The moment you step out of the elevator, you enter a nice, sunny place quirkily decorated and tastefully designed. A spacious terrace is attached to the indoor dining hall. The view from the terrace is absolutely spectacular.[break]
Attached to the terrace is a two-sided bar with a collection of liquors from all over the world. The walls are decorated with license plates that symbolize the fifty states of the USA. There is even a painting on a wall that shows the life of Mexico which looks quite similar to those of Nepal.
“There are a lot of resemblances between Mexican food and Nepalese food,” says Brian Smith, the manager and chef at the restaurant. “There’s the rice and there are the spices. Personally, I’m a huge fan of spicy food, may it be Nepali or Mexican.”
An engineer by training and profession, Brian had always been extremely interested in food. He loved cooking, eating and experimenting. It was this passion that took him to burger joints, cafes, restaurants and bars, working and learning the trades of the business. He remembers coming to Nepal as a tourist but was “blown away” by the country’s beauty and diversity.
Photos Courtesy: Brian’s Grill
“I decided to settle down here, and last year, Brian’s Grill House came into being,” he informed.
As Brian puts it, America is a fusion of many cultures and cuisines. Therefore, this place, too, despite being an all-American food joint, offw ers a wide range of dishes in Asian, Mexican and Italian cuisines.
The very first thing that catches one’s eye is the size of the menu. It’s huge but also extremely interesting. The license plates from the walls are found here as well. There’s Uncle Sam who wants you to eat BBQ; there are witty one-liners that ask you to believe in beer, and funny little goats and chicken to announce the food. There are even buffaloes with wings to portray the dish, Buffalo Wings.
“Our menu is complex,” offers Brian. “People come here again and again because once isn’t enough to try out everything. Also, our portions are quite generous.”
The restaurant believes in serving original, organic and healthy food items sans preservatives and artificial colors. Brian likes to make everything from the scratch. He visits the weekly market at 1905 to get cheese and ingredients for the sauces.
“If you’re a foodie, you have to be able to tell one cheese from the other,” insists Brian who also gets some of the cheese from a lady in Pokhara. Since the ingredients are of the best quality and sometimes even imported from abroad, the restaurant is somewhat expensive.
Burgers, BBQs and cocktails are the specialties of this place. But Buffalo Wings and nachos are quite popular too. For the Buffalo Wings sauce, the ingredients used are mayonnaise, Greek-style yoghurt, chilly pepper sauce, garlic and onions. In contrast to the spicy wings, this brings about a cool flavor.
Nachos are good, too. They taste homey, owing to the toppings of beans, a good reminder of the Nepali bamboo shoot soup paired up with beans and potatoes. The sauce contains onions, tomatoes, chili peppers, Mexican spices and leaf.
There’s quite an assortment of burgers at this restaurant. Mt. Everest Burger is possibly the largest burger in Nepal. In addition to being quite rich in itself, it comes on a glacial-size full pound of French Fries. The other popular burger is the Blue Apple Burger. It’s well baked and it comes with crumbled Gorgonzola, crispy bacon, slices of grilled apple and a side of Gorgonzola dip. The food is so large in quantity that an option to order half of it is also available.
The bar is the main attraction of the place. Brian is quite particular about his drinks and their correct ratios. There are ten different liquors from the US. There are Vanilla Scotch, Martinis, Margaritas, Cosmos, and mocktails. The drinks are served in 120ml glasses. Desserts, too, are based on cocktails. There is butter scotch ice-cream with real scotch.
A restaurant with around twenty staff, Brian’s Grill boasts variety and style. The ambience and the view are plus points, and it’s refreshing to find a restaurant of international standards away from the regular hub of Thamel, Jhamel, Kanti Path, Lazimpat, Uttar Dhoka, and Durbar Marg.
The restaurant is worth a visit for the beautiful scenery and unique decoration. Foods come in a wide variety and there’s something for everyone. It’s just started out but it seems to have a lot of scope for the future.
Fast facts
Opening hours: 12 noon to 10 pm
Budget: Rs 1,500–Rs. 3,000 for a meal for two
Parking: Complimentary
For reservation, call: 01-4422587
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