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Eating Out |
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Guide > Recreation
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Kathmandu
today is well known in tourist circles for its fascinating variety
of exotic cuisine. Within Thamel alone, which is only a square
mile in area, you can have Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Thai,
French, Italian, Mexican, Russian, Tibetan foods besides Indian,
Nepali and typical Newari meals. Along with the food there are
a wide array of beverages to choose from, like the local Rakshi
(rice wine), chang (local white beer), Tongba (Tibetan alcoholic
drink), international drinks and many locally produced as well
as foreign beer. There is much to choose in the world of Tea
and coffee. There are cafés that take pride in their
special coffees. Tea and coffee are grown in Nepal.
There are
an unbelievable variety of places you can eat in. The highest
standards are maintained by the star hotels, which also have
the highest prices in the country. Here the usual fare is Continental,
Chinese, Indian and Nepali food. Most of the 5-star hotels also
have live western, Indian or Nepali music as well as cultural
dances most days of the week depending on the time of year.
Jazz is back in favour in many hotels and one well- known hotel
even hires Philippino bands during the tourist season. Then
there are high priced restaurants that specialize in Nepali
food. They will serve you in traditional Nepali style while
you sit on cushions placed on the floor Nepali fashion. The
staff is dressed in traditional Nepali attire and they usually
serve you a tiny glass of fiery Newari rice wine called Aila.
Do take only a sip at a time, as the waiter will later show
you that this drink can burn on its own. It is almost pure alcohol.
The main course is usually Daal-Bhaat (lentil and rice)
with a variety of assorted curries. While you savour your meal,
a troupe of dancers will entertain you with folk dances and
songs from different regions of Nepal. It is quite an experience
for the first time visitor.
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In tourist
areas like Thamel and Freak Street (officially Jhochen), the
restaurants are middle of the order; neither cheap nor expensive.
All kinds of food and drinks can be had here. From Vodka to
Tequila take your pick. There is even an Irish Bar that not
only serves Irish food but also takes pains to try and play
only Irish music. Food in Thamel can be good or bad depending
on your choice of restaurant. It is best to go where recommended.
Thamel is growing all the time and restaurants can be found
in the far corners of this tourist district. But there are also
cooks who don't know what they are cooking. There are a few
vegetarian restaurants among the hundreds of outlets. On certain
days of the week some of these eateries have live bands to entertain
you. Many are blues bands, others rock and some play acoustic
music while others feature Nepali folk.
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There are
many restaurants that specialize in food from a certain foreign
country. There are many Italian restaurants, which according
to tourists are up to the mark. Some are good simply because
they are run by the right people e.g. an Italian food outlet
run by an Italian is expected to have the right ingredients
and taste. There are many Thai restaurants that fly in their
spices from Bangkok to retain the Thai flavour. Substitutes
can never taste like the real thing. Restaurants, which serve
typical Russian food are run by Nepali people educated in Russia.
There are a few Japanese and Korean restaurants in town while
most restaurants serve Chinese cuisine. Restaurants serving
Newari (Newars are the indigenous people of Kathmandu valley)
food are interesting as Newars eat an astounding variety of
food especially when it comes to meat. Tongues, liver, brains
etc all find a place in the Newari kitchen. Durbar Marg is notable
for good restaurants.
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Then there
are fast food outlets and other cheaper restaurants where if
local ethnic foods are tried, the taste may be more genuine
than in the very expensive hotels. One example is the "momo",
which is never quite the same in star hotels. These have to
be tried in places frequented by the local Nepalese people.
The same holds true for Chhang or Tongba if at
all they are served in fancy restaurants. A few guidebooks will
advise you to stay away from such brews but many tourists try
them anyway. Some restaurants especially the Pizza specialists
have started home delivery service at no extra charge.
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About town
there are restaurants that advertise Ghazal music to accompany
the food. They usually feature Hindi film-tunes largely because
that is what the local customers demand. A recent development
is the proliferation of Dance restaurants, which feature skimpily
dressed girls dancing to loud (either recorded or live) music.
Their dances may not be worth watching but they do entertain
if you go by their popularity and the simultaneously dwindling
number of Ghazal restaurants.
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