The walk down the road from Pulchowk to Jhamsikhel has become every pedestrian’s worst nightmare. The amount of dust and smoke the street blows almost makes one speed-walk to reach the other end. Had it not been for photos of friends who enjoyed their new years at the recently opened Haus Café, I would have never ventured down this dusty boulevard.
Like Casa Toscana which was housed here previously, Haus Café is minimilastic in design. The simple and clean choices of furnishing, and the big windows that adorn its front give the place an airy feel, quite a contrast from the road outside.
PICS: HARIZ BAHARUDIN
Haus Café has a delightfully designed menu, with icons and descriptions perfectly laying out the offerings. And the cuisine is no less extensive: Haus offers Mexican, Italian, American and even combinations of these.
One such concoction was our first dish: the Mexican Pizza (Rs 489), which came topped with ingredients like roasted minced chicken, tomatoes, two different types of cheese and spring onions. Our very first bite left the three of us ooing and aahing in pleasure and we agreed that it held its own against pizza powerhouses like Fire and Ice or Roadhouse Café. Each bite offered a different burst of flavor, and the crust was neither too thick nor too thin.
Next, we had the Spirali with Mushroom Sauce (Rs 389), although our first choice was Grilled Shrimp Pasta (Rs 689), which the waiter informed wasn’t available that day. Being ardent meat lovers, we were doubtful if a vegetarian pasta would live up to its non-veg counterparts.
But what a delight it turned out to be. The pasta served was evenly coated and not drenched in cream sauce, giving the dish a simple uncomplicated taste. The generous supply of condiments meant each spoonful we took had at least one of the juicy, chewy sautéed mushrooms, although the dish was already heavenly thanks to the coated pasta itself.
Even though we knew Haus Café was worth a second visit after our mains, the dessert made sure we would not backtrack on our promise. The Chocolate Loaf and Coffee Sauce (Rs 229) was a visual treat – a mighty crown of dark chocolate wafers sitting on a chilled unset block of chocolate ice cream drizzled with fragrant coffee sauce, and served with cream coated coffee beans. Each spoonful was better than the previous. The crunchiness of the wafers provided a nice balance to the smooth, rich chocolate sauce.
Haus is generous with its portions and one should refrain from over-ordering. As we were about to leave, their manager informed us that Haus’s speciaility lie in its baked goods so don’t forget to try from an array of delectables when you go there.
How to get there: Cross the overhead bridge at Pulchowk, and take the road leading towards the Maruti Showroom. Haus Café is located on the left in what used to Casa Toscana.