‘Experience Jamaica’ at Yak & Yeti
Jerk Chicken, Jerk Pork, Caribbean Pepper Pot Soup, Cabbage and Salt Fish, Jamaican Juicy Patties, Potato and Mango Pick-a-Peppa are some of the exotic Jamaican dishes being served at the Sunrise Restaurant in Hotel Yak & Yeti, Durbarmarg from September 5 to 15.
The hotel is hosting the Jamaican food promotions “to take the guests on a gastronomical journey to experience the diverse flavors of the tropical Caribbean Island.”
The Piano Bar alongside is also serving all-day special snacks and cocktail menu for the period. Some of the exciting snacks on the menu are Calamari and Shrimp Fritters with Tartar Sauce, Jerk Buffalo Chicken Wings with Blue Cheese Dip, Mini Burgers with Crispy Fried Onion, along with drinks and cocktails such as Mojito Royal, Bacardi Rum Carrot Colada, Jamaican Fever, CaribbeanLicious and many more
Experiencing the rich Newari hospitality in Patan
Patan, one of UNESCO world heritage sites, is a not-to-miss place if you visit Nepal. Even Kathmandu folks go to Patan to experience the rich Newari heritage. Foreign tourists in particular have of late been fascinated by the idea of going and staying in traditional Newari homes in Patan that offer warmth, coziness and rich art. It’s good business too. They are ready to pay as much as $45-$100 a night for the rich, immersive experience of living in old, traditional homes. Rather than air conditioners, televisions and other modern amenities, these places offer a vintage experience. Tourists may come for short stay or longer for work.
A Newari house is characterized by the intricate wood carvings and brickwork, use of natural resources, welcoming atmosphere and low ceilings. Small entry doors that require guests to bend while entering signifies respect for the place they dwell.
If you are wondering where you can find a place to enjoy some quiet time and to experience living in a traditional Newari home, here are three hotels among around a dozen in the periphery of the Mangal Bazar area.
Swotha
Tucked away in a quiet neighborhood of the medieval city center, Swotha is easy to spot as it is smack-dab in Swotha chowk. Just a two-minute walk from Mangal Bazar, this bed and breakfast place offers incomparable hospitality. A beautifullyrestored 70-year-old Newari residence, there are altogether nine rooms, each with a private balcony. There is also a Swotha café which offers food and beverages in a soothing ambience. The price range of rooms is $80-$160.
The Inn Heritage Hotel
Right beside Swotha, you can enter The Inn Heritage Hotel which is another traditional Newari
boutique hotel. You enter an open private stone-paved courtyard where you can relax while having tea. This brick and timber Newari house, whose original features
have been kept intact, has been restored by conservation architect Rohit Ranjitkar. It offers 10 spacious rooms with modern amenities such as solar hot water, in-house restaurant and free wi-fi. The average room rate is $100.
Newa Chén
Just five-minute walk from Mangal Bazar, there is Newa Chén.
Even though the streets outside is full of people, as soon as you enter this beautiful tourist accommodation you will feel like you are
in a quiet home. Built during the Malla rule in Nepal, this traditional home was restored under a
UNESCO project. The Newari courtyard outside has books that one can read while sitting in a Newari arrangement. There is even a new gallery which exhibits traditional Nepali art. The prices for the eight bedrooms with personal seating areas and private suite bathrooms start at $45.
If you visit these hotels during off-season or through travel agents and websites, you can get cheaper deals. Hoteliers say they are usually fully-booked during the season, between October and March, so it is recommended that you book a room at least three months in advance. Next time you want a typical Newari home experience, you know where to go!
Photos by Pritam Chhetri
A taste of Nepal in Edinburgh
On a busy thoroughfare in the West End of Edinburgh, Scotland, is an unassuming restaurant surrounded by other, more glamorous cousins. But never judge a book by its cover. Inside is a place that is simple on the eye but anything but simple on the palette. The Khukuri at Haymarket in Edinburgh has been running since 1997. Around nine months ago the original owner retired and it came under the new management of Mukesh and Sunil Sharma. While simplifying the décor—getting rid of those cliché mountain pictures that dominate Nepali restaurants around the world—and adding even more authentic Nepali khana to the menu, there is a continuity that works well, in that the current manager also worked under the previous owner.
