Mela Bangladeshi Cuisine will offer free takeout meals to all community members on Monday from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. in downtown Moscow.
Mela co-owner, Shaheen Khan, said she wants to give back to the community that helped her restaurant grow from a small Moscow Farmers Market vendor to the bustling business they are today that serves authentic dishes from Khan’s home country of Bangladesh.
Offerings will include butter chicken—a dish of chicken pieces in a tomato and onion-based sauce—or a vegetarian option of chickpea curry, alongside naan and rice. Khan said the restaurant’s usual side salads will not be served out of an abundance of caution to minimize spreading of germs in uncooked foods.
Employees will package up takeout portions as needed and serve them to customers, while observing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommended social distancing standards. Khan said they will be ensuring no more than 10 people, including staff, are in the courtyard at any time while maintaining six feet of space between guests.
ICYMI: Read about other businesses in Moscow offering food during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Food will be prepared in the kitchen while guests remain in Mela’s courtyard. Restaurant staff are paying extra attention to keeping surfaces sanitize, diligently using gloves and following other proper hygiene measures, Khan said.
Community members can call ahead before picking up orders or they can stop in to request a meal. Free delivery will be available to elderly and other at-risk community members who are unable to pick up meals in person. Those requesting delivery are asked to call Mela ahead of time at (208) 596-9001 to coordinate safe delivery.
Mela Bangladeshi Cuisine is located at 137 E 2nd St. in Moscow, next to Slice and Biscuit and Steam Coffee. The restaurant is open for takeout and delivery Tuesday to Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., during Idaho’s statewide shutdown of dine-in services.
Riley Haun can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @RHaunID.