If so, Bawarchi, The Restro Bar in Lazimpat might just be one of them!
Bikash Karki
The welcoming environment begins when the security man offers to take your helmet and hands you a ticket. Walking up the steps, the tidy air-conditioned niche refreshes you. The restaurant may not be big enough, but as the saying goes, some of the best things in life come in small packages. Well, the hosts at the Bawarchi claim they can accommodate 80-100 covers anyway!
The interiors, influenced by traditional Newar culture, complement the aromas of the delectable dishes that float in the air. And for Bawarchi, which should´ve had quite a different setting as its name would suggest, the ambience and the interior are rather a rare combination.
The shade of brown on the walls is homely. The decor is further cooled by Newar-style lamps and a number of statues that reflect the different facets of Nepali culture. The brass flower vase on each table and indoor plants offers a fresh look while the sitting is yours to choose from – either comfortable cushions on the floor, deluxe sofas, or the relaxing bamboo chairs.
Bawarchi doesn´t only claim to have a family environment but provides it. There´s a special "no smoking" zone for families aptly called The Family Room. The music is not too loud, either, and plays softly in the background; and the bar at the corner looks as attractive by day as it looks at night.
The waiters also respect your privacy, and in case you´re dining alone, there are plenty of magazines to flip through while the chefs do what they are best at for your wining and dining pleasures.
The menu at Bawarchi will astound all new visitors with its 25 pages of garden variety delicacies. The menu ranges from Indian, Chinese, Tandoori, Kathi rolls, and some Nepali and Newar dishes as well. For first timers, it´s recommended that you ask what the chef´s specials of the day are.
Bikash Karki
Egg and chicken rolls, and crispy fried fishes, to name a few of the chef´s magic, are as special as they can be. When the egg chicken rolls are served in bamboo basket wrapped by serviette, one could forget everything else and dig in.
This fare has the finest pieces of chicken and egg seasoned with onions and rolled in paratha. The rolls go very well with lassi, and the French fries, too, are not to be missed as the chefs have given a little Bawarchi twist to it.
And it´s not just the rolls or the chicken kebabs that attract an average of 200 patrons per day to Bawarchi. Besides the 100 different varieties of rolls and 20 different types of naans which have earned for Bawarchi such a reputation, and a menu so bulky, vegetarians, too, have a lot to choose from, with paneer and mushroom rolls topping the list.
Bikash Karki
Bunesh Shrestha, one of the business partners at Bawarchi, jokes, "Customers often ask if they´re supposed to enjoy the food or go through the menu."
Besides the kathi rolls, Bawarchi is also famous for its biryani, and the Chinese preparations with a Tangra twang as the in-house chefs come from Tangra in Kolkata.
While the foods and drinks at Bawarchi come with a whole lot of calories and nutrients, it´s still impossible to resist the scrumptious options they have in store, which also includes Gazarko Haluwa.
Having to choose between skipping the scrumptious rolls and other delicacies of Bawarchi, and adding on those extra calories, is no less than the challenge of having to choose between the devil and the deep blue sea.
Bikash Karki
But then again, there´s the gym. So hit the bench press! Of course, the choice is yours. We say, however: Let´s roll!
Conveniently located in Lazimpat, Bawarchi makes a great lunch destination. And the bar comes alive in the evening as motorbikes and cars crowd the spacious parking lot just by the side of the restaurant.
Last but not the least, the Bawarchi management also boasts that all the meat items served in the restaurant are reassuringly halal.
Other fast facts:
Business hours: 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. daily
Tel: 4436673
