turned 28 in Nepal. definitely one for the books. ive always wanted to climb mount everest. but i still i want to live past 28, so opted for a more rational choice, fly around the everest at least. ticked that off my bucket list.
but going there, i had no clue what and where to eat. thanks to my handy lonely planet bible, my fiance' and i survived.
i kept an open mind about their food. im not fussy, and i will eat anything edible anyway. in a place like this, you can't be fussy.
Thamel is my kinda place. backpacker central, nightlife-crazy, and tourist-friendly. a version of Khao San road in Nepal. or maybe Khao San road is a version of Thamel in Thailand. regardless, my hippie-heart was at home.
probably the most popular nepali dish is the momos (dumplings). Yangling Tibetan Restaurant in Thamel area is famous for it. the chicken momos can be steamed or fried. im obsessed with dumplings so you can see how i can easily love this.
a more traditional meal in nepalese cuisine is the dal bhat (steamed rice with lentil soup). usually vegetarian, but sometimes some meat can be thrown in there. i love dal (lentil soup), don't get me wrong. i eat it even in dubai. reminds me of my all-time favorite, ginisang monggo. but for a week, i had a few dal bhat too many.
here we have dal, fried papad, fried chowmein and chicken curry. simple pleasures.
as much as i want to eat dal all week, we thought we'd mix it up and dine at the most highly regarded restaurants in the city. Yin Yang Restaurant serves up authentic thai food, by a thai chef. the ambiance is more serene than what is going on in the streets. perfect place to take a breather and have a quiet meal. and for thai food in nepal, it's actually really good.
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Koketsu, probably the only place you can get Japanese food in town, or decent Japanese food that is. right next to the Japanese embassy, that should say a lot. sushi and teppanyaki for dinner, the small restaurant was packed with businessmen and even local celebrities. probably my best meal in Nepal.
another favorite of mine is Chang Cheng Restaurant. even the chinese know that this place makes good chinese food.
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Hankook Sarang is where you satisfy your korean munchies. i had the bibimbap and bulgogi. predictable.
For a few drinks, and you know i need to have my healthy dose. Maya Cocktail Bar in Thamel is one of the most happening bars in the city. Or Pub Maya, both associated, is in close proximity. have a Gorkha or an Everest lager. im not a beer-kinda-gal but what the heck.
Himalayan Java a coffee shop/bakery is their version of Starbucks. overstayed there for a few hours while waiting for my flight. decent drinks. and there's wifi. actually most of Thamel has wifi. figures why i love that area so much.
Hotel Courtyard will always be home for us in Kathmandu. right at the heart of Thamel, makes everything accessible and yet it's tucked in an alley where you still have a quiet escape from the busy streets. The owners, Pujan and Michelle made us feel like family and they are one of the reasons we love Kathmandu so much. actually, the people of Nepal is a big reason why we love Nepal so much.
Pokhara, 8 hours rough bus ride from Kathmandu. scenic, yes. dangerous, yes. happened to be featured in world's deadliest roads. will i do it again? NO. book a ticket and fly straight there.
but is it worth it? hell yes.
Sarangkot. Annapurna ranges. Phewa lake. research first the best season to go here, to get the best view of it all. we came there during monsoon season, not my smartest moment. nevertheless, we made it worth our while.
Pokhara have less food options, since it is not as developed as Kathmandu. so most of our meals were mediocre. although they were already supposed to be the best there is. we can't complain. it was all part of the adventure.
Moondance Restaurant has become an institution in Pokhara. we loved the cool vibe there. and they have board games too! we love it there so much, stayed there on the day of my birthday.
for pasta and pizza cravings, there's La Bella Napoli.
best thing about this trip is there seems to be a bottomless supply of chai masala. every corner of the city, there's a good cup of tea waiting.
an awesome adventure, and an even more impressive food-experience. i came to nepal with no idea what to expect. i came back home not only knowing what a sherpa is, but knowing the real nepali cuisine and traditions that im not so exposed to.
i may not be able to take home the food, and the chai. but i sure can take home the memory of the smiles of the beautiful people of Nepal. raw, simple, genuine, breath-taking Nepal.
