Something special is brewing in Brick Lane, is the culture finally coming back to Bangla Town?

(Photo by Nik on Unsplash)

The second you walk in, the smell of sweet chai, the aroma of authentic spices, and a flashback to what ‘home’ was. A café. However, a café based in what was once called ‘Bangla Town’, was established in the heart of Brick Lane.

It’s a different Brick Lane in 2023. The close-knit community has been fading, year on year. So, when the new investors come in to place bids, and a new high-street mall is set to be built, a Bangladeshi Café was not one that was expected in this strip.

Momlette. A brunch fusion café that has a twist of English and Bengali dishes. Sonny Shah

Nawaz, 36, opened the business in June just last year with his best friend, Shubo Hussain, who have both been based in and around Brick Lane their whole life.

An English breakfast, but with a Desi twist: Instead of toast, there’s a flaky, crunchy paratha roll that combines perfectly with the creamy scrambled eggs that were infused with different spices that roll on the tongue, making you want another taste.

This café has been set to act as a ‘response’ to the gentrification of Brick Lane, to prove to the locals that they can still be themselves, and not the odd one out. If you have heard about the recent changes to this area, it may have been sparked by the protests just last year against the Truman Brewery; A company laying foundations to open a high street mall in Brick Lane; Sonny says this has been in the works for years, and its finally time to “bring the identity back”.

Changing the perception of the area is important for Sonny, as he believes many people and

businesses like Momelette, have decided that it’s not the right area anymore for financial and social reasons. It’s not been plain sailing for the Café either; Sonny describes a ‘syndicate’ within the area where people “review bomb” his business: “Fake reviews, fake prices, trying to push us out. Their only mistake is we have been here a very long time before them, and we can muster up a greater force.” That sense of togetherness is what has made Momelette gain customers, not just within the local area but across London. There is a large Bengali community in Tower Hamlets, and it is responding positively to the new café and the unique idea.

“We were emphatically advised to not do anything ‘big’ as it ‘won’t work’, and we gave it a

punt!” It’s Sonny’s first food venture but that’s not to say they don’t have big hopes for

Momlette’s future. “If we’re going to do it, we’re going to do it our way and do something

we’re proud of”. The mentality to ‘save’ Brick Lane has been growing for a while in the

community, especially after the protests over the last few years. Change equals a fear of the

unknown, and the locals don’t want to tread on that uncharted territory. “We want to reclaim

what was ours, and we are going to continue to adapt.” Sonny is an echo for how the people

who grew up in Brick Lane feel with the changes feeling like they're losing their childhood,

memories, and home.

Promoting the Bengali culture is also something that has been a catalyst for opening this café, as Sonny has seen firsthand, the struggles of Bengali businesses not just in this area, but a wider issue across England. “When our parents came to this country, instead of Bengali restaurants, they had to brand themselves as Indian just for customer's sake and to please people. That’s not us”. The food from Bangladesh is a delicacy, and even though there’s similarities to Indian culture, there's still a difference and that inch of difference is what makes it unique to Bangladesh, and why Sonny is passionate and proud of his cultural roots.

In opening a proudly Bengali cafe, Sonny and Shubo are setting a precedent, by making

themselves a pillar for this community and creating a real impact. This determination has

brought them where they are today: successful business owners. Sonny constantly reminded

me about how he grew up and saw the change to his home, right before his very eyes. “We

used to come here to eat, to do shopping, but now a lot of people feel like they can’t come here like they used to.” Sonny and his team feel like gentrification has been at the base of these issues. “We’re staying true to ourselves, and we’re not going to change to fit the narrative. It’s not going to stop us”.

It’s as if there’s a battle within this once strong community, but of course, war words may not

go very far if the investors get their way. A cold war if you will, with both sides displaying a

different sense of force. The investors have the money there, and continuously prove it, while

the local people- starting small businesses like Sonny has with Momlette- have the power of the community, and they won’t go away.

“We have something special here”.