My husband and I headed to Lalitpur on a Friday for lunch because we both love to try out new places and foods. We reached Jhamsikhel, and looked for Lhakpa’s Chulo and there it was, the red signage.

As we entered the place, the surrounding took us by surprise. It was a beautiful set-up with greenery everywhere. The guard welcomed us and showed us the way to the restaurant. We decided to sit outside in the small garden. The decoration was pleasant for a hot day.

It was almost 2:00 pm and we were hungry. We gave our orders as soon as we took our seats. We wanted to start our appetiser with Homemade Corn Chips With Hummus Dip And Tomato Salsa, along with Chicken With Chillies. For the main course, we ordered Thai Red Prawn Curry. I am not that big a fan of seafood but my husband loves it, and we patiently sat there waiting for our food.

When the food was served, we sipped our drinks and started digging on our appetiser. The Homemade Corn Chips With Hummus Dip And Tomato Salsa was a good start. Chicken With Chillies was quite good too. The presentation of the dish was immaculate and the taste was so different from other restaurants.I would highly recommend this dish.

But that is when all the trouble began. Waiting for our main course to arrive I looked around and saw cigarette butts littered all over the place. Some were carelessly pushed under our table. This littered sight put me off. Also, I had begun to notice that we were the only customers in the whole restaurant. Not to forget we had to ask for a candle just to get rid of the many houseflies around our table.

Our main course arrived on time. Though it was served in a huge dinner plate, the portion was less. I was a bit disappointed.  It would be okay for one person, but the quantity was less when the price is considered.

The Thai Red Prawn Curry had a good amount of gravy in it and it tasted good. But the prawn was not at all fresh,

it was over cooked and chewy, so we were disappointed again.

The overall experience at Lhakpa’s Chulo was not satisfactory. The worst part of our visit was when a person started sweeping the floor while we were having lunch! They must understand that such things must be avoided when clients are around.

I would also like to mention that it’s pretty expensive. I don’t understand whether this restaurant is only meant to serve expats or Nepalis too?

If you do visit this restaurant, make sure you have a heavy wallet and go for dinner and not lunch.