Nepalis love having Thakali khana. It’s our comfort food. But some restaurant’s thakali khana sets are just not good enough to leave you with that blissful feeling. Good thing that’s not the case when it comes to Cafe De Tukche Thakali in Lazimpat, Kathmandu. The place is located near the main street and I was happy to see that it was neither dusty nor noisy. Don’t get me wrong, they’re usually packed. Yet, the noise is minimal.  The restaurant is spacious. As soon as we entered, we could see that it’s spread over two floors, with separate smoking and non-smoking zones. However, I wasn’t quite happy with the seats they provided. While some of the seating areas had chairs, some had couches. The couches were a problem as it was quite difficult to eat while sitting in soft, sagging cushions that didn’t give your back much support. So, during your visit, I suggest you opt for a table with chairs.  Without a doubt, our order was Chicken Thakali Khana Set. It included chicken gravy, rice, spinach, radish pickle, chutney, vegetables, deep-fried bitter gourd, papad, salad, daal, and curd. Usually, I’m quite skeptical about the chicken gravy at  any restaurant. I don’t think it will be good. Sometimes, I have been in situations where I hardly had any good chicken pieces. But here, I was quite happy. The chicken was tender, and the gravy was delicious. Although they used a lot of spices, it was well-balanced. 

I was a bit disappointed with their vegetable gravy though. It lacked flavor and the dish actually didn’t go well with the rest of the food. Also, I found the spinach to be a little undercooked but I think that will depend on how you like your spinach. In my case, I like it a bit overcooked. If you want something different, you can also try mutton, veg, or fish thakali set. 

For folks who are looking to avoid rice, Tukche Thakali also has several options for Thakali Dhido Set. I personally prefer rice but do give it a shot if you are looking to try something new.  Not everyone prefers to start their meal with a Khana Set. For them, Tukche also offers several appetizers, both veg and non-veg. Some of my favorites were Alu Timur (potato fried with sichuan pepper), Mustang Alu, Sukuti Sadeko, and Kanchembo (buckwheat finger-chips). You can also order other items from the menu that you think will go well along with your thakali khana set.  We suggest Khutti Ko Achaar. It’s a mutton-leg served in bite size pieces, with a little bit of gravy at the bottom. The flavors were on point and I would highly recommend it. Sometimes, there is always an odd one in the group who wants to have something different and not a khana set. Fortunately, Tukche has got them covered. Not only do they serve delicious Thakali Khana Set but they also have a variety of options for other main courses. For those who enjoy a glass of drink on the side, the restaurant also has a bar. There you will find anything from cold drinks to cocktails. From what I saw, most people there preferred to have a bottle of beer. If it were me, I would go for a cocktail. It looked delicious.  Like I said before, the place is usually packed. But surprisingly, their service is quick, especially if you order a Thakali Khana Set, since that’s what’s ordered the most. Our meal was ready within 10 minutes after we placed the order. The servers are quite friendly too. They were always around in case we wanted to add more food. They were polite and the entire hospitality of the restaurant was quite admirable. Best of all, it was clean.  Their specials:

• Thakali Khana Set 

• Thakali Dhido Set

• Khutti Ko Achaar

Location: Lazimpat, Kathmandu Meal for two: Rs 1,500 Opening and closing time : 9:30 am to 10:00 pm  Contact: 01-4436990 Online payment: Accepted Parking: Available