Kathmandu:

You go to Kilroy’s for many things including the Shrimp Newburg. You are eating history and a fascinating story and a delicacy that it has a dream-like lightness. It was dreamt up by Ben Wenburg in the late 1800’s at the famous Delmonico’s restaurant in Manhattan and it remained being called Wenburg until Delmonico’s and Wenburg parted company. Which is when Delmonico’s interchanged two letters of Wenburg and Newburg was born and is famous worldwide even today.

The recipe for Prawn Newburg includes spring onions, sherry and thyme and at Kilroy’s the cooked prawn redolent with chicken broth as well. You eat it while sipping white wine that Robert Desjardins or Hari Bagale who are Sommeliers recommend, Hari Bagale runs the restaurant, Desjardins is Kilroy’s partner who came here as a traveller and stayed.

Over the years Robert Desjardins and I have become friends and the crusty man makes a trusty ally against the vicissitudes of life. He is like me a reader abut unlike me his passion is wine and during the monsoon every year he has a monsoon wine tasting festival where it rains wine in Kilroy’s.

Once when I visited and wrote about Kilroy’s I said, “We drank the Regency Red 2001 with the Ragout De Boeuf with Sautéed Chicken liver and Bacon Bits. The Larousse describes a Ragout as a stew made from meat with vegetables cooked in a thickened liquid. In 1642 in classic French it was used to describe anything that awoke interest or brought someone’s appetite back. The rich Ragout had a meat and smoky bacon taste and the slight crunch of vegetables floating in red wine and tomato puree with a bay leaf, rosemary and basil that added to a wealth of flavours.” I can’t seem to improve on it.

When you are next at Kilroy’s do ask Hari to serve you the spring roll of feta cheese, olives and spinach made piquant with capers and smoothed with spinach. Served with a saffron and tomato sauce it’s a smooth dish that soothes the palate as the different ingredients mesh together into memorableness.

Thomas Kilroy who came here at Robert’s insistence is in England opening another Kilroy. He has taken back a little back bit of Nepal with him as his wife is Nepali. But Robert remains faithful to his menu.

But I am ahead of myself. You must try the Tart Tatin which Thomas created for his wife Arati at a Valentine party. It’s a baked tart with oregano, thyme, rosemary which soak a smoked salmon already awash with a touch of sour cream and a little pesto. The salmon is prominent. Today a rarity salmon was once fed to the poor who protested that they shouldn’t have to eat it five times a week. You can eat the Tart Tatin seven times a week especially when it is served with a white wine Baron De Rothberg which is a non-challenging wine with a delicate sweet lemon overtone.

I love Risottos and they have a mushroom one with white wine and black mushroom with whipped cream. You will dream you’re in Italy where this “little rice” comes from where it was made for upset stomachs.

End with an Orange Fondant at Kilroy’s. It is rich chocolate served warm flavoured with sugar syrup (that was the original meaning) poured over cake. Imagine eating a volcano of chocolate. You take your leave from Robert having discussed a few books and until next time you bid a reluctant farewell remembering to call 4250440, 4250441.