Restaurant Review - Kathmandu Steakhouse

Life in Kathmandu is different in many ways. The pace of life here is slower than we’re used to, although the city is usually teeming with people and traffic. The best place to buy fruit and vegetables are at the local market at a street vendor’s pushcart, and it’s cheaper than processed foods. Preparing your meals from scratch with fresh ingredients is the norm, not the exception.

For That-Man-The-Carnivore the most noticeable adjustment has been the amount of red meat he consumes, or rather, the amount he doesn’t consume. Although he has faced many a vegetarian meal valiantly, he has been honing the figurative blade in anticipation of sinking his teeth into a juicy piece of meat for a number of months now.

He scoured the web for recommendations and considered his options carefully. He is not usually known for his analytical obsessions. However, this was another matter altogether and so he dove into the process with a hearty relish. At last he settled on an establishment with an abundance of meat in a central location, and off we went.

Kathmandu Steakhouse is located in the heart of Thamel, the bustling tourist hub of Kathmandu. It’s situated on the second floor of a hotel, which put the rest of us at risk of envying the hotel patrons for their proximity to this much red meat. Being on the second floor, it offers a view of the street below without the feeling of being in the fray of the throngs below. While most of the restaurant is laid out with tables and chairs, one corner is furnished with cushions and low tables for a different dining experience.

Although it’s known for its steak offerings, the restaurant presents patrons with a variety of options, including burgers, soups, pastas and salads. Their signature grill menu features chicken, pork, fish and vegetarian options, from which i ordered the Yak Cheese Steak. It’s described as “Grilled cottage cheese served with seasonal vegetables and chips,” and served on a hot cast-iron plate, sizzling with the promise of being all kinds of mouthwateringly delectable. To be fair, it’s worth mentioning that the term cottage cheese refers more to the fact that the cheese is locally made, than the actual kind of cheese. It’s similar to Haloumi, not the soft cheese you usually buy in the supermarket at home. Two huge slices of cheese is stacked onto freshly grilled vegetables and chips, which makes for a nutritious and tasty meal.

The signature steak menu was the reason we came here in the first place, and That-Man-who-had-been-deprived-of-a-steak-for-too-long couldn’t wait to get his hands on one of these juicy discs of pure protein. The options were almost overwhelming, but eventually he settled on the Trekkers Special Steak, three pieces of tenderloin (300 grams) seared to perfection and served with grilled vegetables and chips. Boy oh boy! What a treat this is in Kathmandu!

We appreciated the range of sauces served at the table. We loved the relative peaceful mood of the restaurant. The staff were professional, friendly, attentive and accommodating, and the service was prompt and efficient. A nice touch at the entrance is the world map, where visitors can pin their hometown. Our group were the first people ever from Kimberley to eat there, and so we got to “claim our stake” in the Kathmandu Steakhouse.