Category: Food

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No Name, A big reputation built with no name

The name of the restaurant is what attracted me first.  With no name and no expectations I just had to try out this place. Despite opening its doors just a few months ago, the popularity No Name has earned in this short time is remarkable. Located at Putalisadak, right across the Share Market building, No Name boasts the classic winning café combination of the right feel, good food and reasonable price.

Unlike many of the restaurants in Putalisadak, this is not just another fast food chain located within the boring four walls of one of the busiest streets in town. No Name is an absolute delight. The exterior may not scream amazing but, hey, never judge a book by its cover. No Name has a surprisingly beautiful garden out at the back with the mini swings, slides, see-saw and rocking horse, creating a child’s oasis.

The other section of the restaurant is the terrace seating, which is the only side that is visible from the street. Spacious and comfortable with huge umbrellas to save you from the sun, the terrace is the perfect place to relax on a lazy summer day. On recommendation, we had No Name’s specials; Mukka aalu (small punched unpeeled potatoes and chili sauce), BBQ pork chops with garlic sauce and chicken wings momo.

First came the Mukka aalu. Although the sauce made the dish similar to chips chilly,   the unpeeled potato skins made the difference. The BBQ pork, smelling and looking   gorgeous was enough to make our mouths water.   The tender pork is served with rich ginger sauce with barbequed potato, asparagus and tomatoes on the side. The meat was not pink enough on the inside for me, but that did not affect the taste. This dish was a beautiful culinary experience.  The perfect blend of the sauce and the pork is enough to cuddle one’s taste buds. I could not get enough of it.  The momo stuffed chicken wings, on the other hand, was a little odd. I didn’t enjoy it as much as the other dishes, but that may be because I was already full. More enjoyment was derived from the Chinese style box it was served in.

All in all, the food was lovely and very affordable; All three dishes and a drink for Rs.745.  No Name also entertains guests with a bar and the lounge has delightful ambience which makes it the perfect place to meet your friends at the end of the day. The feel of the bar and the adjacent rooms is excellent for small parties and celebrations. Reservations are also available. No Name, has certainly earned a name in my books, check it out this summer and create a name for yourself.

 

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Junction Café : From little things big thing grow

The reason why Junction Café is more than just a chill place to hang-out is that it represents an initiative of four young men, each leading a different life but together running this quirky little café in Manbhawan, Lalitpur. Atypical to other twenty-something college kids, Sajan, Anish, Susan and Binay have started a business, and a successful one at that.  Running Junction Café this all on their own the guys exchange the roles of the cook, waiter, cashier and delivery among themselves. With limited prospects of landing their dream job in Nepal’s difficult job market, the four friends didn’t want to wait for the world to come to them. Instead they took the bold move to jump straight out into the world.

While larger, fancier restaurants were mushrooming all over Kathmandu, Junction café started off with one shutter. Yet it soon grew into a more spacious café with a kitchen out the back, making the guys the proud owners of an established and popular eatery. This is expansion was facilitated by the gutsy decision to take out a loan from a finance company. They really did then take control of their own future.

Such motivation to do their own thing stemmed from the instability and weaknesses in the current job market. A government job, explained the waiter of the day, will not go far without corruption and a job in a private sector is unfulfilling as it is a platform for rich to get richer and poor to get poorer. With the growing competition in the market, these four decided that they had to make place for themselves on their own. Instead of shoving and struggling, we find the owners quite relaxed, moving about with the sureness and enthusiasm of young business people and efficiency of old timers.

Upon entering the café you are greeted with a warm self designed interior which pulsates with love, enthusiasm and warm vibes. The menu is simple and the owners, friendly. People frequent this place for the ambience and its food. Over all, these guys have done a great job!

Outside of café life, each of the owners have different pursuits that you wouldn’t normally think correlate with that of a restauranter. Sajan Shrestha, who handles the counter and customer service is a computer enthusiast and fixes computers as a hobby. Anish Nepali, who is responsible for the cooking, is a momo specialist and a former A-division footballer for Brigade Boys Club. On the other hand, Susan Kapali, who is actually a priest (wow!), handles the delivery. Finally, Binay Nakarmi who is there for customer’s service also works at a bank as a junior assistant. They are hopeful of expanding the café and dream of running a chain of restaurants in the future.

Theirs is a simple yet inspiring story which reminds one of the saying ‘little things are little things but having faith in little things is no little thing.’ I hope the spirit that they hold now, takes them far in life. I also hope their initiative strikes a chord among the youths here: to get off that couch, get some friends, start a restaurant, start a band, start a book club, whatever it takes to make that something little bit extra special of your life.

