PICS: PM
There was a time when I felt unsafe walking through the quiet Krishna Galli at night. But that was a long time ago. The dense bamboos that shadowed the galli are now gone, replaced by posh boutiques and cafes, which have transformed this once quiet street into a swanky new lane.
Among the list of new establishments, the chic Embers restaurant, located right next to Bhat Bhateni, is sure to catch your eye. Perhaps that’s why our last reviewer went in to give it a try even before the restaurant had formally opened.
Undoubtedly, Embers has one of the best spaces among restaurants in Kathmandu. An open courtyard welcomes you as you walk towards the white European-styled building. After a tour of the restaurant, which included a large semi-formal dining room, a private roundtable and an open seating area, we settled for the nice cosy sofas next to a fireplace.
The menu at Embers is a mix of continental and Nepali favourites. For starters we tried vegetarian brushetta (Rs 245) and deep fried prawns (Rs 425).
As soon as the brushetta arrived on our table, we knew we were in for a treat. The classic antipasto was packed with all the right flavours. Perfectly layered grilled eggplant, tomato and capsicum topped with sour cream and a peanut based green paste worked gracefully together to give us a flavourful bite.
The fried prawns at Embers had us competing for each piece. The prawns coated in a golden batter was crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. And the spicy dip perfectly complimented the prawns.
For the mains we ordered tenderlion fillet steak (Rs 585) and honey braised duck (Rs 645). As we waited for our mains to hit the table, we were asked to try crispy corns. The corns reminded of Bu Keba’s Twaaka Makkai and were fun to munch on with the roasted red chillies leaving a nice aftertaste.
The steak was served with organic salad, fries and topped with red wine sauce. The meat was tender and cut into easily. A bite and you could tell it had been marinated well.The creamy red wine sauce had a hint of black pepper that added to the dish.
The honey braised duck was sliced into just the right sizes to share and had good meat and fat ratio. Although the taste was good, I wished the meat had been a little softer.
Despite being packed to the brim, we took a risk and ordered a cheese cake (Rs 285) to share. Even on a full tummy, the cake was delicious, delicious, delicious!
Embers has a lot going for it. Serve good food and maintain the space, and Embers will soon be a crowd favourite.
**How to get there: walk along Krishna Galli, Pulchok. Embers is between Bhat Bhateni supermarket and Panchakanya building.*
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