As the most popular tourist destination in Nepal, Pokhara is a melting pot of food from across the globe. Walking along Lakeside leaves one spoilt for options and sometimes choosing what to eat can be quite exasperating.
When my friends and I decided to eat Korean food one evening, we took our chances and went into the first place we saw after stepping out of our guesthouse. We ended up in the dimly-lit Natssul Restaurant and Bar, which we later discovered is owned by a Korean couple.
The interior of Natssul is reminiscent of the establishments in Seoul’s Hongdae district. Soft music plays in the background, amidst black walls lined with photographs and art pieces – giving the whole place a very cool vibe. We felt like we were in Korea again and we were hopeful the food would be as authentic as the ambience.
In true Korean fashion, the restaurant generously provides customers free side dishes and tea, which are meant to complement the mains. The amount of free hors d’oeuvre is quite overwhelming though and one must be careful not to eat too much of the kimchi or fried bean sprouts before the food arrives.
A Korean staple is fried chicken (Rs 700), so we obviously had to try Natssul’s version. The dish, however, did not taste authentic at all. It was regrettable that the measly chicken pieces seemed hastily cut and navigating the bones was an unnecessary hassle. This would have been forgivable if the batter that the chicken was coated in was nice, which it was unfortunately not. Sadly nothing special about the bird.
Thankfully the other dishes were much better and Natssul’s rendition of bibimbap (Rs 480) could do no wrong. The great portion of rice, chunks of buff, vegetables, and egg that sizzles in the stone bowl looked almost too good to ruin by mixing – but that was what had to be done. The textures and taste of all the ingredients blended together and tasted great. The rice, however, tends to get crispy if the bibimbap is not mixed well so make sure you stir everything properly if you don’t like it that way.
Similarly, the bulgogi (Rs 500) at Natssul is equally satisfying. Served with fluffy white rice, the beef broth was the perfect dish to have on that cold rainy day at Lakeside. There was so much beef in the bulgogi, we had to all share to finish it. Eating the dish with rice alone seemed quite plain though, but thankfully there were many side dishes to go around the table.
ALL PICS: TOH EE MING
We also ordered japchae (Rs 450), a dish of glass noodles cooked together with black sauce and a myriad of other ingredients. Although it looked quite unappetising at first, the tangy taste of the black sauce was quite delicious, especially when paired with the noodles.
Korean food has managed to carve quite an identity in Nepal and there is no shortage of Korean restaurants around. While the authenticity fluctuates a lot, Natssul is – thanks in large part to its owners - a place that is committed to be as true to Korea as possible. Not bad for an accidental find.
How to get there: walk west along the Phewa Lake until you get near Basundara Park. Natssul is located on the right side of the road, with a big sign that is hard to miss.