Recommended dishes: Tamarind Eggplant, Eggplant Rice and Beans
Adam Howard
I ate here many times when i worked in the area, went to eat there today, restaurant was closed when posted hours says it should be open.... out of business?
Ranger Iradukunda
This is to suggest to customers that live by this restaurant. We saw the menu and everything is so attractive.we arrived and were met by a nice lady the one issue was that there is no AC and its a hot summer and we couldn't stay nor take out because we don't live near. It's a pretty good place for take out until they get AC going.
Chris Wood
We had not visited this place in a couple of years. It used to be wonderful. This time, we were very disappointed. The place was not clean. Since the air conditioning was broken, we got our food to go.I ordered the Bhuani chicken which was good but expensive ($18). My wife ordered the shrimp malani (?). It was extremely disappointing. First, it was $15 for a very small container. There were only four small shrimp in the dish. Secondly, the shrimp tasted horrible like it was old. We had to throw it out. It was inedibleI would not recommend Cilantro
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 4
Joan
I encourage everyone to check the most recent health inspection on the city’s website, which noted a long list of poor practices and the presence of cockroaches and rodents. Until someone new comes in and cleans this place up, I can no longer eat here. The average rating of this restaurant no longer reflects the service or food being offered.Those who ate here when it was called Cilantro may remember how great it was when it used to be managed mainly by Mr. Enver and his parents. The overall experience has declined precipitously since management changed completely several years ago. Things only got worse since they opened a franchised wings restaurant next door. I don’t think they’re very invested in this side of the restaurant anymore.They don’t maintain their posted hours. When they do have food, many items on the menu aren’t available. Prices go up as quality and consistency declines. I believe they only cook once a week at most, so getting dry rice or suspect meat isn’t unusual. They no longer serve a small kachumber salad with entrees. There’s been no explanation or apology for this change; they don’t offer anything in lieu of the salad. The building itself is poorly maintained and in disrepair. As others have mentioned, the air conditioning hasn’t worked in years. I could only speculate on what the conditions in the kitchen are like, so I looked them up with the health department today, and it’s even worse than I’d imagined.Don’t bother trying to give feedback to the staff in person—their English isn’t proficient enough to understand, and I don’t think they would really care anyway. If Enver and his family still have a financial stake in this business, maybe they’ll consider opening something similar at a different location someday. The family’s recipes are truly amazing and unique, and I’m sentimental about them, which is the only reason I’ve tried to give this place a chance year after year.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 3
Service: 1
Sabrina Harris
Great tasting, well seasoned, perfectly cooked and authentic food served in very large portions. Friendly staff. The prices are reasonable for the quality and quantity of the food. They did not have a/c so it is uncomfortably warm in the summer. It’s cafeteria style and not at all fancy. Just your basic takeout counter with a few simple tables and booths. It is clean and they had a large table for bigger families.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Shahi Chicken
Tony Swan
Simple dishes with a world of flavor. The food here is absolutely phenomenal. I'll be coming back every time I'm in the area.
LE
Food is very good. Flavors are excellent. However, post pandemic they've removed lunch pricing and specials. Also noticed you get less protein and more rice while paying more. Hope when inflation drops, they will adjust their prices down.
hawaiian_rays
We chose Bangladeshi Bistro based on ratings, it's location and to try a unique/different cuisine. We decided on take-out and went early when not very crowded, around 5 p.m. We were very pleasantly surprised with the excellent food quality. We chose two entree dishes, which came with fried rice. We ordered Jhaal Beef entree (slow cooked beef with ginger and chili) and Shrimp Malaikari (slow cooked, simmered in coconut milk with turmeric and spices). Both dishes were delicious and contrasted nicely. The beef dish was very spicy (chili made it very hot) and the Shrimp dish was on the sweeter side. Both were served with Deshi salad and Polao rice (cooked with milk fat), excellent. The rice was particularly good in that it was really cooked through very well, very soft and tasty. Photos of these dishes can be seen on-line, so we won't post photos here. We waited for the take out order and we could tell that the owner really took pride in the food. We would definitely go back there again. Yum.
Sarah Kania
Came here after I worked up an appetite at IKEA. Man was this place amazing. I’ve never had Bangladeshi food before, but now that I have I realize I’ve been missing out. I highly recommend this hole in the wall spot. Service was kind and patient too.
