That said, a good achhaar (a relish or pickle made with tomato, radish or whatever’s in season) can liven up a daal bhaat tremendously. It’s worth looking out for establishments sporting the name Thakali – Nepalis believe this ethnic group (originating in the hills around Annapurna) produces a particularly good daal bhaat, and they are usually right. The daal bhaat served in restaurants ranges from excellent to derisory – it’s a meal that’s really meant to be eaten at home – so if you spend much time trekking or travelling off the beaten track you’ll probably quickly tire of it. Indeed, in much of Nepal, bhaat is a synonym for food and khaanaa (food) is a synonym for rice.
For many Nepalis it’s the only meal they ever eat, twice a day, every day of their lives, and they don’t feel they’ve eaten properly without it. Nepali foodĭaal bhaat tarkaari ( daal means lentil, bhaat rice and tarkaari vegetable), usually just known as daal bhaat, isn’t just the most popular meal in Nepal. As often as not, food will come to you when you’re travelling – at every bus stop, vendors will clamber aboard or hawk their wares through the window. Street vendors sell fruit, nuts, roasted corn, and various fried specialities.
Sweet shops ( mithaipasal or misthan bhandar) are intended to fill the gap between the traditional mid-morning and early evening meals besides sweets and tea, they also do South Indian and Nepali savoury snacks. Trailside, both chiyapasal and bhatti are typically modest operations run out of family kitchens. Teahouses ( chiyapasal) really only sell tea and basic snacks, while the simple taverns ( bhatti) of the Kathmandu Valley and the western hills put the emphasis on alcoholic drinks and meaty snacks, but may serve Nepali meals too. On the highways they’re bustlingly public and spill outdoors in an effort to win business. In towns and cities, places to eat tend to be dark, almost conspiratorial places, unmarked and hidden behind curtains. Utensils are usually available on request, but if not, try doing as Nepalis do and eat with your right hand – and bear in mind the various social taboos relating to eating.
SAFE SYNONYM TO EAT FULL
Menus don’t exist, but the food will normally be on display or cooking in full view, so all you have to do is point. Local Nepali diners ( bhojanalayas or, confusingly enough, “ hotels”) are traditionally humble affairs, offering a limited choice of dishes or just daal bhaat. Outside these tourist hubs, options are more limited, though Terai cities always have a fancy (by Nepali standards) restaurant or two, generally serving a mix of Nepali, Indian and Chinese food. Some specialize in particular cuisines, but the majority attempt to cover most bases. Tourist restaurants in Kathmandu, Pokhara and a few other well-visited places show an amazing knack for sensing what travellers want and simulating it with basic ingredients. Note that few restaurants include government taxes (13 percent) and service charges (10 percent) in their menu prices. In places like Kathmandu and Pokhara, however, costs can quickly add up: you might pay around Rs250–500 for a main meal at a tourist-oriented restaurant, and even more at a posher place. Outside the tourist areas food is very inexpensive, and a simple meal and drink may well set you back less than Rs100. Tourist menus invariably include veggie items. Vegetarians will feel at home in Nepal, since meat is considered a luxury. “ Chow-chow” packet noodles, cooked up as a spicy soup snack, are ubiquitous. In the Kathmandu Valley, the indigenous Newars have their own unique cuisine of spicy meat and vegetable dishes, while a vast range of Indian curries, breads, snacks and sweets comes into play in the Terai in the high mountains, the traditional diet consists of noodle soups, potatoes and toasted flour. Indeed, a vast range of flavours can be found just in daal bhaat, the national dish of rice, lentils, lightly curried vegetables and pickles though it can also, sometimes, be disappointingly bland.
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