There’s more than one reason to stall around City Center. And, it’s not because of the monotonous shopping or the overpriced cinemas in store. It’s because of the food. And please don’t think I mean their food court – which is just a really really sad place. What’s with the plastic and neon lights and why do Kathmanduites love it? It just depresses me.

I’m talking about the sidewalk City Center rents out to Indian food stalls:

Granted it’s not exactly a fine dining experience – no tables, just an extra muda if you’re lucky enough, but the food is affordable and absolutely delicious and much more hygienic than most of the fancier places in town. And, as an added bonus the men working there are really nice!

Once I tried to cheat and get the same deal over by UWTC and it was disappointment all around. The puchka had more maida than alu and the kala khatta was prepared by a child (which is just awkward) and neither of my orders tasted half as good. Since then, I swore I’d never compromise.

You see, the pani puri at City Center have never given me a “runny stomach”.  And, they are tasty stuff. The pani is exactly the right degree of tangy and the puri is crunchy and the guy working that stall is fast! He replaces my plate quicker than I stuff them down my face. (The only other place worth getting the puchka is Anmol in New Road, but they cost like three times more.)

If you are more hungry than that snack could satisfy, then try the sandwiches. “Fusion cooking” is a term so over-used in cooking shows and restaurants these days, but I think no one has gotten the point of it better than the sandwich stall.

I hate it when fusion means compromising. But, with these goodies, the “western” part is that it is a sandwich but the “eastern” part is that it’s not a sandwich you’d ever find in the West.

Sure, it’s goodies slapped between two slices of bread, but that’s all the West would recognize. My favorite is the one with paneer and mushroom. The guy toasts the content between the bread so that it’s warm and crunchy. They add generous helpings of the Indian-ish tangy ketchup and some sort of padheena paste (I think). It’s such a simple dish, but somehow also an entire meal.

Even at my hungriest that sandwich is all it takes to fill me up. They cut it into six pieces and that’s trademark South Asian, because obviously that’s done so we can pass it around to our friends, share and exchange our meal plans. Only, I hate sharing my sandwich because it is so good.

The only thing you need after your appetrize Puchka and entre Sandwich is a drink. I discovered Kala Khatta as a sixth grader in a boarding school in India and I was overjoyed to find it in Nepal when the drink stall opened at City Center. It’s got that staining effect so there’s no lying to mum about where you’ve been, but it also brings out the child in you and being silly is suddenly okay.

I mean, you are dipping your chuck of ice in tangy black liquid and suckling it out … there’s little room for sophistication at that.

The best part is that all of this is available for about Rs.200 – where else in Kathmandu can you get a full meal that is clean at that price?

Since Valley Foodie can’t cook and hates to clean up after creating havoc in the kitchen while frying  eggs in place of a “real meal” the only option she has is to explore and to eat. You may think such an individual could not provide solid food reviews, but really, it’s the opposite (because she watches Master Chef). Anyway, who says the way to a man’s stomach alone is through food?

www.parakhi.com/blogs