on Friday 31 August.

Music starts around 20:00, finishes around 21:30.
Free entry
Gate closes at 23:00
Kitchen closes at 23:00, bar closes at midnight

Introducing the BAGHA Friday brunch

Come to the Club's first Friday Brunch of the year on 17 August. 3.75 pound all-you-can-eat, kids eat for 2.50. We will have a range of breakfast and brunch items on offer.

Cereal, yoghurts, fruits, juices, nice breads and hot menu items, including made-to-order omelettes and fried eggs. This all-you-can-eat offer will be available from 10:00 until 12:30.

We hope to turn Fridays into all-day occasions at the Club, and we think the brunch is a good way to start the mornings.

On Friday 24 August, band BlueNote will return for a candlelit evening of jazz and blues. On Friday 31 August, member Ben Snowdon and guest guitarist Isaac will perform.

Be the first to sample items on our new menu

The new restaurant menu will be launched on Wednesday 11 July. We are going with a soft launch that will last about a week, so bear with us while the cooks and waiters grow accustomed to the changes.

Some new items on offer:

Lemon & coriander hummus with lightly toasted pita bread

Spicy Mexican shrimp cocktail with Tabasco and olives

Hot roast beef & mustard sandwich on a French baguette

Cheddamelt beef fillet with fried onions

Mango & banana milkshake with vanilla ice cream

Pancakes with cinnamon-spiced apples and fresh cream

Quiz Night 2 and Italian Night both successes

Quiz Night 2 enjoyed a huge turnout, with 10 teams and somewhere between 50 to 60 participants! The next quiz will probably be scheduled for the second Wednesday of every month - so the next one is Wednesday 11 July.

Italian Night proved far more popular than the usual BBQ, with over 50 main courses sold. For only a few hundred taka, we transformed the downstairs dining area, and we think we'll just keep the candles, plants and dimmed lighting as standard. It also offered us an easy test run for future Saturday themed nights - should the next one be Mexican, Thai, Phillipino, American, French, Spanish? Let us know if you have any ideas.

Everyone loves Italian food, so...

La Bella Notte on Friday 15 September 2007

A special Italian a la carte menu will be on offer for the evening. The evening starts around 19:00, and the kitchen closes at 22:00. Space may be tight, so book a table for you and your friends beforehand (500 taka). More details are available in the office.