“Whenever customers enjoy our food, I feel like I’ve made my mother proud,” says Cecilia Lamare, owner of De Lamar Cafe in Maharajgunj, Kathmandu. It’s a restaurant that serves Northeast Indian tribal cuisine, the taste of her hometown. Whatever she makes, she says, she has learned from her mother. She likes to explain what she serves to every customer and her charming personality is one of the many reasons why people revisit the place.
Most ingredients used in Northeast Indian tribal cuisine are fermented, which is why the restaurant is filled with the smell of fermentation. “Food doesn’t grow easily in my hometown. So we ferment and preserve fruits, vegetables, as well as meat products,” she says. All of these are incorporated in a dish that includes turmeric rice, smoked and fermented meat with gravy, boiled veggies or salad, and spicy chutney placed on a banana leaf. It’s a common dish in her hometown. What you get at De Lamar Cafe is quite similar, but tweaked a little to cater to everyone’s liking.
There are four sets of dishes from which you can order. One is called ‘Jadoh’, a tribal pulao that’s served with pork salad and grated radish with white sesame. The pulao is dark green in color and has an earthy taste. The pork salad is made with ginger, onion, and chilies.
The other three dishes are quite similar to one another. Everything on the plate is the same except for the meat curry. For that, you can choose between pork/chicken sesame, smoked pork/chicken/fish, and pork/chicken bamboo shoot. Besides the curry, the dishes include turmeric rice with green chili cut in half and placed on top, salad, and chutney made with king chili, known as the spiciest chili in the world, from Nagaland, India. All of this is served on a banana leaf, on top of a black plate.
Minimal spices are used in these dishes and packaged spices are avoided. One thing you should know about these dishes is that individually they might not taste so great but when eaten together, it tastes spectacular. Good thing, the dishes are nutritious as well. Since most of the ingredients are fermented, the food served here has a strong aroma and taste. If you aren’t up for that, there are other options on the menu that you can try.
One of our favorites is the Chicken Nachos. They make everything from scratch, including the tortilla chips, and are quite generous with the toppings, which include baked beans, seasoned and minced chicken, sour cream, cheese, and pomegranate with green chilies for garnish. It tastes like chaat. We’re assuming it’s because the dish has a combination of hot and cold ingredients. But the taste is unbeatable. We recommend you share one plate among four people since the dish is heavy. It’s also a good idea to try and finish the dish soon since the chips tend to get soggy.
Don’t miss out on Sesame Honey Chicken. It’s served in a small black pan that’s placed on a stone slate. The plating is beautiful even though the dish is simple. It’s fried marinated boneless chicken glazed with honey and seasoned with sesame. It’s a bit spicy but the flavor is well balanced by the sweetness from the honey. It’s one of the best and the most ordered dishes on the menu.
If you’re looking to have a quick lunch, we recommend their Chicken Sandwich. It has chicken breast, mayonnaise, cheese, and a little bit of salad placed between two well-toasted slices of brown bread. And no, it doesn’t get messy when you eat it. They have used just the right amount of filling. The dish comes with a side of fries and some salad.
Also, their smoothies are amazing. They’re just perfect for the summer. We tried Beetroot Apple, Spinach Apple, and Mango Mint smoothies. I couldn’t decide which one I liked best. They were all very good.
Besides their food, the restaurant is aesthetically pleasing. The subtle jazz music and blue-themed decor, which includes a guitar and a ukulele hanging from the walls, give quite a calming vibe. Even their washroom is pretty with plants and a vintage TV set! Although the place is a little small, its seating arrangement makes it look spacious. It can accommodate around 50 people. I must mention the cute napkin holders. They are colorful little bull carts.
Everything at De Lamar Cafe is eco-friendly. They don’t use a lot of plastic items. And they have potted plants everywhere. The restaurant is neither dusty nor noisy, making it a perfect place for romantic dates and hangouts.
Their Specials:
- Northeast Indian Tribal Cuisine Thali Sets
- Sesame Honey Chicken
- Chicken Nachos
