San Diego, Mar 26 (AP/UNB) — The San Diego Zoo is preparing to say farewell to its last two giant pandas.

The zoo said Monday that 27-year-old Bai Yun (bye-yoon) and her 6-year-old son, Xaio Liwu (shyaoww-lee-woo), will depart as planned next month for China. A multiyear agreement with the Chinese is coming to an end.

April 27 is the last day pandas can be viewed by the public.

The departure will mark the first time in more than two decades that the zoo will be without the black-and-white bamboo-eating bears.

Officials couldn't immediately say when or if pandas may inhabit the zoo again.

There are still pandas at Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington, D.C., Zoo Atlanta and the Memphis Zoo.

I am so content with their food, ambiance and excellent customer service that I can’t stop myself from revisiting that place. Every time I meet my friends in Dhanmondi, this is the place I visit loyally. My friends and I ordered plenty of items which were Fried Nori Beef Tacos, Chicken Cheese Yaki, Spicy Chicken Ramen (pan fried chicken and slow boiled egg topped over fiery hot ramen soup) and Black Sesame Icecream. As promised before in my first article on Izakaya, I’ll be covering Deep Fried Nori Beef Tacos, Chicken Ramen and Black Sesame Icecream. So here they are. 

'Deep Fried Nori Beef Tacos'

I always have a soft corner for tacos, mainly for the combination of cheese and the spice. These tacos were different. Crunchy taco shell and sweet in taste because of the Beef Teriyaki filling. There was no cheese in those but I loved how it tasted so delicious without the cheese and the spice. One piece is good enough when you have ordered other items but because of its special taste, I couldn’t stop myself from having two. 

'Chicken CheeseYaki' 

To be honest, I wasn’t looking forward to this dish that much provided the fact that I knew what I wanted to order beforehand. When this dish was served, I was extremely amazed. There was not only melting cheese on the top of the grilled chicken pieces but beneath those was a layer of mashed potato. I loved how creamy and soft the mashed potato was. The staff also served an extra bowl of mashed potato on the table which was a pleasant surprise. 

'Chicken Ramen'

They serve two types of ramen – tempura and chicken. I ordered the Chicken Ramen today. The dish came with a soft-boiled egg served on it (which was missing in the tempura ramen). It was spicy, soupy and I loved the strong and intense flavour of chicken. No matter how delicious it tastes, it is quite difficult to finish it all by yourself so perfect for 2 people. 

'Black Sesame Ice cream'

Last but not the least, I ordered this for dessert. After my first visit, I looked upon Black Sesame Ice cream since I never heard of this flavoured ice cream before. It is also known as ‘Kuro Goma Ice Cream’ in Japanese which is a traditional ice cream flavor in Japan. I was expecting the ice cream color to be dark gray but to my surprise the color looked like lighter shade of violet. It tasted creamy, bitter just like dark chocolate and also nutty. I fell in love with it.

By: Marjan Rahman

Dhaka, Mar 25 (UNB) – A group art exhibition titled 'Life 2019' featuring 39 women artists will begin at Gallery Cosmos in the city’s Mohakhali New DOHS area on Tuesday.

The exhibition, dedicated to all the women of the world, will showcase 39 artworks of the 39 women artists.

Australian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Julia Niblett will inaugurate the show at Villa de Anjuman, House 115, Lane 6 of New DOHS, Mohakhali as the chief guest at 6pm while Cornelia Gautschi Holenstein will be present as a special guest.

The participating artists are Afrozaa Jamil Konka, Antara Mehrukh Azad, Asma Akber, Atia Islam Anne, Bipasha Hayat, Dilara Begum Jolly, Dilruba Latif, Elham Huq (Khuku), Fahmida Enam Kakoli, Fahmida Khatun, Fareha Zeba, Farida Zaman, Farzana Rahman Bobby, Ferdowsi Priobhashini, Halide Salam, Hazvineyi Bridget Mutasa, Ivy Zaman, Kanak Chanpa Chakma, Kuhu Plamandan, Maksuda Iqbal Nipa, Mini Karim, Nargis Poly, Nasima Haque Quenee, Nasreen Begum, Preema Nazia Andaleeb, Rahima Afroz, Rebeka Sultana, Rokeya Sultana, Rubina Akhter, Samina Nafies, Shantwana Shahrin, Shameem Subrana, Sharbari Roy Choudhury, Shulekha Chaudhury, Sohana Shahreen, Soma Surovi Jannat, Shruti Gupta Kasana, Surovi Akhter and Vinita Karim.

