Mixed feelings about Bon Appetit
Aashish Adhikari is a Project Manager at Rosebay Consulting. He is passionate about football, cycling, and enjoying simple things in life
Bon Appétit — is said to a person who is about to start eating, to wish him a good meal. It also signifies a matter of pride for whoever cooked or presented the food. So, you are bound to have quite an expectation with a restaurant named like that.
Bon Appetit Café is located in the heart of Thamel. Due to the location, you will not find ample parking space around it. However, once that struggle is over, you’ll be quite surprised by a rather decent ambience it offers. A well-lit room with good table arrangement, and the location on the patio provides a good place for watching people at the junction.
As soon as we chose the seats, a polite attendant greeted us and took the order. It seemed that the selection of food there would please every palate as it offers a wide variety. From Mexican to Italian, Chinese to Continental and not to mention Nepali. We decided to go with Italian and Mexican.
It was little sad that the waiter was neither able to give us a clear idea on the dishes we inquired on nor could he recommend us any. We were bewildered and wished there were fewer options.
We went for Bruschetta with Mozzarella and Mixed Veg Burritos for starters. Next, we ordered Pasta Fettuccini El Fredo (white sauce). For the main course, we chose Mixed Veg Fajitas and Spaghetti Carbonara, without bacon or eggs.
When was the last time a restaurant served in less than 10 minutes? I haven’t had that pleasure for quite some time. Bruschetta landed first on our table. It was plated better than it tasted. My only reservation was the bread that was soggy. Salad on the side nonetheless had an amazing dressing that left our taste buds tantalised.
Mixed Veg Burrito wasn’t scrumptious either. You would undeniably expect Mexican dishes to be somewhat spicy and flavoursome, that wasn’t the case.
Soon arrived the main course leaving our table slightly crowded. I believe Spaghetti Carbonara can be deliciously made even without bacon or eggs. Perhaps they wanted to prove otherwise to me. They added lots of boiled vegetables in it, which overpowered the sauce making the palate bland.
Pasta Fettuccini El Fredo came as another put off. Even though it was creamy, the use of cheddar cheese instead of Parmesan cheese was quite a setback.
Mixed Veg Fajitas bagged the best dish of the day. It was properly cooked with the right amount of spices, smoky flavoured grilled vegetables and came with tasty tortillas. Everyone relished the taste of the Fajitas and I definitely recommend it.
The place left me with mixed feelings. I would have loved the food if there was some assistance in identifying the food you’d want. The food was less than stellar but the portion, ambience, and politeness of the staff was unparalleled.
RATINGS BON APPETITE CAFE
Ambience: 7
Food quality/
presentation: 5
Quality of service: 5
Hygiene: 6
Value for money: 5
Overall satisfaction value: 5.6