The backstory behind Ruchi Bangladeshi Cuisine, which opened in September on Peachtree Road border of Chamblee and Brookhaven, is an interesting one. 22-year-old owner Amit Shapta not only runs the restaurant, but he’s also a full-time student studying biology at Kennesaw State, with plans to enroll in the physician assistant program at Emory in the fall of 2019. Shapta, who came to the U.S. as a young child from Bangladesh, seems well-suited to the restaurant business. He’s a natural who works the room while wearing many hats. But the real star of Rushi is, of course, the food.
If you have never tried Bangladeshi before, you’ll find many similarities to Indian cuisine (the countries share a border, after all). Ruchi offers dishes from both nations. Indian favorites such as rich, creamy spinach and paneer cheese share the menu with garlic chili morich, a spicy, stewed Bangladeshi dish made with finely chopped green chilies, chopped tomato, garlic, and spices. Both are exceptional and a great way to warm up during chilly winter days. If you are a spice junkie, try the chicken naga morich, a fiery dish made with naga morich achaar, a pickled green chili known for its incredible heat.
The restaurant’s service is friendly, starting with the basket of warm bread they give you almost immediately after sitting down. You cannot leave without an trying an order of golden fried onion fritters, whose sweet interiors are bright yellow with turmeric. Ruchi offers a full lunch and dinner menu and a weekday lunch buffet, which is actually a great representation of the menu and a deal at $9.99. The restaurant is also on GrubHub, just in case it’s too cold to convince yourself to leave the comfort of your sofa. 4847 Peachtree Road, 678-691-9270