Kokoda Track | Shaggy Ridge | Everest | Annapurna | Great Himalayan Trail
Borneo | Southern Africa Safari | Kilimanjaro | Morocco | Egypt Jordan Syria
Inca Empire | Italy in Spring and Autumn | Calendar | Gradings
Thamel - A Foodies Delight
 When your author first visited Kathmandu in 1979, it already had a reputation for its pie and cake shops. Most of these eateries were found in the centrally located Freak St, a hippy haven. There was a slow drift of tourists to the then, outer suburb of Thamel and the pie shops followed. Back then, Thamel consisted of private dwellings plus a few hotels, souvenir shops, used trekking equipment shops and pie shops. The lane ways were unpaved and the large block which is now the busy centre of Thamel, was rice paddy. The few Thamel restaurants were cheap and hygienically suspect. If you ordered a chicken dish, the bird in question was more than likely despatched outside the kitchen door.
By the early 80’s Nepal tourism became increasingly mainstream and Thamel grew to be the number one drawcard in Kathmandu for dining and shopping. Restaurants proliferated and improved. To this day, the intense competition has kept prices low and quality high. Walk in with $20 to spend on a couple of courses plus drinks and walk out with change.
Cuisines from around the world are represented; especially Indian, Chinese, Italian, Thai, Mexican and Continental. Pizzas are popular and wood fired ovens are common. If you want it, you can probably find it; from a simple snack of cheese cake and a cappuccino to fine French fare. There are places that specialise in a particular cuisine and others that offer a multitude of dishes from around the world. Big breakfasts are cheap and readily available so even if your accommodation arrangements are B&B, don’t be dissuaded from skipping brekkie at your hotel at least once and sampling other choices. Fancy a beef steak? Forget it. Nepal is a predominantly Hindu country so it’s against the law to slaughter beef. That mega sized steak on your plate is buffalo meat, a tad tougher than beef, but very flavoursome. Vegetarians are well catered for; certainly better than at home. Fish? Seafood from the Bay of Bengal is flown in daily from Kolkata and Nepal’s rivers and lakes provide superb tasting fish. Let’s not forget Nepalese food. The national dish is daal bhaat – plain boiled rice, a thick lentil soup and whatever vegetables are available. This may be somewhat bland and unappetising to westerners, but purchase daal bhaat in a quality tourist restaurant and you will be served a huge, tasty meal with extra dishes like spicy pickles, fruity curd and meat of your choice.
Kathmandu’s clear weather during the tourist season allows roof-top and balcony dining which lends a festive atmosphere to the occasion. So look forward to some memorable eating experiences while you’re in Kathmandu. Try not to eat at the same place twice, listen to the recommendations of other travellers, check your bill, count your change, leave a tip for your hard working but low paid waiter and you’ll gain an enjoyable extra dimension to your holiday in Nepal.
Back Track recommends:
Nepalese – Thakali Kitchen. Thamel House Restaurant
Indian – Third Eye. Pilgrims Feed n’ Read (vegetarian only).
Italian – La Dolce Vita, Fire & Ice
Thai – Krua Thai, Yin Yang
Tibetan – Tashi Delek
Continental – Northfield Cafe, KC
Interested in visiting Nepal?
Back Track Adventures offers 2 organised treks in Nepal - Hidden Annapurna and Everest Base Camp & Gokyo Lakes. But don't stop there - we can help with all your travel arrangements to Nepal. Click here to contact us >
Stories about travel in Nepal
Trekking in Nepal - Annapurna vs Everest
Other Adventures in Nepal
Read client testimonials about our Nepal holidays.
|