Very small portion and extremely overpriced. Maybe due to the inflation sigh… My veggies taste ok but my husband’s shrimp is tender but tasteless. Rice somehow tastes like very cheap floral perfume… we love spices, like Indian or authentic chinese food; But the rice here just taste very strange. A little surprised by the poor customer service too …. Overall, we are glad to check out a local eatery but we won’t be back and probably won’t recommend friends to come here…
Jon Hughes
Good people, Good food a nice place to relax and enjoy a meal.
Michelle W.
Disappointing lunch. Menu limited by almost 50% and prices super high (+$15). Lentil soup was bland, chicken had bones & shrimp sauce was broken. Best part was the rice followed by the eggplant. I would not recommend- wish I could to support the business.
M P.
A serendipitous find. The food was delish , the owner and staff delightful. Be open to their recommendations . Can't wait to go back and share the experience with others. The restaurant is about the food not so much the ambiance . veg items were outstanding
Dennis C.
This small Bangladeshi restaurant first opened in 2013 and has seen a lot of changes since my original review of 2015. New owners, who are reportedly from Bangladesh, came on board a few years ago. Two friendly staff members, one male and one female, served me during my recent visits. The word "Cilantro" has now been dropped from its name and no longer appears in its signage. It now simply reads as "Bangladeshi Bistro." Their dishes are no longer on display and served cafeteria style. They are now cooked in their kitchen after you place your order. It is now connected to another eatery by the name of American Best Wings & Sub. Parking is available directly in front of the building and on both sides of the connected eateries. There is a walkway behind the counter connecting their interiors. I have seen their staff members going back and forth between the two. A once active social media presence seems to have disappeared. Their last visible Facebook and Instagram posts appeared in March of 2018. They no longer offer their One Hit Wonders, which was the name given to many of their daily specials. It is located near the corner of Kempsville Road and Virginia Beach Boulevard on the same side as Danny's Hot Dogs, a Norfolk landmark that has been in business since 1946. There has been no air conditioning so far this summer. A fan was blowing from one side of their dining area during my recent visits. I counted enough seats for 24 diners, but I was the only one eating inside each time. An overhead menu is posted behind their counter. You order and pay at the counter, take your seat, and wait for your order to be brought to you. I have tried the following dishes during my recent visits: CHICKEN BIRYANI: "Prepared over two days. Bone-In Chicken, Polao Rice, and Exotic Spices are Sealed in a Large Pot and Steamed. Served with Deshi Salad." This dish, along with their Goat Biryani, used to be available only on Saturdays under their previous ownership. It is now an Everyday Special. Polao Rice is a ghee-laden pilaf style basmati rice that originated from Bengal. It is intensely aromatic and sports an attractive light yellow tint from the infusion of saffron and turmeric. I loved its rich buttery flavor and light flaky texture. The chicken was tender and delicious as it fell right off its bones. The Deshi Salad comes in a small plastic cup with cucumbers, tomatoes, and onions in a mix of oil and vinegar that delivers a pleasant tartness. Their original version was garnished with Bereshta (Fried Onions) but were absent from this one. Raita, an Indian yogurt sauce, is not available, but regular yogurt is available on request. Overall, their Chicken Biryani delivered a most pleasant and satisfying homemade taste experience. My Rating: 4.5 Stars. Their Polao Rice and Deshi Salad also came with the following dishes: BHUNA CHICKEN: "Spicy Chicken With Chicken & Garlic." This dish originated from Bengal and can be described as a dry curry. The sauce clings to the chicken instead of swimming in the chicken. I enjoyed its thickness of texture. This was the most flavorful dish I have tasted here to date. The spice level left my hot tooth hopping with joy. The chicken was tender and delicious. My Rating: 5 Stars. JHAAL BEEF: "Spicy Beef Tenders: Slow Cooked Beef with Ginger and Red Chilis. This is another native dish from Bangladesh. This one was a total miss. I had actually ordered the Jhaal Chicken, but apparently the counter person misunderstood me. I didn't want to waste food, so I went ahead and ate it. The beef was overcooked and fatty with a few bites being inedible. The dish left an unpleasant taste in my mouth driving home. The flavor from the ginger and the heat from chilies came through weakly. My Rating: 2 Stars. SHAHI CHICKEN: "The Royal Chicken. Marinated in Yogurt and Secret Spices. Seared in Ghee." I found the flavors of the chicken and its sauce for this one to be bland. My Rating: 3 Stars. FRESHLY SQUEEZED LIMEADE: Their version was refreshing on a hot day
Foods are good, quantity could be little better.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Tamarind Eggplant, Eggplant Rice and Beans
I ate here many times when i worked in the area, went to eat there today, restaurant was closed when posted hours says it should be open.... out of business?
