Good taste is bountiful at Bonoful
By Ian Perrotta
There’s a new restaurant in Hamtramck, and its name couldn’t be more appropriate. Bonoful – which means a bouquet of flowers in Bengali – is an artfully arranged eatery bursting with flavor.
After a year-and-a-half of planning and remodeling, the establishment opened its doors at the beginning of the month. Featuring a wide variety of Chinese-Indian specialties, Bonoful Sweets & Cafe offers patrons the opportunity to either enjoy an old favorite or try something completely new off its all-Halal menu.
The restaurant is owned and operated by MAN Enterprises, LLC, which is an acronym of the first initials of the three people who comprise the company – Mohammed Malik, Abu Bokkor and Nazmul Islam. The three men, who are all from the Sylhet region of Bangladesh but did not meet until doing business at Islam’s money transferring operation in Hamtramck, forged a friendship over their entrepreneurial bonds and common roots, and, eventually, a partnership.
Day-to-day operations are divided among the three, with Islam (who is also a Farmer’s Insurance agent) managing the business aspects while Malik and Bokkor – who each have over a decade of experience as head chefs from respectable restaurants in Troy – keep things cooking in the kitchen. Rounding out the help is a friendly staff that provides excellent table service.
On the menu there is an assortment of entrees that can suit any palette. In addition to the Indo-Chinese and Sahi Dastar Khwan Specialties, which are Chinese- and Indian-style dishes, there is a wide variety of vegetarian, seafood, Shane-E-Tandoor and even American-style entrees. A breakfast and dessert menu complements the Biryani and bread selections, and there is also a lunch buffet available from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. for just $6.99. If the great food isn’t filling enough, there are also a number of sweets cooked on-site available for purchase.
Almost as impressive as the 100-item strong menu is the exquisitely designed interior. The kitchen was built from scratch, and the dining room is one of the nicest in the area. Modeled with Middle Eastern design features, it boasts four private booths, a dozen tables and a private dining room that can accommodate up to 15 guests. An added bonus is the inclusion of plug receptacles in the private booths, which, along with free wi-fi, makes Bonoful a perfect place for a business lunch.
And if all that wasn’t enough of a good thing, if you want to tinker with the menu’s ingredients, just speak up.
“We don’t do anything pre-cooked – if you order something, it’s fresh,” says Islam. “If somebody wants to try something different, this is the place.”
Bonoful Sweets & Café is located at 12085 Conant and is open 7 days a week from 10 a.m. to midnight. It provides delivery, full dine-in service and can cater any occasion of up to 100 people. Bonoful can be reached at (313) 368-8800.
