There aren’t that many places that provide good food at reasonable prices. But Universal Café, which has been in operation for 15 years, serves tasty food without shocking you with the cost. There is a lot on the menu—the majority of the options are Indian or Nepali dishes. The good thing is it’s also a nice place to gather for celebrations or a lazy day hang-out session with friends. It has outlets in Maharajgunj and Sukedhara in Kathmandu and Satdobato and Bagdol in Lalitpur.
Keshar Bahadur Shrestha, co-owner of the Universal Cafe, says they have a lot of regulars, and even first-time visitors compliment them on their delicious food and fast service. One of the many dishes that people like the most is their Chicken Sizzler. It comes with a steak, and a side of noodles and mixed vegetables like broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, and green beans. The sauce that is generously drizzled on top wonderfully ties all the ingredients of the dish.
It would be a mistake to skip having their Butter Naan. It’s luscious and melts in your mouth. You could order a curry from the curry section, which includes paneer, chicken, chana butter masala, and more, to enjoy with the naan.
The Spicy Chicken Wings is a must-try as well. It has a hot smoky smell to it and it’s glazed with mouth-tingling red sauce. I have to admit that the food presentation could have been better, but the marination, balanced spices, and grilled/tender texture of the meat more than make up for it. The cafe will also not let you down in terms of portion sizes.
We needed a break to finish our food so we got a chance to scan the place. There is some creative furniture in the cafe, which I thought set it apart from the other cafes. The tables are glass-topped with coffee beans below them. Those who enjoy the smell of coffee should definitely visit this cafe. You can sit indoors or outdoors depending on your mood. There are more than enough fans to keep you cool during the hot summer months.
We also tried some Nepali food. We found it difficult to choose a dish to select since there were many options. Eventually, we decided on Chicken Sekuwa and Mutton Taas. The sekuwa was amazing, but I didn’t particularly enjoy the mutton taas. It was a little salty and dry. Both dishes were served with puffed rice, fermented radish pickle, and salad. Sekuwa is often served with chiura (beaten rice), but I was glad that they had puffed rice instead. Owing to the sekuwa’s popularity among customers, Shrestha claims to have accomplished his goal of preserving the culinary heritage of Nepal.
To soothe our parched throats, they got us some wonderful summer drinks like the Lemonade Honey and Fresh Fruit Smoothie. They were both really good and just what we needed to wash down our meals.
Universal Café stands out for a few reasons. First, their service is really fast. Second, the staff is polite and none of their outlets are very noisy despite being centrally located. The music choice and the décor could have been better but that’s just personal preference, I guess. All in all, it’s a nice place to spend some time indulging in some good food. It’s also where you can go when you are famished. They will take care of you in a jiffy.
Their Specials:
- Butter Naan with curry
- Chicken Sekuwa
- Spicy Chicken Wings