The Sharma brothers arrived in the UK in the 1990s, studying hospitality and web design respectively, so they understand the local as well as Nepali preferences. For them it is all about customer service and satisfaction. The person who really interested me, however, was Ramesh Kumar Shrestha, the manager.
Having come to Scotland in 2009, Shrestha spent the first month wondering what he could do in this new land. Fortunately, he came in contact with the original owner of the restaurant, who was known for helping Nepalis in Scotland. “I came here not knowing anyone but within a month I got a job at the Khukuri, where I worked for two years. I came back to the Khukuri in 2014,” explains Shrestha.
“Today, under the new management, there is definitely more customers and we are thinking of opening a second branch where we staff will have shares,” says Shrestha. “We get many Nepalis coming here—for example Gurkha soldiers who train nearby.”
Working in the Khukuri are nine other staff, seven of them Nepalis. Mukesh is studying under the restaurant’s chef to improve his knowledge of Nepali cuisine. “We are in the process of introducing sekwa and items such as channa chatpate, black dal, tare ko aloo, and lal mohan”, explains Sunil. The restaurant is sourcing saag but at the moment it is not finding exactly what it is looking for, “so are thinking of growing saag in our own small garden at the back”.
“Our customers are extremely important to us and whatever we are doing seems to be working. We are now 67th in Trip Advisor for Edinburgh, whereas before the restaurant stood at number 326th,” Mukesh chimes in. “What’s more, today we are number one among Nepali restaurants and number seven among Asian restaurants in the city.”
And, the menu? What got me to the Khukuri was the fact they have bara (Rs 450), an all-time favorite of mine, and kheer, which is something I haven’t seen in other Nepali restaurants around the globe. Momos (Rs 700) are a feature, with a momo madness day held once a month, when customers can satisfy their craving for these little packets of flavor. Other things that caught my eye were kwaanti soup (Rs 700) and chicken or lamb choyla (Rs 700).
I sampled the bara, advertised as made with ground black lentils. I was told that this did not prove popular with Nepali customers, thus the revised version comes over as a heavy bread-like pancake, which is now much loved by Nepali and non-Nepali customers alike.
I also tasted the chicken curry, with garlic nan, in their ‘Namche’ style (Rs 1,700; plenty for two people). The sauce contains jimbu and timur, again favorites of mine. I could do with more timur as I like my tongue to go numb! I was delighted to see Everest beer and Khukri rum on the drinks menu. Definitely something for the home-sick Nepali, and me!
Perfect rice place in Pokhara
Your Pokhara trip will be incomplete without at least one Thakali meal. Trust us on this. Our APEX food sleuths have found just the place to fill your soul with the best of the Nepali rice platter. Jetho Budho at Lakeside, Pokhara (first floor of the famous Oxygen Lounge building) is one of the newest eateries in the lake-city which is getting popular for its mouth-watering rice offerings.
Named after a rice called ‘jetho budho’ (the ‘king of rice’ that is locally grown in the Fewa Taal region of Pokhara), Jetho Budho is an upscale version of the many set-meal restaurants in the area. With a typical Thakali ambience created by its wooden floors and ceilings, Nepali handicrafts and paintings as well as traditional Nepali crockery, the food at Jetho Budho is gorgeously served and a treat to any connoisseur of rice, which, we guess, applies to most Nepalis.
THE MENU
Chef’s Special:
- Chicken Khana Set
- Mutton Khana Set
- Fish Khana Set
Opening hours: 10 am-10 pm
Location: Lakeside, Pokhara
Cards: Accepted
Meal for 2: Rs 1,000
Reservations: 9806717273