This is to suggest to customers that live by this restaurant. We saw the menu and everything is so attractive.we arrived and were met by a nice lady the one issue was that there is no AC and its a hot summer and we couldn't stay nor take out because we don't live near. It's a pretty good place for take out until they get AC going.
We had not visited this place in a couple of years. It used to be wonderful. This time, we were very disappointed. The place was not clean. Since the air conditioning was broken, we got our food to go.I ordered the Bhuani chicken which was good but expensive ($18). My wife ordered the shrimp malani (?). It was extremely disappointing. First, it was $15 for a very small container. There were only four small shrimp in the dish. Secondly, the shrimp tasted horrible like it was old. We had to throw it out. It was inedibleI would not recommend Cilantro
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 4
I encourage everyone to check the most recent health inspection on the city’s website, which noted a long list of poor practices and the presence of cockroaches and rodents. Until someone new comes in and cleans this place up, I can no longer eat here. The average rating of this restaurant no longer reflects the service or food being offered.Those who ate here when it was called Cilantro may remember how great it was when it used to be managed mainly by Mr. Enver and his parents. The overall experience has declined precipitously since management changed completely several years ago. Things only got worse since they opened a franchised wings restaurant next door. I don’t think they’re very invested in this side of the restaurant anymore.They don’t maintain their posted hours. When they do have food, many items on the menu aren’t available. Prices go up as quality and consistency declines. I believe they only cook once a week at most, so getting dry rice or suspect meat isn’t unusual. They no longer serve a small kachumber salad with entrees. There’s been no explanation or apology for this change; they don’t offer anything in lieu of the salad. The building itself is poorly maintained and in disrepair. As others have mentioned, the air conditioning hasn’t worked in years. I could only speculate on what the conditions in the kitchen are like, so I looked them up with the health department today, and it’s even worse than I’d imagined.Don’t bother trying to give feedback to the staff in person—their English isn’t proficient enough to understand, and I don’t think they would really care anyway. If Enver and his family still have a financial stake in this business, maybe they’ll consider opening something similar at a different location someday. The family’s recipes are truly amazing and unique, and I’m sentimental about them, which is the only reason I’ve tried to give this place a chance year after year.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 3
Service: 1
Great tasting, well seasoned, perfectly cooked and authentic food served in very large portions. Friendly staff. The prices are reasonable for the quality and quantity of the food. They did not have a/c so it is uncomfortably warm in the summer. It’s cafeteria style and not at all fancy. Just your basic takeout counter with a few simple tables and booths. It is clean and they had a large table for bigger families.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Shahi Chicken
Simple dishes with a world of flavor. The food here is absolutely phenomenal. I'll be coming back every time I'm in the area.
Food is very good. Flavors are excellent. However, post pandemic they've removed lunch pricing and specials. Also noticed you get less protein and more rice while paying more. Hope when inflation drops, they will adjust their prices down.
We chose Bangladeshi Bistro based on ratings, it's location and to try a unique/different cuisine. We decided on take-out and went early when not very crowded, around 5 p.m. We were very pleasantly surprised with the excellent food quality. We chose two entree dishes, which came with fried rice. We ordered Jhaal Beef entree (slow cooked beef with ginger and chili) and Shrimp Malaikari (slow cooked, simmered in coconut milk with turmeric and spices). Both dishes were delicious and contrasted nicely. The beef dish was very spicy (chili made it very hot) and the Shrimp dish was on the sweeter side. Both were served with Deshi salad and Polao rice (cooked with milk fat), excellent. The rice was particularly good in that it was really cooked through very well, very soft and tasty. Photos of these dishes can be seen on-line, so we won't post photos here. We waited for the take out order and we could tell that the owner really took pride in the food. We would definitely go back there again. Yum.
Came here after I worked up an appetite at IKEA. Man was this place amazing. I’ve never had Bangladeshi food before, but now that I have I realize I’ve been missing out. I highly recommend this hole in the wall spot. Service was kind and patient too.
