[Ofunato] Bangladeshi chef gives you energy with curry

Excerpt from Iwate Nippo, March 28, 2011

On the 27th, members of the Tokyo-based NPO "Asian People's Friendship Society" (representative: Jotaro Kato) served curry rice at the Suezakichu evacuation shelter in Ofunato City. The heartfelt lunch soothed the victims for a while.
The visit included Kato and two other Bangladeshi restaurant chef Shajahan Baitalik (46) of Itabashi Ward, Tokyo.
They provided 300 servings of mild chicken coconut curry so that children and the elderly could also enjoy it. The curry was prepared in Tokyo over the course of a day, and was then cooked in two and a half hours after arriving at the school.
Shajahan and his team served up piping hot curry, encouraging the people to "eat a lot and get healthy." Some people even had seconds of the authentic curry, with its mild coconut milk flavor and spices.
Shiraishi Ikki, a fifth-grader at Suezaki Elementary School, smiled and said, "It's been a while since I've had curry. It tasted better than usual."
In response to words of gratitude from the victims, Shajahan said, "It makes me happy. There are incredible scenes everywhere. I hope I can be of some help to everyone, even if just a little."

[Photo: Shajahan Baitalik (left) serving piping hot curry at Suezaki Junior High School in Ofunato City]