Kathmandu:

It’s cosy, it’s intimate and it’s called Nhuchhe’s Kitchen — The Organic Bistro at Baluwatar.

Well, you guessed it. It is as organic as it can get here.

Says Manish Paudel, one of the three behind this organic joint, “Our main idea is to urge people to go back to the way we used to do agriculture and at the same time make them aware of the goodness of doing things the organic way.”

And as a salutation to the ‘no pesticides’ motto, they do not serve any kind of carbonated drinks here at the bistro.

So, you’ll be pleasantly surprised with the Laligunras (red rhododendron) soda, which Paudel says is “our answer to cherry coke”.

With a 60/40 clientele of expatriates and locals, Paudel says the joint is picking up and their style is to give a local flavour to the food they serve but with a Western presentation. Probably that’s the reason you see phaparko spagetti or KFC (Kavre fried chicken) on the menu.

With a thatched hut that serves as the main dining area, it gives Nhucche’s a rustic feel. A small lawn with couple of tables and chairs, a bar tucked away to the side of the kitchen building, a roasting pit for bandel (wild boar) and khasi (mutton) pretty much completes the picture of where you’ll be eating when you’re at this joint.

But that’s not all, there’s a grocery (housed in the main building) that sells everything from rice from Jumla to organically grown saag to the various pulses and honey and juices... to a small craft section that promotes local handicraft from the hand-made wooden containers made by Rautes (the nomadic people of Nepal) to Mithila art.

“This is our way of inviting and promoting local skill,” says Paudel, who plans to convert the first floor of this old building into an art gallery. And yes, apart from the organically grown food, which Paudel says they have arranged for people to grow specifically according to their standards, they will be holding documentary shows every Wednesday at the bistro.

Says Birat Karki, Paudel’s partner, “We’d basically like to promote independent filmmakers who do not have the money to hold shows at the poshest theatre in the Capital.” And adds very honestly, “Don’t think that we don’t have a reason behind

this — when people come to watch the films, that means people at our joint, and that translates to business.”

Their first screening is Sukh Bahadur Adhikari, Class IV, on October 25.

And if you want to try some KFC in a place that’s secluded and just perfect for an afternoon in the sun, Nhuchhe’s it is for you.