A la carte
Trip Start
Jan 10, 2007
1
48
51
Trip End
Ongoing
Kathmandu, Nepal
Monday, May 7, 2007
Further restaurant entertainment is supplied by local interpretations of Western dishes. Across the subcontinent hash (and sometimes harsh) brown potatoes are slices sautéed in a yummy masala with tomatoes and onions. This is a fortuitous misunderstanding unlike measly muesli portions and hot brown water 'coffee'.
Garlic bread is quite simply a slice of bread with bits of raw garlic on top, which is fine but it's not the steaming, garlicky butter oozing baguette of your tummy's yearning.
After days of tight-budget vegetable chowmein, a fresh fruit platter is a very attractive proposition. When Tim's arrived I instantly regretted my breakfast choice. A large plate of banana, orange, apple, papaya and, oddly, tomato in creamy yoghurt - yum. My jealously was short-lived; the yoghurt was mayonnaise, the papaya was carrot and suddenly the tomatoes didn't seem so out of place.
And imagine our delight when, half way through our 2nd we-made-it-to-Kathmandu beer, we spotted American-style nachos on the menu. Brilliant; pub munchies. Oh, the excitement! They looked expensive but we'd reached 3000km that day, so treats allowed.
We ordered and waited and waited and waited some more. The waiter appeared and, with a proud flourish, presented our order; a sumptuous banquet of no less than 9 nachos daintily poised around the edge of the plate, splattered with Marie Rose sauce ('spicy salsa') and congealed reheated cheese.
It said 'American-style' not 'Famine-stricken Sub-Saharan Africa style'. This is not the only geographical confusion we have encountered. Apparently moussaka is an age-old Mexican tradition and French onion soup regularly stars in the Chinese section of the menu.
Sometimes the whole menu is just for show. On several occasions we have been herded into restaurants, seated and given ample time to peruse the menu. Then the smiling waiter approaches, notepad and pen at the ready.
"1 aloo palak-"
"Sorry, is not possible."
"Ok, stuffed tomato instead."
Head shakes.
"Hmm, mixed vegetables? No? Ok, what is there?"
"Dal fry"
"And?"
"Only dal fry."
Perhaps the pen and paper is for noting how many customers fail to hide their exasperation.
Ordering local food is definitely the best way to enjoy your dinner. Not only does it avoid the disappointment of your mismatched desire for a taste of home and the restaurateur's notion of marmalade on toast and a cup of tea, it's also, usually, yummy. I definitely advocate a little adventure when choosing. However, I will neer be tempted by the tourist/trekker favourite of steak and chips.
Kathmandu and Pokhara are renowned for their steaks. Whilst the restaurants may meet the most anal of Western health and safety standards, I can assure that their suppliers do not. A wander around Kathmandu's Ason Tole market will put the most ardent filet mignon fan off meat for the remainder of his trip. Meat is sold, wholesale and retail, from open air stalls. It is displayed uncovered and in direct sunlight all day long. Flies swarm and crawl over it, the stall-holder makes infrequent and ineffective attempts to shoo them in between dragging on his cigarette and coughing the contents of his lungs onto the floor. And for anyone who doesn't know where they lay their eggs, I'll just point out that caring mummy flies always ensure their baby maggots have something tasty to eat when they hatch.
See, it really isn't that difficult to be vegetarian for 6 months.
LHM
