Comfort among chaos

Published On: February 3, 2017 12:15 AM NPT By: Joshna Karki


A multi cuisine restaurant and event venue, Around the Corner (ATC) at Bansbari, Dhapasi Marg is a perfect place to get away from the chaotic sights and sounds of the city. With a large outdoor space that leads to a nursery, as soon as you enter ATC you’ll hear the pleasant sounds of birds chirping and see squirrels running about. There is a stone tap that lends an old world charm to the space and vintage lights draped on and hanging from the trees. Some customers call it a mini version of the Garden of Dreams. 

With the theme, ‘Dine in nature’, the space, to Sahaj Nath Khadka, is a practice of his art and skills of hospitality and leadership. On the branches of a tree, Khadka hangs flags of the countries he has visited. “When I travel, I always look for inspiration and ideas to bring a difference in the tourism business. My restaurant has light decoration from Dubai and India. I saw plants growing in boots in Europe and used old shoes to bring the concept here in Nepal,” he says. 

Decor and ambiance 
The restaurant is built in the nursery space with modest decorations that are classic. The owner says that all the items have been purchased at minimal cost, and the lamps, chairs, bookshelves have organic finishing. Light bulbs are hung interestingly on trees in every possible corner. The wind bells hanging by the string is another addition to the vintage collection. All the decorations are minimalistic and creatively used. The bar is well furnished and the LED strip lighting, that lines the glass shelves on which the bottle are placed, make it pop.

There’s a pergola with a curved arch where you can relax on its couch, read a good book or just enjoy the spectacular view that can be seen from there. There are cushions in the garden where you can also just sit and read. At night, the garden area is the perfect place to dine in with its wooden space that provides a romantic and relaxed setting. On winter nights, they have bonfire. There’s live music on Friday and on Thursday, they show different movies.

Food and drinks
If you aren’t very hungry and are just looking for something to nibble on, try the cheese balls. The cheese balls at ATC are crunchy and the cheese melts in your mouth. The barbecue chicken is also another popular option. The barbecue sauce has the right blend of sweet and sour taste. The Mustang aloo uses a lot of Nepali herbs and Sichuan pepper that lend a sharp spiciness to the dish.

The Pad Thai, served as the main course, is a Thai dish of white rice noodles. The additional ingredients used here are shrimp, chicken, vegetables, palm sugar, lemongrass, peanuts, and tofu. The mix of all the ingredients with the soy sauce and fish sauce provide a perfect blend of sweet, salty, and sour flavors. If you are hungry, this might be the right option for you as it’s wholesome and filling. Another food item that you can opt for when you are hungry is the pork chop. The pork chop here is perhaps the best pork chop available in Kathmandu. The tenderness and juiciness of the meat will make you want to go back for more. The sautéed vegetables, carrot and cauliflower perfectly complement the dish.


For dessert there’s the Scottish delight, Cranachan. It is a slightly sour and salty whipped cream with toasted oatmeal, honey, shredded apple and chocolate topping. There is a hint of whiskey in it and that goes really well with the cream. This dessert warms you a little from the inside because of the ‘alcohol content’.

The bar displays Bell’s Scotch Whiskey, Bacardi, J.P. Chenet, Calvet, Captain Morgan, Old Durbar Black Chimney, Jack Daniels and many more. They also serve different cocktails. Their signature drink is Sheridan’s, a coffee layered liqueur. It tastes like Irish coffee but leaves a little more lasting flavor on your tastebuds.

Services

The restaurant also works as a co-working space where you can sit and work at your own pace. The space can also host wedding receptions or other events. There is a hall that can accommodate around 150 people while the restaurant can accommodate 250-280 people. Besides making different menus for special occasions, ((there)) **they hunu parne** also screen live football matches. There is a food festival being organized this month where chefs from Malaysia, Portugal and China will be serving different cuisines.


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