1) Pork Belly with Juniper-infused Jus
This delicious dish is so popular that the patrons won’t let the restaurant take it off the menu. And no wonder: tender, melt in your mouth pork meat topped by crisp crackling, on a mash that perfectly complements it. On the side, a pile of perfectly pickled purple cabbage with a tang that offsets the richness of the pork, and a spectacular juniper-infused jus that just brings to whole thing together. You’ll want to come back for another serving even before you’ve left the restaurant, we promise!
Where to get it: Genesis Cafe, Pani Pokhari
2) Beetroot Burger
Not just for vegetarians, this will be enjoyed by anyone who loves good food. Veggie burgers can occasionally be lackluster affairs, but this beetroot burger has bright, pronounced flavors and is seriously good enough to be relished by meat-lovers, too. The chips and salad that it comes with are tasty and well seasoned and it all comes together to make a meal that is both healthy and feels like an indulgence. Go on, you know you want to!
Where to get it: Prazada, Bhat Bhateni
3) Mussels with Garlic Sauce
Fresh, tasty seafood is hard to find in Nepal. Luckily there’s a restaurant out to change that, and this mussel dish, while a bit of a pricey splurge, is certain to be one of the most memorable things you’ve eaten in a while. Attractive to look at and even better to eat, the mussels are served with a garlic sauce that manages to his that perfectly savory balance between spicy and sweet. Like we said, you won’t forget this one.
Where to get it: Loulan Chinese Restaurant, Thamel
4) Spicy Stuffed Wings
Anyone reading this a fan of chicken wings? The perfect appetizer or snack to accompany some evening drinks, they’re really great just about anytime. And these ones are particularly pleasing: the main bone is removed and the wing is then stuffed with more deliciously seasoned chicken meat before being cooked and tossed in a spicy, garlicky sauce. Add a beer and you’re in heaven.
Where to get it: SubUrb Cafe, Kupondole
5) Pork Momo with Soup
If you’re looking for a great iteration of the Darjeeling-style pork momo, then this dish is for you: thin skinned momos, lightly seasoned, and served with a bowl of broth that’s almost as good as the momos themselves! A perfect treat for a chilly evening, or anytime, really.
Where to get it: Momo Karma, Nag Pokhari
6. Alu Mutton Chop
A deceptively simple looking dish: fried mashed potato patties filled with meat and vegetables. It's tasty and goes well with a drink that has bubbles... But what really elevates it, or anything else you choose order in this restaurant, is what accompanies it. The place is called Achaar Ghar, and boy do they live up to their name. Seven house-made pickles--tomato, lapsi, mula, a spectacular fried green chilli, and several more--were brought to the table, along with thorough and helpful explanations. The rest of the meal was spent sampling, tasting and enjoying all the different combinations with the alu chop. Delicious, and fun.
Where to get it: Achaar Ghar, Jhamsikhel Road
7) Signature Moyen Froyo
Frozen yogurt is a fantastic new alternative to ice-cream and a new Singaporean franchise, Milk and Honey, is quickly
becoming the go-to place for froyo. They offer an original flavor along with 26 delectable toppings for you to choose from to make your yogurt even more delicious. This dessert is a healthier choice but there is no need to cringe at the word healthy as it tastes equally good, really!
Where to get it: Milk and Honey, Sherpa Mall, Durbar Marg
8) Salmon Steak and all the trimmings
For those who love a good fish dish, this is one you absolutely must try. A generous piece of salmon cooked just right so that that it flakes under your fork, seasoned with a savory, salty, tangy teriyaki style sauce and served with vegetables and mashed potatoes… one of those dishes where all the components work together perfectly to make a special, satisfying dish. And you get to enjoy it all in a rustic, relaxing garden that will make you smile.
Where to get it: Pauline’s Garden Restaurant, Balwatar
9) Newari Platter
A good Newari bhaji set is always a good idea, and this one is just great: badal (wild boar), crispy fried mutton lungs, buff sekuwa and buff choila, with all the trimmings. Spicy, crunchy and deliciously Nepali, this is a great plate to share with friends, preferably with something cold to wash it down with—it’s spicy, after all!
Where to get it: Sam’s One Tree Cafe, Durbar Marg
10) Bulgogi Rice Bowl
This dish combines meat, eggs and vegetables, seasoned with a signature oyster and soy sauce combo and served over rice. It’s an unusual and delicious combination, milder than some of the Korean food you can find, more like a fusion dish. It comes with a mini-salad that also has an unusual Asian-style dressing and the restaurant itself with its quaint indoor décor or lovely outdoor garden as choices of seating is a peaceful place to enjoy a meal. This place is worth a visit.
Where to get it: Salon de Kathmandu, Lazimpat
11) Black Ice-cream and Monster Shake
We know, there should only be one dessert in this picture. However, it was just impossible to make up our minds! Both the Monster Shake as well as the Black Ice-cream that you see here are amongst the most amazing desserts to hit the city in ages. The Monster Shake is served in a Nutella bottle and is a towering pile of all things good. From Oreo biscuits to red velvet waffle, it is all added in the monster shake making each bite a heavenly mouthful. The Black Ice-cream is like nothing we’d ever tried—it gets it’s color from charcoal and its taste from rich chocolate and is amazing. Go and try one, right now!
Where to get it: Icekraft, Opposite Rising Mall, Durbar Marg
12) China Chilli
Wai Wai City’s are popping up all over the town and we are glad to see their red and yellow stalls when our hunger pangs kick in. The China Chilli which we tried amongst the varied choice of noodle combinations that Wai Wai City offers was as delicious as we thought it would be. On a bed of hot noodles with hot garlic sauce and toppings like babycorn, carrots, onion and cabbage we finished it within seconds of it being brought to the table.
Where to get it: Wai Wai City, Labim Mall and other locations.
13) Pulled Pork Sandwich
This sandwich has been calling out to us for a while… so many people just kept talking about it! Is it that good? You bet it is. Locally sourced pork is cooked in a smoker for up to 12 hours to give the meat its unique flavor, then oven-roasted till it’s pull apart fork tender, before being tossed in a sauce of smoked tomatoes and other tasty seasonings. It’s served on a house made bun that manages to be both soft and strong enough to hold the juicy meat together till the last delicious bit. A winner of a dish.
Where to get it: Flat Iron Grill, inside Hotel Ambassador, Lazimpat
14) Crunchy Fried Chicken
Chicken Station is just two months old and it was teeming with people all there to try their crunchy fried chicken, one of the most popular dishes at the joint. And was it ever worth it! The chicken was packed with rich flavors and was just as crunchy and juicy as the name suggests. It was served along with an in-house sauce that compliments the chicken so well making each crunchy bite as tasty as the last.
Where to get it: Chicken Station, Jhamsikhel and Old Baneshwor
15) Pork Ramen
Handmade ramen noodles? Absolutely! Served with pork slices and a seasoned boiled
egg all nestled in a rich, deep, flavorful broth that will linger in your mind long after your bowl is empty.
Particularly wonderful on a chilly day.
Where to get it: Sapporo Japanese Restaurant, Baluwatar
