Korai Kitchen (NO DINE-IN WITHOUT RESERVATIONS!) - Jersey City, New Jersey

Christine S.

We were lucky to be squeezed in for dinner last night due to a cancellation and had one of the most incredible dining experiences ever! Thank you so much to Nori & Nori and the team for the hospitality and delicious food. It is very clearly that Korai Kitchen is a labor of love, not to mention that the value of the quality and quantity of food was well worth more than the $90 per person in cost. So jazzed to have a new spot for takeout and date nights!

Raisa A.

My heart and belly is full after visiting korai kitchen for their feasting dine in menu (dawat dinner). There was too much food served to the point where I had to stop eating midway and have everything else packed. They are generous with their portions and the food is delicious, all home cooked by a Bengali mother herself. My favorite are the bortas and roast chicken. Will be back!

Josephine L.

Celebrated part two of a special anniversary here, and after spending years collecting digital dust on my "Restaurants to Try" list, I'm happy to say Korai Kitchen's weekend Dawat delivered.

First, it's $90pp (gone up since a few months ago). However, you get about $200+ worth of food, so it's a steal any way you look at it.

Second, when Nuri Jr says in the beginning not to fill up on rice and the courses will get bigger: LISTEN TO HER! You'll start with essentially large appetizers, that then progress to full-sized entrees, that then evolve to Auntie-sized entrees--and anyone who's ever had an Auntie cook for them knows what I mean by how big they are!

Third, the menu varies every week depending on what Chef Nuri feels like cooking (and has on hand). So you can come back multiple times and never have the same meal.

Fourth, you're encouraged to eat with your hands--that's the proper Bengali way. But cutlery is provided if you need it, and there's a never-ending supply of wet wipes.

Here's what we gorged on in Nov 2024:

- Portas (mash) sampler: Pumpkin, peanut, eggplant, potato. Not to sound like a basic b*tch, but while they were all good, the potato was the best.

- Daal with five spices: Tasty, but hard to eat with your hands, so don't be afraid to use your spoon.

- Labra: Mixed veggies with green papaya. Comforting.

- Begun Bhaja: Eggplant fritter. One of the most perfectly fried and spiced fritters I've ever had. Huge too.

- Chingrir Lotpoti: Shrimp with okra and green chilies. Perfectly flavored, though okra haters might find it hard to enjoy.

At this point, our hostess Nuri Jr announced that we still had 5 courses left (of our 8-course meal). And I died a bit because I was pretty sure we'd already had at least 5 courses (I was noting all of them), so how could we have 5 left? THE FOOD MATH AIN'T MATHING!

- Mach Bhaj: Fried rohu fish with green chilies. Another perfectly fried piece of food, but of which I could only enjoy a bite because the most was yet to come.

- Murgi roast: Roast chicken, and their most popular dish. I can see why--rarely has chicken been so tender and juicy and perfectly sauced. Oh, and cardamom reigns supreme in the spice mix, which is just the cherry on top of a perfect plate. Unfortunately, this was enough food for a village, so I could only hold down a few bites.

- Kala Bhuna: Here comes the bef in ghee, and boy is it tender!

- Chicken biryani with tuna kebab: A fantastic combo of flavorful rice and grilled fish that makes me wish I could visit Bangladesh (okay, there's nothing actually stopping me, so I should just make this happen).

- Mishti Doi: Dessert from Amma's hometown! Think solid yogurt meets cheesecake for texture, and a mildly sweet flavor that would please any palette. I didn't think I'd finish the large bowl they gave us, but lo and behold--I did. You always have room for dessert.

Oh, and they definitely pack up the courses you can't finish, so you eat what you can, then enjoy leftovers for days.

For once, the five-star reviews don't lie. Come. Just come.

Far K.

Korai Kitchen's Dawat offering is exceptional, providing a generous 8-course meal for $90, which feels worth at least double that. It's impossible to finish everything, so expect a lot of leftovers.

The food at Korai Kitchen reflects authentic Bangladeshi flavors, a cuisine often overlooked in the U.S. where Bangladeshi, Pakistani, and Indian dishes are often grouped together. Korai Kitchen, led by James Beard nominee Amma and Nur-E, serves food that captures the essence of Bangladeshi culinary traditions. The love and care in the preparation are evident in every dish.

The meal begins with a mango lassi, which pairs well with the spicier dishes. The first few courses include everyday Bangladeshi staples like bhortas (mashed vegetables or fish), daal, shrimp curry, vegetable curry, and fried fish. These are typically eaten with rice and hands, enhancing the flavor through this traditional method.

