While Bangladesh has always enjoyed a rich culinary legacy, it received another feather in its cap in 2017, when Rashedul Hasan made headlines as the first chef of Bangladeshi origin to become a finalist on the wildly popular competitive cooking show Masterchef Australia.
Having moved to Chatswood, New South Wales, Australia, in 2011, Rashedul, or “Rashie”, as he was affectionately called on the show, worked in the IT sector and played cricket for the North Sydney Bears before appearing on the Channel 10 show, and making it to the top 20.
In an earlier interview with Dhaka Tribune in 2017, he talked about the experience of being in the show, and his ‘search for his soul’ in finding his unique voice in contemporizing Bangladeshi cuisine for the global palate while still staying true to his roots.
It was only fitting that he began a brand new decade with a grand homecoming and showcasing of his culinary talent. In an exclusive tasting dinner, named Aficionado facilitated by Spacedawg Bangladesh, Rashedul got to flex those chef skills on January 9 at El Patron and on January 10 at Chows.
“I have long been toying with the idea of presenting my innovations on fine dining based on Bangladeshi flavours” Rashedul said. “There have been offers for collaboration before, but it was the organizers of the Aficionado event that gave me the confidence to go ahead, by sourcing the top quality ingredients required for such an event.”
The dinner featured six dishes that fused international fine dining with Bangladeshi flavours. When asked how he planned the menu, Rashedul replied “I focused on what really motivates me in food creations. There were 3 components: my memories and inspiration from Masterchef, incorporating Bangladeshi flavours in fine dining and my progression as a cook from a technique perspective.”
