Nepali appetite

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.

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.

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.

dubai delights

this blog entry is five years in the making. five years in dubai and it's high time i feature some of the city's gastronomic delights, i call comfort food.

dubai is a great place to have a taste of everything. from biryanis to pad thais. from mandis to bibimbaps. it's a collage of delicious cuisines representing the different cultures within the city. 

where to begin. 

let's start it off with breakfast. of course. my top choice is Jones the Grocer in Sheikh Zayed road. an Australian franchise food market/cafe, that serves only the freshest. their eggs benedict and chai latte is worth waking up early for, and queuing for (it's usually packed). my fiance' had their big breakfast, with the sausages, bacon and eggs. for those who have bigger appetites.

then there's PF Chang's. my ultimate comfort food in dubai. home to my daily cravings. their dynamite shrimps. spicy chicken. mongolian beef. chicken lettuce wraps. stir fried spinach in garlic. shrimp fried  rice. are what my dreams are made of. like i said, im a sucker for asian food. their mocktails are not bad either. would have been better if they were not mock though.

as for my indian dreams, it consists of chicken biryanis, butter chicken, rogan josh and garlic naan. there's India Palace at the Walk, JBR or in Festival city, a bit high-priced but locations are convenient and ambiance is cozy. another place i feel is more authentic, and my favorite for my indian cravings, Manvaar in Karama, for Rajasthani food. 

Ravi a pakistani restaurant (satwa), popular with pakistani cabbies (a proof that their menu is authentic) is a must for everyone who wants to see (taste) the real dubai. mutton chops, chicken masala, palak paneer, roti, chicken tikka, biryani, only some of the best in their menu. 

Maria Bonita in umm suqiem is my go-to place for delish mexican food. their nachos machos (home-made tortilla chips with pinto beans, home-made guacamole, jalapenos and melted cheese), is my favorite of all nachos. the taco maya (signature dish of the chef) , two thumbs up. then theres the usual suspects, quesadilla, burrito, fajita and enchiladas. also serves non-alcoholic margaritas and pinacoladas. a charming little piece of mexico in jumeirah.

for my japanese cravings, there's Kisaku in Al Khaleej Palace hotel, Deira. voted one of the best japanese restaurants in dubai. a little pricey, but if you want quality japanese food, you have to pay top dollar. have the maki, sashimi, ebi tempura, and katsu curry. sake is a given. everything was worth every penny. 

im crazy about korean barbecues. there's something about grilling my food in front of me and eating it right there and then, and the side dishes of kimchi and salads that's appealing to me. bibimbap (rice toppings) is never missing in action in my korean meals. there's Shogun in Al Ghurair Centre and Sonamu in Asiana hotel, for only the best korean barbecue experience.

if there's a place serving the most authentic nasi goreng in town, i will sniff it out. i found Warung Betawi, a humble restaurant tucked in the streets of Karama. they serve better nasi gorengs than some of those i had in Jakarta. their nasi padang and soto betawi soup are equally good, too! hmm. now i know where im having dinner tonight.

being true to my roots, there's Barrio Fiesta in Burjuman and Max's Restaurant in Karama. personally i would rather cook filipino food if im missing home. but there's a few dishes i have to leave to the professionals. Like Barrio Fiesta's bagoong rice and kare-kare. 

best grilled chicken in dubai is from Chalet Restaurant in jumeirah beach road. the flattened chicken may be under their arabic cuisines menu, but it is most definitely perfect for my filipino palate. my perfect alternative when im craving for chicken inasal. yes, it's that good. perfect with egg fried rice and can be dipped in their garlic sauce or you can make your own concoction of soy sauce and spicy vinegar. don't stuff yourself with the free hummus and baba ghanoush just yet. you might order another piece of chicken after you've had a taste.

to celebrate dubai's traditional cuisines, there's Bait al Mandi in Murraqabat road Deira, that serves Mandi,  the traditional yemeni dish that's popular in arabian countries. it's basmati rice with either chicken or lamb, or both, cooked in spices. the way it's cooked is actually really cool. they dig a hole on the ground as their oven, the meat is suspended, and roasted, to achieve that perfect mandi-taste. you sit on the floor, use your hands and and the whole group gets to dig in to this giant plate of goodness. 

as for lebanese food, my favorite is Al Hallab. there's one in Dubai mall, overlooking the dubai fountain too, great for those visiting dubai i think. their arabic bread, first of all, amazing. hummus, tabbouleh and mixed grills, more amazing.

you can smoke some sheesha there too. but if you're in search for really good sheesha, there's Reem Al Bawadi in jumeirah road. and the ambiance there is more lively and traditional, which i love.

one more thing i love about dubai is how easy it is to find that right cup of tea. im a chai latte/masala chai/milk bubble tea person. one reason i enjoyed my trip to india and nepal so much, every corner is a masala chai possibility. but there's one place im crazy about, and im sure everyone is crazy about it too, if they sell 6,000 cups a day. Filli Cafe's saffron tea is a gem. used to be a hole-in-the-wall, now branches all over the city are popping out. we still love their no-frills branch in Al Mamzar by the Corniche.

so many reasons to eat out and enjoy the desert. im on a hunt for that perfect food encounter. i have a feeling more food hunts will be inspired by this blog. i promise not to wait for another five years to write it down though. 

cheers and love from the sandpit!