1. Can you tell us a bit about your early years?

From a very early age, I was a very lively kid. It was my childhood dream to become a cricketer, but as you can tell, that dream never led to anything. Somewhere along the way, I stumbled upon my newfound passion for food. A string of peculiar events led me to my current status as a restaurateur. You see, after completing my schooling from PlayPen and Scholastica, I enrolled in NSU for a business degree, and as soon as I was done with my 4 years of undergraduate studies, I moved to London for an MBA. Having been a pampered child, the years of my life that I spent in the UK alone made for quite a learning experience. While raising me, my parents always tried to ensure that I understood the value of time and money. Towards the end of my stay in London, I took a job in Uniqlo as a floor manager – not because I needed the money, but because I simply wanted to see what it felt like to hold a job. Even though I opted to stop working after 3 months, it taught me a lot of valuable lessons – knowledge which I now apply to my businesses to help to grow and sustain.

2. How did you get inspired to get into the restaurant business?

You have to realize that back in 2010, there were only a handful of popular restaurants in Dhaka, and little to no variety in cuisines. Back then, people’s idea of a night out was a simple dinner at the neighborhood Chinese restaurant (which was only Chinese in name). The idea of opening Mélange was conceived in between a friendly discussion with 3 of my friends.

Even though I lacked the experience that was required to initiate a business, my determination made up for it. After the success of Mélange, I got hooked to the restaurant business. I wanted to try and introduce many more food cultures to Bangladesh, and I did so with my following ventures.

3. We heard you also owned a food-truck. Is that true?

Yes, I did. I think we all remember the cart revolution that took our country by storm. It was during that period that I started my own cart business – Wowburger. That particular business was quite special to me – I was very involved in its day to day operations from cleaning the dishes to acting as the cashier. To me, no job is inferior – every job in its own way helps to make our society functional. Unfortunately, due to lack of time and attention on our part, our cart business slowly dwindled and eventually died off. Nonetheless, it was an amazing experience for however long it lasted.

4. Can you tell us a bit about your other restaurant ventures?

A few years after opening Mélange, I shifted my focus to introducing a multi-cuisine restaurant to Dhaka – and I realized that dream by opening Mirage. I wanted Mirage to attract a diverse set of customers and not be limited in its cuisine and quality. After Mirage, came Tokyo Express. However, keeping the tastes of our general customers in mind, we created a menu that contained a bit of something for everyone, so that at the end of the day, no one left Tokyo Express unsatisfied. We also kept the price factor in mind and tried to make our food as affordable as possible. Initially, we had started off in Banani, but soon had to move to Gulshan 2, which brought in a swarm of customers. Observing this positive response, I decided to expand to Dhanmondi, and I have further plans to take Tokyo Express to Cox’s Bazar, and maybe even across international borders, to Kolkata and Bangkok, given that Tokyo Express keeps getting the same love and support that it has been receiving for the past 4 years. With Little Korea, I had a similar aim – to try to introduce Bangladeshi people to fusion cuisines. At the end of the day, sharing the joy of food with people has always been my main objective. Aside from restaurants, I have also, invested in healthcare and education. Tooth Town (a dental care facility), located in Gulshan 1, is one of such endeavors.

5. The interiors of your restaurants feel like a lot of thought went into their designing. Were you a part of that process?

I like to think of myself as a very forward-thinking person, because back at the time when I was launching Mélange (when the restaurant business wasn’t as well settled as it is now), I knew that if there was one aspect of my restaurant that I really had to focus on, it would be the interior décor. The ambiance of a restaurant, in my opinion, is a very big factor that helps in attracting customers. I tried to associate a different type of feeling with each of my restaurants – different ambiances to represent the different cuisines of food available at each restaurant.

6. How big a role has your wife played in your success?

I met my wife through a friend when I was 32. Honestly, trying to get her to like me was the biggest challenge I’ve ever had to face in my life – I even went so far as to sing Rabindra Sangeet to her over the phone. She has brought stability to my life and has guided me to become a better human being. I cannot imagine what my life would have been without her.

7. Name 5 restaurants that you frequently visit.

Since I’m trying to watch what I eat, I have recently decreased my visits to restaurants. Nonetheless, some of the places that I can surely recommend to people are – Time Out, Bella Italia and Thai Emerald. I get my caffeine fix from North End. Being a restaurant owner myself, I feel like these places maintain a certain standard of quality that all restaurants should aim to achieve.

8. Who are the people who have created a great impact on your life?

Well, first and foremost, my parents – I would have been nothing without them. Secondly, my wife, because she had helped me to become a better version of myself. Lastly, all my business partners, who have been there by my side through all the highs and lows of my life.

9. Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?

I don’t have any definite plans – I go with the flow. Instead of planning ahead for the future, I live each day as it comes. All I ever want to be is a good human being – an honest, hardworking and kind person. That is what I want my legacy to be.