The ´Eatempus Lounge and Bar´ is the newest attraction at the Singhadurbar lane. Right beside the Hanumanthan temple this eatery opened only three weeks ago and it promises you a ´five star to bhatti experience.´[break]
The first thing that strikes you is the name itself. Eatempus actually is a combination of two words ´eat´ and ´tempus´ which means time in Latin. The concept of the restro lounge is based on its name.
The yellow walls on the inside of the ground floor are welcoming, giving out a warm feeling. The eating area is communal with around twelve sets of dark black chairs and tables that make a stark contrast with the yellow walls and the white floor.
The upper part is the lounge that has comfortable seating with a wide open space. A long zinc bar takes up part of a wall upstairs and is as neat as a gallery, with stools lined up before it. The color combination is red and blue, and yes it looks like the national flag.
There are no posters that decorate the walls. What steals the show, however, is the right side wall which looks like a giant Nepali flag.
Laxaman Maharjan, manager at the place, however, refrains from giving a special reason for the decoration. “It does not have a very deep patriotic meaning as people would expect,” he says, adding, “I just happen to like the combo.”
The windows give way to beautiful streetlight that illuminates through the wide plate-glass window and the friendly conduct of the staff add to the good food and comfortable space.
At the place you have fixed menus for fixed hours of the day. You have five different menus that offer you different items to choose from. The breakfast menu will be at the table from 9 am to 11 am, followed by lunch, which is served from 11 am to 2:30 pm. The deuso ko khaja is timed from 2 pm to 5:30 pm, followed by the evening menu alongside barbeque from eight pm.
Chef Madhav Thapa, who boasts ten years of experience, runs the kitchen and has an eye for every little detail while the cooking progresses on and decorating part begins. A perfectionist sort of person who is not satisfied with anything less, he likes to combine Continental, Chinese with Indian and Nepali food.
The menu offers a large variety and we choose a few. First to come is the country fried potatoes. Yes, the fried potatoes offered as a snack is chunky, but only until you try it out. The fat looking sliced and fried potatoes turn out to be not that mouthful. The potatoes are not peeled, which according to the chef, guarantees its freshness and also preserves its nutrition.
The same goes for the Russian salad. Rich with seasonable vegetables (cauliflower, potatoes, beans, carrots and apples go in this season,) the salad is dressed with freshly prepared mayonnaise and cream.
If you are a true Momo aficionado, make sure you order the ´batti ko momo´. The dish is a bowl of buff momo that has the authentic taste of a bhatti. Drenched in a thick red spicy sauce, this momo promises you a divine experience. The shape of the momo is round
which according to Mharajan adds to the authenticity of it. “Momo´s in bhattis are always circular, anyone who has tried eating at a bhatti will tell you,” he smiles.
The ´paneer salt and pepper´ came out as total surprise. While being nothing dramatic to look at the taste is worth a clap. The cottage cheese has been mildly sautéed in oil and has Chinese style marinating done and is seasoned with crushed pepper corn.
But if you still find yourself hankering for something, try out the ET Hot wings. At first the basket will come across as any regular chicken wings but what makes it special is the sauce it is served with. There are two types of sauces that can be savored with the dish. The chef explains, “One is the hot sauce and the other is a milder option,” informs the chef. Since the weather is quite chilly, the chef recommends the hot sauce.
Apart from the regulars, the place has a Barbeque menu. The grill is in an open corner where guests can take pleasure of the view of barbequing in process. What more the chefs are willing to let you their place if not for long for a few minutes maybe. Also, in weekends, there are football matches on the huge projector screen that covers almost a whole wall.
Maharjan desires to open another outlet in the next eight months, a bit ambitious it might be but a place that it is run with such enthusiasm and brio is a mark in its favor and who knows the wish might just come true.
All in all Eatempus is comfortable with nothing is out of place combining to offer a kind of casually luxurious experience.
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