I've passed by Orchid Restaurant practically every day on my commute to and from work, and I've always been curious about trying it. 3rd Street is well known for having really good Bengali food, and I've been wanting to branch out from the same few Bengali restaurants I usually go to. Orchid didn't really move to the top of my list until recently when my friend's family flew in from Dhaka and ended up going there twice during their visit because they loved it so much. They went once for lunch and once for dinner, and after hearing them talk about it, we decided we had to give it a try.
We came in on a Saturday afternoon and were actually the only table there, which can sometimes feel like a red flag. But considering how much my friend's family from Dhaka enjoyed it, I wasn't too worried. We ordered the beef tehari, mutton rezala, green chili naan, and paneer kulcha naan.
The food took about 15-30 minutes to come out, which was totally reasonable. Everyone working there was incredibly friendly and kept checking in on us. They also made several recommendations, and you could tell there was a lot of pride in the food they were serving and sharing.
We started with the mutton rezala, which was excellent. The mutton was tender and juicy, and the stew had really nice layered spices and herbs. I had never tried rezala before, but it immediately stood out.
The beef tehari was a little more disappointing. It was slightly dry, and the beef wasn't as tender as the mutton in the rezala. They did serve biryani on the side with the rezala, which I actually thought was better than the tehari. Since I don't have much experience with tehari, I probably need to try it at more places before forming a strong opinion, but this one leaned a bit dry for my taste.
The real stars of the meal were the naans. Both the green chili naan and the paneer kulcha naan were fantastic. They came out warm and fresh from the tandoor, nice and chewy with a little crisp on the outside. The green chili naan was my favorite. It had great flavor and texture and paired really well with the rezala.
We also ordered a mango lassi on the side. It was good but not particularly memorable compared to the rest of the meal.
Overall, the experience was very positive. The staff was welcoming, the food showed a lot of care, and it felt like a great introduction to Bengali food for people who might not be familiar with it. The menu is also very approachable, with plenty of dishes and even some Indo-Chinese options, which makes it easy for newcomers to explore.
I would definitely come back, especially for the mutton rezala, and I'm excited to try more of the menu next time. I recommend going out of your way to give this place a try and sharing it with others. read more