Rildhuk in Kathmandu, Nepal

Did you get to meet the Ancient One?

Nope, but I did in fact had a good time during my last visit to Nepal. Ironically enough, I went on the day when Dr Strange premiered in South East Asia.

This was my second time heading to Kathmandu, but was my first time going there alone, without any plans and no itinerary. I am however, good friends with the monks in Kopan Monastery which is 30 minutes away from the city and was my accommodation for this trip. I have always enjoyed the energy that Nepal as to offer and staying for a week just roaming around seemed like a good idea. But if you do want to visit Nepal in September- October, note that it is Diwali and since Nepal is still predominantly Hindu, it will be very crowded. 

There were some specifics to my trip, and probably the only thing planned : I intend to eat rildhuk. 

It is not a very popular dish outside Nepal, when people would associate momos (dumplings) and curries to their staple diet. It is usually associated with the Sherpa clan and consists of two elements, the potato part and the soup part. The soup is made of local spices and a light broth. Potatoes are waxy potatoes that have been mashed using a log (I kid you not)  and made into small oval pieces and cooked all the way through in the soup. Imagine gnocchi in a garlic broth.

Finding a place that makes such a dish was an adventure on its own, not to mention I went on the first night of Diwali. Kids were busking, elders were having tea outside their shops and there was so much activity. Most shops have small offerings to the goddess Lakshmi at their front door, praying for wealth and good fortune for the coming months.

One of the many street offering in a shop at Kathmandu

 After some searching through the sea of people, we found a small restaurant in an alley that serves Sherpa food.

Here is a picture of the interior.

The owners knew some basic English, which is always a godsend, as I cannot understand Nepali. We ordered potato pancakes, rildhuk and some honey lemon juice. And they were gracious enough to let me look into their kitchen, a very humble kitchen. It goes to show that you do not need much in life, and it does put into perspective into things that you take for granted.  As you can see, there is some potato mashing that need to be done. 

Some serious mashing is underway

Chef at work, making my pancakes

The potato pancakes were very basic but it was delicious. The pancakes were made of the aforementioned mashed potatoes and flour, then pan fried like how a normal western style pancake would be made. It is kinda bland, but it is what it is eaten with that was the real star: home made chili chutney. The chutney was creamy, bits of  chili sweetness and hints of coriander. Went down so well with some butter. 10 out of 10, would have it again if I would go down to Kathmandu. 

Looks can be deceiving 

Then the main event, the rildhuk itself. The soup was fragrant, but it was very earthy. You can really taste that there is alot of garlic and onions in it. The colour suggested tumeric was involved. It was warming and went down easily. The rildhuk itself was so light and just melts in your mouth. Too many people use that expression to elaborate on the flavour of a dish, but this really does melt in your mouth. 12 out of 10, would have it again. 

An amazing bowl of comfort

A close up

That hearty meal for 2 was only 350 rupees. At the time, that was RM14 (USD 3.88). I was so pleased with the service and food, I decided to give the owners 500 rupees instead. So if you ever head down to Kathmandu, to give Himalayan Sherpa Hotel a try. I am sure you would not be disappointed. Though I think its just a name and they are not really a hotel. And there is no menu. 

A picture with the owners, because why not?