To discover the many nuances of Nepal’s vegetarian fare, look no further than Krishnarpan, a restaurant that is a nod to all things culinary in Nepal’s diverse culinary scene.
If you are looking for a deep dive into the cuisine of Nepal, Krishnarpan, a restaurant at The Dwarika’s Hotel is where culinary gastronomy meets local stories of food and more.
The Space
The restaurant that is open for dinner is set within the exquisite Dwarika’s hotel located close to Kathmandu airport and is a fine dining space that needs prior reservation. The restaurant continues the overall ethos of the property and is done with the signature intricate woodwork and antique artefacts. A testament to the ancient civilizations that have shaped Nepal’s culinary legacy, the name Krishnarpan comes from a sacred offering to both divine entities and ancestors. The brick finished walls have traditional masks and the solid wood furniture (they have both floor level and low seating) have bright red upholstery that adds a quintessential charm to the place. Apart from use of local materials all the cutlery is made from brass and is elegant and exquisite.
The Concept
The reservation only restaurant serves set meals – vegetarian and non-vegetarian and courses range from six to 22. You need to book in advance and specify the number of courses you want to eat. Before entering this space, you need to take off your shoes and the staff help you wash your hands. As a space that is a celebration of Nepalese tradition, culture, and flavor, the staff are dressed in traditional clothes too. With an unwavering commitment to organic food, all the ingredients are carefully selected from local sources or harvested from their in house farms.
The Food
Each dish served in this space tells a unique tale of the diverse communities and landscapes—from the lush plains of the Terai to the rugged Himalayan terrains. Complementing the experience is the traditional Nepali alcohol Aila, a homemade rice wine, that is served to all guests. I opted for the six course vegetarian meal that took me on a Nepalese Culinary Journey. Starting with the Samay Baji from Kathmandu Valley, this is a traditional Newari dish served during religious festivals. The dish has Beaten Rice, Black-Eyed Beans, Lentil Pancake, Mushroom Choyela and Shallow pan fried Tofu that come together beautifully on my palate.
The next course is the Chana, Paneer ko Bhujeya and Chyau ko Sekuwa Roti from Terrai that has chickpeas scrambled cottage cheese curry served with a deep fried bread made with wheat and black rice flour. The Valley Momo or Himalayan Mountain Momo is the next course that has traditional Himalayan minced vegetable dumplings with its origins in the Kathmandu Valley & Himalayas. The dumplings are cooked to perfection with the vegetable filling making for a nice bite. The Tarkari Ko Jhol, is a Nepalese Farm Vegetable Soup that has its origins from farm lands that is wholesome and hearty with crunch fresh vegetables and mild spices. This is then followed with a rich and diverse Nepalese thali that has three kinds of aromatic organic rice grown locally, Himalayan Tempered Yellow & Black Lentil Dal, a Variety of Seasonal Dwarika’s Farm grown vegetable Curry and a Cottage cheese curry.
The variety of flavours in this thaali is wholesome and gives you an excellent idea of the kind of diverse variety of fresh produce grown here. I end my meal with the platter of local sweets Sikarni or Haluwa and Kheer which is Bhaktapur’s yoghurt flavored with cinnamon and Himalayan honey, vegetable pudding and Rice or Tapioca pudding that is from Kathmandu Valley. This is followed by the Bagaan ko Chiya, sweets from Ilam & Kathmandu Valley which has the Pachinta (white sesame) Laddu. The meal ends with a special Himalayan tea from Illam that makes this one of the most satisfying meals I have had in a while.