Namaste.
but going there, i had no clue what and where to eat. thanks to my handy lonely planet bible, my fiance' and i survived.
i kept an open mind about their food. im not fussy, and i will eat anything edible anyway. in a place like this, you can't be fussy.
Thamel is my kinda place. backpacker central, nightlife-crazy, and tourist-friendly. a version of Khao San road in Nepal. or maybe Khao San road is a version of Thamel in Thailand. regardless, my hippie-heart was at home.
probably the most popular nepali dish is the momos (dumplings). Yangling Tibetan Restaurant in Thamel area is famous for it. the chicken momos can be steamed or fried. im obsessed with dumplings so you can see how i can easily love this.
a more traditional meal in nepalese cuisine is the dal bhat (steamed rice with lentil soup). usually vegetarian, but sometimes some meat can be thrown in there. i love dal (lentil soup), don't get me wrong. i eat it even in dubai. reminds me of my all-time favorite, ginisang monggo. but for a week, i had a few dal bhat too many.
here we have dal, fried papad, fried chowmein and chicken curry. simple pleasures.
as much as i want to eat dal all week, we thought we'd mix it up and dine at the most highly regarded restaurants in the city. Yin Yang Restaurant serves up authentic thai food, by a thai chef. the ambiance is more serene than what is going on in the streets. perfect place to take a breather and have a quiet meal. and for thai food in nepal, it's actually really good.
.jpg)
Koketsu, probably the only place you can get Japanese food in town, or decent Japanese food that is. right next to the Japanese embassy, that should say a lot. sushi and teppanyaki for dinner, the small restaurant was packed with businessmen and even local celebrities. probably my best meal in Nepal.
another favorite of mine is Chang Cheng Restaurant. even the chinese know that this place makes good chinese food.
.jpg)
Hankook Sarang is where you satisfy your korean munchies. i had the bibimbap and bulgogi. predictable.
For a few drinks, and you know i need to have my healthy dose. Maya Cocktail Bar in Thamel is one of the most happening bars in the city. Or Pub Maya, both associated, is in close proximity. have a Gorkha or an Everest lager. im not a beer-kinda-gal but what the heck.
Himalayan Java a coffee shop/bakery is their version of Starbucks. overstayed there for a few hours while waiting for my flight. decent drinks. and there's wifi. actually most of Thamel has wifi. figures why i love that area so much.
Hotel Courtyard will always be home for us in Kathmandu. right at the heart of Thamel, makes everything accessible and yet it's tucked in an alley where you still have a quiet escape from the busy streets. The owners, Pujan and Michelle made us feel like family and they are one of the reasons we love Kathmandu so much. actually, the people of Nepal is a big reason why we love Nepal so much.
Pokhara, 8 hours rough bus ride from Kathmandu. scenic, yes. dangerous, yes. happened to be featured in world's deadliest roads. will i do it again? NO. book a ticket and fly straight there.
but is it worth it? hell yes.
Sarangkot. Annapurna ranges. Phewa lake. research first the best season to go here, to get the best view of it all. we came there during monsoon season, not my smartest moment. nevertheless, we made it worth our while.
Pokhara have less food options, since it is not as developed as Kathmandu. so most of our meals were mediocre. although they were already supposed to be the best there is. we can't complain. it was all part of the adventure.
Moondance Restaurant has become an institution in Pokhara. we loved the cool vibe there. and they have board games too! we love it there so much, stayed there on the day of my birthday.
for pasta and pizza cravings, there's La Bella Napoli.
best thing about this trip is there seems to be a bottomless supply of chai masala. every corner of the city, there's a good cup of tea waiting.
an awesome adventure, and an even more impressive food-experience. i came to nepal with no idea what to expect. i came back home not only knowing what a sherpa is, but knowing the real nepali cuisine and traditions that im not so exposed to.
i may not be able to take home the food, and the chai. but i sure can take home the memory of the smiles of the beautiful people of Nepal. raw, simple, genuine, breath-taking Nepal.
Namaste.
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