A Mecca for climbing enthusiasts but for the rest of us, it’s just another joint in town that doesn’t quite live up to its hype
This 30-year-old establishment named after a fictional mountain is a legend in its own right. Climbing heroes Sir Edmund Hillary and Reinhold Hessner are known to have enjoyed a bite and more at this bar cum restro frequented mainly by climbers and trekkers. Hundreds have etched memories of their journey on wooden planks shaped like yeti footsteps that decorate this spacious three-floored venue from ceilings to walls. Lunch or dinner is on the house for those who have made it to the top of the world. And how does the staff know if you are not lying to claim fame and free food? Whenever in doubt they ring up Elizabeth Hawley, the unofficial Everest expert.
The menu at Rum Doodle is a mix of continental, Indian and Nepali, but the meals are relatively expensive and service isn’t quite as exemplary as expected. A regular steak here costs Rs 750 (plus the customary 10 per cent and 13 per cent). After walking the entire way from Ratnapark to Jyatha in the heat, fruit lassi (Rs 130) sounded perfect. The popular yogurt-based drink was in a word dissatisfying. The ‘fruit’ in the lassi was missing and it wasn’t as chilled as we would have preferred on a scorching summer.
PICS: TSERING DOLKER GURUNG
After the initial let down, we learnt our lesson and restrained from being too adventurous with our lunch orders. For starters, we chose tomato and mozzarella salad (Rs 250) and a chicken basket (Rs 290). What we expected was a perfect refreshing salad for summer. What we got was disappointment on a plate. The ruby-red tomatoes teamed with chunks of mozzarella were under-dressed. There was no hint of olive oil and the meagerly served basil on top didn’t enhance the taste of the salad, at all. The chicken basket was too greasy to our liking. As you bite into a piece, an overwhelming taste similar to that of a thick mushroom fills your mouth and you are left hunting for a taste of chicken one piece after another.
The salami, ham, and sausage pizza (Rs 390) was the best bet. The eight inch wood-fired pizza with generous toppings of the three meats was too large even for two people with a trekker’s appetite. A perfect bar food, it went well with a glass of beer and disappeared slice by slice from the plate as we enjoyed a game of IPL on the TV.
Rum Doodle is a Mecca for climbing enthusiasts where they get to brush shoulders with their heroes but for the rest of us, it is just another joint in town that doesn’t quite live up to its hype.
GOOGLE MAPS
How to get there: As you walk to Thamel, turn left towards the road leading to Jyatha. Rum Doodle is located on the right inside a lane, few metres away from the turning.