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Lemon Tree

Located at Pokhara’s central lake side with spacious indoor and outdoor seating, Lemon Tree has the perfect ambience anyone could ask for after a long day’s sight-seeing in the beautiful lake city. It is warm and has every aspect of a complete Nepali house; made out of bamboo, hay roofs, and hanging pot plants outside. The homely, warm welcome topped off with kitsch tables decorated with red and white linen, candle light and a little vase, is matched by the equally tempting mouthwatering delicacies at this eatery.

When arriving I could have instantly devoured the sumptuous food but, as it is always exciting to know a little behind the scenes story, I sat down with Gautam Manandhar, the owner of Lemon Tree, to find out where it all began. Gautam has been in the restaurant business since he was 18 years old. Lemon Tree is one of his much successful grandeur, including ‘Jomali’ in Thamel and ‘Don’t Cross Me By’ also in Pokhara. But Lemon Tree is undeniably one of his biggest and most successful ventures.

While we sat in one of the cozy corners of the indoor restaurant and walked down memory lane with Gautam, one of his recommended dishes of the restaurant was being readied in the kitchen by the head chef, Keshab. Keshab has been the head of the kitchen for 10 years. I understood why he had lasted so long as I sampled the first dish – the fantastic, fresh fish from the lake with garlic sauce. His recipes were the heart of the restaurant. It was amazing. The aroma and presentation was enough to make my mouth water. The meat was tender and juicy with the subtle garlic sauce to compliment it. I was already full when I had gobbled up the heavenly dish, but lunch was not yet over.

The best part was left for the last. It was their very special Lassi. And trust me it was indeed very ‘special’ because I have never had one like that before and believe me when I say I have had them all; if lassi is on the menu of any restaurant, I will order it, so you should get the idea. The lassi was smooth and cool. If only I could, I would go there everyday to have the glass of heavenly goodness. And like I said before it was the best part of the lunch, especially in the scorching heat. All that in an affordable price of xxxx Rs.  What was even more appealing about the restaurant was that one did not have to wait long for their food to be served. I only had to wait for 15 minutes before my dish was on the table, steaming hot.

By the end of the whole experience, I was not only full, but satisfied too. Gautam wanted me to have more of Lemon Tree’s finest and I wanted to try them all too but I just did not have a single inch in my belly to spare for another dish. The service was great too. To sum it all, I found Lemon Tree a perfect blend of superlative food and absolutely delightful ambience.

 

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Moksh: Salvation through food, drinks and music

Moksh doesnt need any introduction. It is a brand name in itself. Established in the October of 2002, it has come a long way. Nine years since it first opened for service, the place has bettered itself with each passing year. For those who have been at this eatery know why it is one of the most happening place in town. It is indeed the perfect combination of food, drinks and music. It has become the destination for many, to spend quality time with friends.

Although, located in the premises of Gyanmandir in Jhamsikhel, Moksh actually introduces the area instead. The restaurant has a beautiful, serene garden with huge Kabanas and campfire which works equally well for either a sunny afternoon or a cold evening. During the day, the huge garden is perfect to have a cup of coffee and read a book, or even better use the internet because the restaurant has free Wi-Fi. In the evening, the place is perfect to gather around one of the campfires with some pals and enjoy barbecue.

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Moksh has a spacious indoors as well, which includes a bar and a party room. The bar gives a beautiful view of the west which is undeniably the best place to be during a sunset. One can sip a cool drink while watching the sun go down. The party room is where all of the live band performances happen. Moksh entertains guests with live bands twice a week i.e. Tuesday and Friday. The space is also available for celebrations or private parties, for which reservation is required. Moksh also has a hallroom where most of the corporate parties are held. The fantastic area of the restaurant is one side of the successful story, the other part is obviously the food. Along with the musical ambience of the place, the food served here is excellent.
Moksh serves a variety of cuisines including Nepali, Chinese, Continental and more. The menu is a little bit of everything. For the review we had Moksh’s special Salami firewood pizza and one of the new addition to the menu, Roasted Chicken Chilly which is also available in pork. The Salami firewood pizza was unbelievably good. The dough is a thin, crispy crust which is difficult to find in any other restaurants or pizza joints in town. It has Moksh’s secret sauce which compliments the dough perfectly. The sauce has a sour taste which is different and appealing. I couldnt stop eating the big, thin slices and when it was finished, I was left craving for more.

The Roasted Chicken Chilly is like any other chicken chilly, only that the chicken itself is roasted rather than the usual fried. The presentation was good, well garnished. The sauce was fine; nothing out of the box though. The chicken was roasted the usual tandoori style. It was well season. The meat was soft and juicy on the inside but crisp on the outside.  Overall, the entire experience was amazing and affordable. The small pizza  is Rs.250; the large being Rs. 450, and the Roasted Chicken Chilly is priced at Rs. 350. They accept all kinds of credit and debit cards as well, which is a relief. Another factor of great relief is the huge parking space available at the eatery. Hence, there isnt much to worry about when it comes to partying at Moksh and having a good time. Actually, giving it a second thought; being at Moksh means having a great time.