Chittagong's food is among the most distinctive in Bangladesh. The city's Chittagonian cuisine is heavier on fish, dried fish, fresh coconut and red chilli than the food of the rest of the country, and uses techniques borrowed from the Arakanese, Portuguese and Mughal traders who passed through over the centuries.
Mezban is the city's signature feast — large communal lunches built around beef, served with a thick red curry over rice. Originally a wedding and political-rally tradition, it is now also served at city restaurants. Mejbani in the GEC Circle area is one of the better mezban specialists.
Boli Khelar restaurants along the SS Khaled Road do good Chittagonian-style fish — shutki (dried-fish curries), mach bhuna (slow-fried fish) and chui jhal (whole hot prawns).
Handi Restaurant in the Agrabad commercial area is a long-standing place for Bengali-Mughlai dishes — biryani, kebabs and the local speciality of kacchi (mutton biryani layered with potatoes).
Wholesale fish market at Fishery Ghat opens before dawn and is worth visiting just to see the catch landed; the early-morning food stalls grill the freshest fish to order.
For sweets, Hazi Biryani's version of biryani is famous beyond Chittagong, and Bonny Sweets at Anderkilla makes excellent roshogolla and chom chom.