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Back in December 2011, Nepali Times’ former food connoisseur Marco Pollo,
didn’t enjoy his dinner at Le Sherpa. “[S]lapping on a French article to ‘Sherpa’ does not a French restaurant make,” he withered, before adding a series of tips for the restaurant to ponder.
In turn, online commenters didn’t take too kindly to Mr Chicken’s review. One respondent called it “[S]hameful and vindictive,” while another called it “empty”. One even went as far as to quote Shakespeare, in order to register his disgust.
Nearly two years on, Le Sherpa has undergone changes that our former reviewer might just approve of. Adopting a broader, pan-European menu, the listings at least promised to live up to its almost unparalleled ambience. But could it deliver, where before it left us wanting?
We started with a tapas-style plate of hummus, quail eggs, griddled vegetables, and sundried tomatoes and French bread (Rs 460). So far, so good – the hummus was unusually (but not unpleasantly) acidic, counterbalancing the richness of the quail eggs well and setting us up for heartier mains.
The restaurant’s main courses are noticeably meat-centric, but for readers concerned about Nepal’s bird-flu crisis, you’ll be pleased to know that your options are hardly limited, with only one chicken dish appearing on the menu.
Not wanting to fall fowl (I know) ourselves, we opted instead for the slow-roasted pork belly (Rs 900) and the rabbit tortellini, served in a cream and white wine sauce (Rs 760).
The former was as succulent as one can expect from a hog cooked slowly under a thick layer of its own fat – which, in this meal’s only real flaw, lacked the crispy, golden brown outer edge we’d hoped for. Presented impeccably atop the smoothest, creamiest mash in town, the sauce was too sweet for my partner in crime, but perfect to me.
The latter was a dish of rich rabbit meat, encased in small, but perfectly formed fresh pasta parcels. This was a definite highlight, with just the right level of garlic permeating through the sauce. Be warned, though: the tortellinis resembled little bunny ears perhaps a little too closely for anyone squeamish about eating anything that was, prior to its slaughter, cute.
Wrapping up a lunch that would have felt extravagant in Paris, London or Rome, there was only one natural choice for dessert: the crème brûlée (Rs 320). The last reviewer was especially critical of this offering, informing the uninitiated of the caramelised crack we should expect to hear when digging in, before giving way to a rich, smooth custard. I’m pleased to report that the dessert behaved itself this time around, with a thin, super-sweet crust yielding to the spoon like plate glass.
Clearly, things have changed at Le Sherpa: high standards across the board, from the kitchen to the courtesy. Upon leaving, I felt genuinely sorry for the owners, who have clearly invested so much and committed themselves to meaningful improvements, but are left with the dustbowl chaos on the Lajimpat road outside – hardly inviting to the patrons Le Sherpa aims to woo, or to win back.
How to get there: walk north from Shangri-la Hotel, Le Sherpa is located inside the Ramalaya complex, opposite the Volkswagen showroom.