You can leave your cell phone, laptop and other gadgets at home and lose yourself by this amazing lakeside restaurant. One could even say one goes to Samay to be liberated and be cut off from the rest of the world.
The restaurant is pleasantly nestled, about 3 km, away from the hustle and bustle of the tourist-infested lakeside area of Pokhara. You can get there from Halanchok, near lakeside, by foot, bicycle, bike and public or private vehicle. (And if you feel like it you can even paraglide right next to the restaurant from atop the adjoining Sarangkot hill!)
Getting to Samay is a pleasure in itself as you get to travel past lazy settlements flanked by Sarangkot hill on your right and the Fewa on your left with paragliders soaring high above you.
Samay is a totally unimposing place and the deco evokes subtle classiness that’s borne out of love for natural elements. That’s because the ambience of the restaurant is built up around the theme of earth, wind, water and fire. The restaurant fits in perfectly with its natural surrounding and decoration concept. The open kitchen system and unobtrusive staff ensure that your gastronomical expectations will be well taken care of with fine service.
As for me, being at Samay felt like being a billion miles away from the maddening crowd of crazy Kathmandu. I felt blessed to be there because spending time at Samay is almost a spiritual experience. Surely, one doesn’t go there just go to eat.
Talking of food—Samay offers a decent variety of innovative and organic food items that you can enjoy. You can eat out in the open lawn or under the long low roofed thatched hut as you enjoy the unobstructed view of the lake wherever you may chose to dine. I recommend trying their grilled fish with a sip of alcoholic beverage of your preference. And when you’re at it you could also try their S’may Fries.
The awesome sight of the lake that Samay offers even surprises locals who visit it for the first time. I overheard a mesmerized local who was hosting some friends from Kathmandu: “I never knew such a wonderful place existed in Pokhara though I myself am from here.” Then he plunked himself on a wicker chair and gazed at the glistening lake with a dazed look on his face as if he was seeing the all-too familiar Fewa Lake for the first time in his life. Samay’s spell had been cast upon him. Needless to say, his guests from Kathmandu too settled down and cozied up to the restaurant’s charming ambience.
At Samay, you can order the set meal consisting of traditional dal, bhat and tarkari and enjoy the traditional meal. They also offer tasty oriental fish, oriental chicken and oriental vegetable curry if you want to have a wholesome meal. Their lemon chicken is a delightful culinary experience that should not be missed out.
As the restaurant stretches right up to the lake, you can get into its shallow water with a glass of beverage of your choice and swim or lose yourself in the 360 degree vista. No wonder, I was told, that a photographer friend of mine, who had been to Samay recently couldn’t hold back her tears upon seeing the sight.
You can also drop in at Samay for breakfast and for a meal during the afternoon and evening with friends and family. Khaja—a set consisting of beaten rice and beans goes down well with hard drinks and beverage of all range that are well stocked by the restaurant. You could also burrow their guitar and harmonica and make music if you feel like it.
During the evenings the fire element of Samay’s deco concept comes alive in the form of lighted lanterns in the absences of electric lights that gives the whole place a totally different look and feel with the dark waters of Fewa Lake gently lapping on the bank nearby.
Getting There
Finding the restaurant should be an easy affair because there is only one road that heads towards Pame from Pokhara (so there’s no question of you getting lost!). Once you get on the road to Pame from the crossroads at Halanchok, you’re on your way to Samay. As soon as you go around the bend at Rato Mato Danda (the Red Hill) where you’ll most likely see several horses grazing on the slopes, you will see maroon colored huts and banana groves at the end of the curved road in front of you.
The restaurant stretches right up to the lake and from a distance reminds you of villages in tropical parts of Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia. Upon getting nearer you’ll be greeted by the white rustic signboard, with Samay written upon it, dangling from metal rings on a beam set upon two rough wooden poles next to a bulbous street lamp. The locality that the restaurant is situated is called Khapaundi.
Welcome to Samay! Have a wonderful time!
More about Samay: fewalake.com
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