The standout dishes include murgir roast with polao, a celebratory dish with a rich, flavorful curry. The beef korma is tender and slightly spicy, perfectly complementing the polao. The meal concludes with tuna kebabs and morog polao (chicken biryani), leaving little room for dessert, but the mishti doi (sweet yogurt) is a perfect finish.

If you're in the area, be sure to book the Dawat in advance and arrive hungry. Korai Kitchen offers a rare chance to experience authentic Bangladeshi cuisine, making it an ideal introduction to this underrepresented cuisine.

Samantha P. L.

Korai kitchen is absolutely fabulous. The entire experience was fantastic. The mother/daughter team is so sweet and personable; you feel welcomed from the moment you walk through the door. We started with a small serving of mango lassi. It is BYOB but they have soda for purchase. The ambiance is very cozy and welcoming. It’s mostly tables for 2 but we saw one 4-top. The daughter is the MC for the evening and she explains the sequencing of courses that come out. The dawat menu varies from night to night, but ours was so delicious. The first 3-4 veggie courses were amazing. We started with a giant bowl of white rice and 4 different mashes: pumpkin, peanut, potato, and eggplant. You can eat with utensils but the traditional way is with your hands. We alternated through the night but ate mostly with our hands (they give you lots of wet wipes!). After that, we had a veggie curry, a shrimp curry, and a lentil soup. The depth of flavors was great. Then we had fried eggplant and fried white fish. The fried fish changed my life, I could eat that every day. The coating on both was light and just perfect Then we had chicken fritters and chicken biryani (fire), a beef course (melt in your mouth tender), and chicken roast (the peanut sauce was delectable). You end the meal with a mango lassi-esque “cheesecake” that’s sort of like a cross between Greek yogurt and custard. It wasn’t heavy and was the perfect end to the evening. The best part? You get to take leftovers too! (And you will have leftovers, it’s sooo much food). I definitely want to come back another evening for the dawat experience and I really want to try the takeout menu! I wish the owners all the best.

Katie C.

I recently had the pleasure of dining at Korai Kitchen for Amma’s Dawat, and it was an incredible experience from start to finish. We managed to book a last-minute table for this special eight-course meal, which takes place over three hours. The entire dining room is seated promptly at 8 PM, and every guest enjoys each course simultaneously, making for a wonderfully communal dining experience.

The meal began with daal and various dips with rice, followed by a flavorful pumpkin soup. We then enjoyed a series of dishes including prawns, fried fish, curry chicken, curry beef, goat biryani, and a delightful baked yogurt dessert. Each course was paired with three different types of rice, adding to the complexity and enjoyment of the meal. The menu changes weekly, offering a mix of beloved dinner staples and celebration dishes.

The highlight was definitely the chef’s daughter introducing each dish with enthusiasm and warmth. The chef herself also made a point to visit every table and was incredibly sweet. It’s BYOB, so we brought a dry white wine which paired perfectly with the meal. Everyone also gets a glass of mango lassi, which was so yummy and I would have gotten seconds.

The portion sizes were so generous—we ended up with enough leftovers for two additional meals later that week. If you’re looking for a taste of Bangladeshi cuisine in a charming and intimate setting, Korai Kitchen is a must-visit!

Toby R.

I’ve been wanting to come here for a hot minute and am so glad I finally did. You can tell they really put in the effort to make it an authentic experience. I am Bangladeshi and was looking for some food that reminded me of home. This was exactly what I was looking for. Went for take out. Tasted just like my mother’s home cooked meals. Family run. Brought the white homie and he loved it too. It was his first time trying the cuisine and was definitely a great introduction. We split a Tehari and Goat Curry each portioned for two which was the perfect amount of food for us hefty boys. We were straight grubbin OD. Would recommend Korai Kitchen to anybody wanting to try some real authentic Bangladeshi food. Very good. Onek Bhalo.

Saleena

Visiting from Toronto, my bengali friends were really excited to try out Korai Kitchen to see what all the hype was about!

For the ~10 course meal the dishes were pretty standard and good portions (lots of leftovers to take home). Note that they wait for most/ everyone to start so it's important to show up on time since it's a group dining experience, and it does take a lot of time (~2hrs). The concept of the experience is great, as they explain each of the dishes in a welcoming environment.

However value wise ($90 USD pp!) we didn't see it as worth it since the food was just ok I was very disappointed in the chicken biriyani especially (very mild on spices), and everything was on the greasy side (but that could be standard to be fair).

All in all it would be good for people who crave home cooked bengali food and don't have family or time/know how to make it themselves. And the NYC area seems to be lacking on the Bengali food scene so it's probably better from that perspective. Really sweet staff but the food was in all honestly mid, and just saying, all the other patrons weren't Bengali.

I recommend giving it a go if you want to try something different, but definitely order from the takeout menu (it's A LOT more affordable)!