Yasmin Taj

Kathmandu:

Yet another milestone achieved by the Nanglo chain of restaurants was the grandiloquent opening of its new venture, the Bakery Café at Bouddha. Sarosh Pradhan, winner of the Young Architect of the Year award and Rajshree Pradhan, interior decorator and Sarosh’s wife, have put together the ambience and appearance of the restaurant that resonates with the theme “Bouddha, Buddha and Peace”. “We are trying to reach the masses as closely as possible and since Bouddha is such a densely populated area, we had to open a branch here for our esteemed customers,” Shyam Kakshyapati, CEO, Nanglo International Pvt Ltd, said. Sarosh is also the proud designer of Dharahara Bakery Café. “My inspiration came entirely from Bouddha which has been a power place of sorts to so many Kathmanduites,” the dashing architect said with a dazzling smile.

Quite appropriately, the décor and design of this centrally located restaurant truly reflect the essence and culture of Buddhism. While entering the café, one would first come across a beautiful piece of poetry written by the architect himself. A circular ceiling with prayer wheels is the first thing that catches one’s eye as he enters the main hall where on one of the walls is a six inch mural depicting the Bouddha Stupa with a single word inscribed on its red background: Peace. The elliptical floating bar in the garden, too, draws its inspiration from a Stupa and a wall mural announcing ‘from Darkness to Light’ with the moon and sun at both ends is but one of the various aesthetic elements scattered around the place. A mural painting freshly done by children is the highlight of the garden.

“The bar with no name” is another fascinating segment of the restaurant. Sarosh declined granting the bar a definitive cognomen because, according to him, oriental spirituality, pleasure and bliss have never been dialectical and documented. With its flashy blue lights and upbeat chants, the place is a perfect blend of culture and class. There are even lights done in yellow, orange and red colours depicting the Buddhist culture to the optimum. The other sections of the restaurant are the Siddhartha and Gautam Lounge, Maya Garden with a playground for children and Buddha Gallery on the terrace for families and small get-togethers. All in all, Bakery Café - Bouddha could be best described as a place with cutting edge ambience and design, not to mention somewhere you go to tuck in on the most mouthwatering of momos, chicken tawas and other culinary delights.