In a previous installment of “Global Gastronomy,” I went to an Ethiopian restaurant in Little Ethiopia. Wanting to visit another restaurant in a cultural neighborhood, I decided to venture to Little Bangladesh. While technically just outside the neighborhood’s borders, nearby Aladin Sweets & Market Inc. ended up being a great introduction to Bangladeshi food.

When entering the building, you are greeted by a small Bangladeshi market. While other restaurants I’ve visited for “Global Gastronomy” have featured small markets with culturally specific products, the inventory in Aladin Sweets & Market was by far the most complete: With drinks, raw meats, spices and more all available for sale, the market is more than a novelty and truly a place where one could do their weekly shopping.

After perusing the market for a bit, Associate Managing Editor Anna Jordan and I got to ordering. With dozens of options — some vegetarian and most not — we carefully thought out our meal and took a seat on the other side of the market after finally coming to a consensus.

To drink, I ordered a bottled mango and basil seed drink. The mango flavor was quite refreshing, and I was a fan of the basil seeds, which were similar in size and texture to chia seeds and added a fun sensory experience.

The first food item we tried was the pilau rice, which was basmati rice prepared with saffron and other spices. It had a fluffy texture with a fragrant, slightly fatty but simple flavor, the perfect neutral base for combining with the protein items we ordered.

The menu had multiple flatbread options; however, I was particularly drawn to the paratha, a flaky South Asian flatbread, since the menu said it was the house specialty. I was not disappointed. The paratha was big, warm and buttery. Delicious on its own as soothing comfort food, its similarity to a large, fried flour tortilla made it perfect for pairing with other items.

The first protein we tried was the curry chicken roast. It had a soft, mild, almost sweet flavor. The chicken was bone-in, which made me nervous about how I would get the meat off, as Anna had taken the only fork. Thankfully, my worries immediately disappeared — the chicken was so tender that even my spoon was capable of separating meat from bone.

The mutton karahi unassumingly arrived at our table in its small bowl. The mutton stew inside the bowl looked yummy, but we were completely blindsided by its flavor. The moment I took a bite, I was in love.

Like the chicken, the mutton came straight off the bone. Unlike the chicken, the tender meat and complex layers of spices in the sauce danced with my taste buds. All the different flavors took my hand and guided me around the dance floor; we were like Don and Kathy, happily singing in the rain.

The two-step quickly became line dancing when the paratha and pilau rice joined the mix. The buttery softness from the pilau and the subtle flavors and fluffiness of the rice created an elaborate, elegant dance, worthy of the finest ballrooms.

Each bite I took of the mutton had me smiling — a feat very few dishes have accomplished in my life. In fact, the karahi mutton might be the single best dish I’ve eaten for “Global Gastronomy.”

Once the main courses were done, we tried the two desserts we had chosen before we sat down to eat. At the front of the store next to the cashier, there’s a counter lined with various options. These options are given numbers instead of names, likely to make it easier for non-Bangladeshis to order. We ordered No. 7 and No. 13, which we think might’ve been sandesh or burfi.

No. 7 was a small white cube with a pillar-like design on the side and a flower design on top. No. 13 was the same except in a light taupe color.

Sadly, the desserts were not our favorite. In both, the texture was soft and very crumbly, with an almost dairy flavor reminding us of cheese. No. 13 had a slightly nuttier flavor to it. With each dessert costing $4 and not reaching the bar set by the entrees, these will unfortunately be a skip on our next visit.

Nevertheless, Aladin Sweets & Market was a wonderful time. Although the desserts I tried weren’t my favorite, the food available was incredible in both flavor and price. Not including drinks and dessert, our meal came out to just over $21 for both of us, and there were leftovers.

Located on Vermont between First St. and Second St., Aladin Sweets & Market is a quick drive or bus ride away from campus. Next time you go out to eat, consider taking a trip there for a wonderful and filling Bangladeshi meal.

Pablo Rodriguez is a senior writing about international cuisine in Los Angeles in his column, “Global Gastronomy,” which runs every other Wednesday.