The exhibition will remain open from 12 noon to 8 pm every day till April 9.
 

Are you into Japanese cuisine? If yes, have you ever tried Japanese fusion food and that too in the unusual Banani/Gulshan area? Today’s write-up is about a famous restaurant in Dhanmondi. I am sure by this time most of you are already guessing the right name. Located in Dhanmondi, the name of the place is Izakaya and I would highly recommend this if you want to experiment with Japanese fusion food.

For the ones who heard the name for the first time, I am sure you must be curious about what the name ‘Izakaya’ means right ? Well according to Google it is a type of Japanese bar in which a variety of small, typically inexpensive dishes and snacks are served to accompany the alcoholic drinks. But this is not the exact set-up here in Dhaka. I must inform you that it is not a bar and it is not quite an inexpensive restaurant. So far whoever I recommended the place loved it (apart from those who dislike Japanese fusion).

Artificial ‘cherry blossom trees’

As I stepped inside Izakaya, I was greeted by cheerful staff members in Japanese. The interior made me feel like I was teleported to a different country. Filled with artificial ‘cherry blossom trees’ and minimalistic wooden furniture, the place looked so well-designed and sophisticated. It’s a place where you can dine with family and friends. We sat near the window where we enjoyed the view from Level 9. Great ambience.

Artificial ‘cherry blossom trees’

An interesting fact that I heard about Izakaya is that they conduct free sushi workshops for 10 randomly selected interested participants who register for the workshop. So far they’ve held two successful workshops and the third one will take place on March 23, 2019.

As I browsed through the menu, I knew I have to visit this place again because there were so many dishes I wanted to try. I ended up ordering Spicy Salmon Maki Rolls, Tempura Ramen, a Mango Calpis and Matcha Icecream.

The Spicy Salmon Maki Rolls were good but not the best. I liked the fact that there was crab meat also. 

’Spicy Salmon Maki Rolls’

The Ramen with two shrimp tempura was spicy, delicious, satisfying and recharging. It is quite difficult to finish the entire one so best to share it with another person.

‘Spicy Tempura Ramen’

The Mango Calpis is a mocktail which I never heard of before. It tasted like mango yogurt. The Calpis is produced by lactic acid fermentation.

‘Mango Calpis’

Later, Matcha icecream was served. I loved the distinct green color. It tasted like creamy green tea vanilla flavor but with a slightly bitter after-taste. I wish the scoop was a bit larger though. It was the perfect ending to the meal.

Homemade Matcha Icecream’

By now, I visited Izakaya at least 4 - 6 times even though I live quite far away. I would recommend you all to definitely try the crispy Fried Nori Beef Tacos, Spicy Chicken Ramen and homemade Black Sesame Ice-cream. I hope to share the review soon

By: Marjan Rahman

Dhaka , Mar 20 ( UNB) -A 12-day painting exhibition titled ‘A Way to Break Beyond’ by Salma Zakia Bristy will begin on Friday  at La Galerie  Alliance Française de Dhaka

Nilu Rawshon Murshed, Chairperson, Abinta Gallery of Fine Arts and eminent artist Kanak Chapa Chakma will attend the opening ceremony of the exhibition.

Salma Zakia Bristy was born at Cumilla, Bangladesh. She finished her BFA (Hons) from the Department Print Making, Institute of Fine Arts, University of Dhaka. She got the ‘Grand Award’ in 18th Asian Art Biennale 2018, Bangladesh, said a pres release.

The artist said the artwork ‘A way to break beyond’ is based on the children diagnosed with autism, as well as on the hope and the optimism of their parents.

The exhibition will remain open to all until Tuesday( April 2).

Visiting Hours: Monday to Thursday from 3:00pm to 9:00pm, Friday and Saturday from 9:00am to12:00 noon and 5:00pm to 8:00pm).