Cilantro Bangladeshi Bistro
| Address: | 1011 Kempsville Rd, Norfolk, VA 23502, USA |
| Phone: | +1 757-962-1004 |
| Site: | facebook.com |
| Rating: | 4.9 |
| Working: | 11:30AM–7PM 11:30AM–7PM 11:30AM–7PM 11:30AM–7PM 11:30AM–9PM 11:30AM–9PM Closed |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 12
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Cary Stark
This outstanding little lunch spot caught me completely off guard. Maybe it shouldnt have - it has quite a few reviews raving about the quality of both the food and the friendliness of the staff. A glance from the outside could make it easy to miss out on this unassuming, family owned restaurant. You would be doing just that, however - missing out. The man behind the counter was notably friendly and explained each dish, offering recommendations on what went well together. Not the type to enjoy Indian food often, I opted for an easier dish. Shahi chicken with polao rice, and a side of tamarind eggplant. The meal chicken flavorful, the sauce had subtle sweet tones that paired perfectly with the rice, and the eggplant was likely the best Ive had in awhile. Nothing was too heavy or overpowering. It was a perfect lunch. All in all, Im looking forward to the next time Im in this part of town. Id recommend this place to anyone.
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Robert Perrine
This little hole in the wall is a real find. A mixture of Thai and Indian food, this little café provides an international flare so rare around here where Hampton Roads ethnic restaurants leave a lot to be desired, but this mom and pop (and son) place gives my palate pure pleasure. Bangladesh is an important tea producing country, and the owner says Bangladesh tea is in the works. Driving down Kempsville Road to visit my wife at Sentara Leigh Hospital, I spotted Cilantro, place a friend had told me about, so I stopped in to get a carry out. At the hospital my wife was trying to eat hospital food while I ate Shahi Chicken, marinated in yogurt and spices. I gave her a taste, and the next day on our way home she insisted we stop in. Now my wife plans to have them cater a party. Don’t miss the Shrimp Malaikara and the Chicken Biryani; all are paired with interesting side dishes. Everything is fresh, flavorful and perfectly spiced.
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Schone23666
If you like or are willing to try Bangladeshi food, which is unique but shares some characteristics with Indian and Chinese food, then you must try this place. You will not be disappointed. The food is always cooked fresh, with fresh ingredients with much love and care and it shows. You can taste the variety of flavors in each dish, and so far my ONLY regret is that I dont have the time to try every dish whenever Im there. They also offer different items throughout the week so theres always something fun and delicious to try. The place, while small, is very clean and well maintained and is served by a very friendly, loving family who provide excellent service. Ive eaten at this place for several months now, and have never had a bad dish or a bad experience with the staff. Fantastic place!
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Austin Rahman
Really hard to critique good food. This is an excellent place for people that are both Bangladeshi and those who arent, but would love to try the delicious food. The menu is simple and straight forward, which is exactly how its suppose to be. Furthermore, the biryani which I suppose is only sold on Saturdays, is fantastic; go for the goat version ( the meat is tender, clean, and did not have a mutton smell/taste! ). My only complaint is, I wish it was bigger, but I really find myself self hard pressed to take away a star from that. The place is run by nice,hospitable and humble folks. tl;dr: Great food, get the goat biryani.
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Lisa Schulenburg
Best restaurant in Norfolk, spanning all categories. When I asked my husband where hed like to eat before leaving for a 7 month deployment, he said Cilantro. Not only is the food AMAZING, but the service seems too good to be true for such a small mom n pop sort of place. The food isnt cheap, but for the quality youre getting its a no-brainer. You really get the bang for your buck here. Theres no guess work involved with the menu, even if you cant pronounce it like myself, as everything tastes incredible. TL;DR Stop reading reviews and just go experience a fabulous meal already.
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Amanda Wilson
Shocked to find good authentic Bangladeshi cuisine in Virginia Beach. We had fried aloo (potato) chop stuffed with caramelized onions and minced beef served with housemade tamarind sauce, goat biriyani, sweet tamarind fried eggplants and freshly squeezed lemonade. Incredible food, impressive service; walked away with stuffed bellies, totally feeling the desi-Southern hospitality love. #nononsensefood #authentic #bangladeshifood #keepingitreal My favorite moment was when the owner came up to serve us, and said "Im really a physician but I do this for fun." Please dont stop!
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Jimmy Peterson
Shocked to find good authentic Bangladeshi cuisine in Virginia Beach. We had fried aloo (potato) chop stuffed with caramelized onions and minced beef served with housemade tamarind sauce, goat biriyani, sweet tamarind fried eggplants and freshly squeezed lemonade. Incredible food, impressive service; walked away with stuffed bellies, totally feeling the desi-Southern hospitality love. #nononsensefood #authentic #bangladeshifood #keepingitreal My favorite moment was when the owner came up to serve us, and said "Im really a physician but I do this for fun." Please dont stop!
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Erin McGeein
Amazing! I got the daily special, some kind of spicy bone-in chicken over rice with the daily vegetable, broccoli with potatoes. Flavors were out of this world, chicken was perfectly spicy and perfectly cooked. The place was much cleaner than anticipated and the staff was incredibly knowledgeable and friendly. Im not sure if he was the owner, but he recommended what i should get based on what I said I liked, and he was totally on point. A little on the pricier side from what I expected (about $15 for a take out lunch), but 100% worth it, and I will totally be back.
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Michael Northup
It is so hard to find good diverse food in Virginia Beach...thankfully there are hidden little gems like this place!!! The food is prepared as if you were dining in their home. Flavor was amazing and service was very warm. If you want to have some delicious food and are tired of boring restaurants, look no further! You will not be disappointed. Be sure to come on Saturdays, they have a special dish, called biryani, it was absolutely wonderful. My wife and I will definitely be back again. Highly recommended.
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K AK
Hands down best prepared eggplant Ive ever had. My belly is soo happy. This family-owned restaurant is doing everything right, from impeccable customer service to dishes made with love. As a vegan, I really appreciate this place. Its also vegetarian- and carnivore-friendly. They will explain everything on the menu with patience and a smile. Another little thing I enjoyed was dining in because the place is filled with natural lighting. You can taste the love, try this place!
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Jeffrey Landau
Reward your travel weary family from the boredom of I-95, or Rt 13/113 or I64 and detour to Cilantro for one quick AN AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS meal!!! Homemade Bangladeshi food almost cooked to order; vibrant and fragrant! I loved that the staff made recommendations and the mother came out to get special breads from the back, hot from the oven! Superb and a highlight of our trip to the OBX, even the kids plates were scraped clean! STOP IN! you wont be dissapointed!
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Bobby Jackson
This was one of the best dinners I have had in Norfolk. Our host was amazing as well. I went with a group of four other people and since everything on the menu sounded tasty, we were having trouble deciding. The host offered to bring out slightly smaller versions of everything if we were willing to share and we happily said yes. Everything tasted so good! I particularly enjoyed the jhaal beef, but seriously you will not go wrong with anything here.