Restaurantji Recommends
Very small portion and extremely overpriced. Maybe due to the inflation sigh… My veggies taste ok but my husband’s shrimp is tender but tasteless. Rice somehow tastes like very cheap floral perfume… we love spices, like Indian or authentic chinese food; But the rice here just taste very strange. A little surprised by the poor customer service too …. Overall, we are glad to check out a local eatery but we won’t be back and probably won’t recommend friends to come here…
Good people, Good food a nice place to relax and enjoy a meal.
Disappointing lunch. Menu limited by almost 50% and prices super high (+$15). Lentil soup was bland, chicken had bones & shrimp sauce was broken. Best part was the rice followed by the eggplant. I would not recommend- wish I could to support the business.
A serendipitous find. The food was delish , the owner and staff delightful. Be open to their recommendations . Can't wait to go back and share the experience with others. The restaurant is about the food not so much the ambiance . veg items were outstanding
This small Bangladeshi restaurant first opened in 2013 and has seen a lot of changes since my original review of 2015. New owners, who are reportedly from Bangladesh, came on board a few years ago. Two friendly staff members, one male and one female, served me during my recent visits. The word "Cilantro" has now been dropped from its name and no longer appears in its signage. It now simply reads as "Bangladeshi Bistro." Their dishes are no longer on display and served cafeteria style. They are now cooked in their kitchen after you place your order. It is now connected to another eatery by the name of American Best Wings & Sub. Parking is available directly in front of the building and on both sides of the connected eateries. There is a walkway behind the counter connecting their interiors. I have seen their staff members going back and forth between the two. A once active social media presence seems to have disappeared. Their last visible Facebook and Instagram posts appeared in March of 2018. They no longer offer their One Hit Wonders, which was the name given to many of their daily specials. It is located near the corner of Kempsville Road and Virginia Beach Boulevard on the same side as Danny's Hot Dogs, a Norfolk landmark that has been in business since 1946. There has been no air conditioning so far this summer. A fan was blowing from one side of their dining area during my recent visits. I counted enough seats for 24 diners, but I was the only one eating inside each time. An overhead menu is posted behind their counter. You order and pay at the counter, take your seat, and wait for your order to be brought to you. I have tried the following dishes during my recent visits: CHICKEN BIRYANI: "Prepared over two days. Bone-In Chicken, Polao Rice, and Exotic Spices are Sealed in a Large Pot and Steamed. Served with Deshi Salad." This dish, along with their Goat Biryani, used to be available only on Saturdays under their previous ownership. It is now an Everyday Special. Polao Rice is a ghee-laden pilaf style basmati rice that originated from Bengal. It is intensely aromatic and sports an attractive light yellow tint from the infusion of saffron and turmeric. I loved its rich buttery flavor and light flaky texture. The chicken was tender and delicious as it fell right off its bones. The Deshi Salad comes in a small plastic cup with cucumbers, tomatoes, and onions in a mix of oil and vinegar that delivers a pleasant tartness. Their original version was garnished with Bereshta (Fried Onions) but were absent from this one. Raita, an Indian yogurt sauce, is not available, but regular yogurt is available on request. Overall, their Chicken Biryani delivered a most pleasant and satisfying homemade taste experience. My Rating: 4.5 Stars. Their Polao Rice and Deshi Salad also came with the following dishes: BHUNA CHICKEN: "Spicy Chicken With Chicken & Garlic." This dish originated from Bengal and can be described as a dry curry. The sauce clings to the chicken instead of swimming in the chicken. I enjoyed its thickness of texture. This was the most flavorful dish I have tasted here to date. The spice level left my hot tooth hopping with joy. The chicken was tender and delicious. My Rating: 5 Stars. JHAAL BEEF: "Spicy Beef Tenders: Slow Cooked Beef with Ginger and Red Chilis. This is another native dish from Bangladesh. This one was a total miss. I had actually ordered the Jhaal Chicken, but apparently the counter person misunderstood me. I didn't want to waste food, so I went ahead and ate it. The beef was overcooked and fatty with a few bites being inedible. The dish left an unpleasant taste in my mouth driving home. The flavor from the ginger and the heat from chilies came through weakly. My Rating: 2 Stars. SHAHI CHICKEN: "The Royal Chicken. Marinated in Yogurt and Secret Spices. Seared in Ghee." I found the flavors of the chicken and its sauce for this one to be bland. My Rating: 3 Stars. FRESHLY SQUEEZED LIMEADE: Their version was refreshing on a hot day