It is amazing how people in Nepal are coping with the ongoing crisis. Amidst this dire situation, business houses are doing whatever possible to save any little business they can. A perfect example of this is the restaurant business in Kathmandu. Almost all the restaurants that are running are running under limited menu. So the task of a Food Spy comes as a challenge when you have only so much on your plate.

Dechenling it was for me. Not too hard to locate and pretty popular as well. I had been there once but I hadn’t bothered to take note of what all it offers.

I went there in an evening with my friends for dinner. The greenery around the restaurant and the well-lit peaceful ambience gave us positive vibes as soon as we entered. The place seems perfect for having family get-togethers, hanging out with friends (the quiet ones) and for business meetings.

Starving, we asked for the menu as soon as we got comfortable at our table. It came as shock to us when we were told that there was no menu. I mean it’s understandable that there are limited options available, but we love the drill of going across the list of food items and ordering the usual. We had to quickly surrender to whatever was available because we were warned that if we took too much time deciding what to order, they could run out of cooking gas by the time we were finished. It was quite a pressure for people who were hungry and confused.

We went for Hot Garlic Potatoes and Café Mocha to start with (worried at the back of the mind that the rest of our order might not come at all). Coffee was usual but the potatoes were amazingly fun. Juicy and hot with the right amount of spices. I definitely recommend this.

Next were the Bhutanese specials of this place — Ema Datschi with Rice and Buff Shyaphaley followed by the Buff and Vegetable Momos. Ema Datshi is an exotic Himalayan Soup made especially with cheese and chilies. Who could imagine rice with cheese soup could taste that great? Thanks to my friends who were all ready to experiment that day. Buff Shyaphaley was good too. It was the right amount of crispy outside and a whole lot of goodness inside. Indeed very filling. Besides the taste part, the portions of food would make you feel quite worth the price.

Moving on, we reached for the Momos. Buff Momo was usual; but the Vegetable Momo was extraordinary. It leaves you amazed as to how someone can use the green leafy vegetables as the key ingredient for cooking Momos. It was delicious. Cooking surely is an art.

Besides food, there are many other factors that impact our experience at a restaurant. The washrooms for men and women were separate and clean. The staff showed their concern about whether they would be able to meet the customer orders but yet, they were friendly. The only hiccup was the parking space but no worries if you have a cycle. It is just as welcome as you are.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Decheling and I look forward to going there again. Cheers to a wonderful experience!

Sabnam Tamrakar is a Sales Manager at Rosebay Consulting, Consulting arm of IME Group. She believes good food enriches lives and enjoys being a food critique.

Ratings

Dechenling Garden

1. Ambience: 8
2. Food Quality/ Presentation: 7
3. Quality of Service: 7
4. Hygiene: 7
5. Value for Money: 6
6. Overall Satisfaction Value: 7