PICS: JITENDRA RAJBHANDARY
is the place to go for a family dinner on a weekend. Named after the owner, Tasneem and her husband greeted every table throughout the evening. Their charming disposition instantly made us feel at home.
In addition, Tasneem makes it a point to change their menu every two weeks, so there are always new and exciting dishes for your family to try.
My family and I started the meal with Chicken Timur Tikka (Rs. 475). The chicken does melt in your mouth and was spicy, just the way I like it. For my vegetarian mother, we got vegetarian cutlets (Rs.300). This cutlet was fried till crisp on the outside, a nice compliment to the soft creamy mashed vegetables on the inside. Both appetisers were served with a side of mint dipping sauce.
Tasneem’s provides a variety of beer, wine and liquor, and you can also bring your own for Rs. 1000 per bottle. Although my father’s order of hot lemon with ginger came with sugar and honey that he did not want, Tasneem’s husband personally got the replacement himself.
We moved on to the (Boneless) Chicken Sheekh Biryani (Rs. 600), which was mildly spiced with generous pieces of chicken. It had just the right amount of spice for my friend, but I would have preferred it with a touch more chilli powder.
This ‘Nepali’ friendly dishes were not over spiced or too greasy like most Indian foods, and they said they never use any food colouring. My favourite was the Butter Garlic Naan (Rs.100), probably the best naan in the area. We ordered extra. It went perfectly with Dal Tadka (Rs. 250), with a good consistency to have as a soup or to dip naan in. Everyone loved this.
My mother liked the Paneer Makhani (Rs. 350) that was slightly sweet and creamy. Our final main dish was Chicken Korma (Rs. 450), that looked homemade and was cooked to the liking of my father and friend. It tasted a little bland for me.
I think it is an insult to a lovely dinner if you do not order dessert. Tasneem recommended Kheer (Rs. 175) made Bombay-style, served chilled with sprinkles of almonds. It tasted like a piece of heaven with a hint of saffron. I suppose people could share it but I do not like having more than one spoon in one dessert.
Tasneem’s also serves vegetarian and non-vegetarian combo lunches priced from Rs.250 to Rs350. Takeaways are also provided for an order for a minimum of 10 persons, allowing you to enjoy Tasneem’s food with some friends if you do not feel like cooking.
My only pet peeve about the restaurant was the location of the restroom. It was by the outdoor seating and you had to walk past a number of diners to get there, meaning everyone would know where you were headed. It also did not have separate facilities for men and women.
The food, however, will still make dining at Tasneem an amazing experience. Indeed, the Bohra Muslim’s motto rings true: “A family that eats together stays together”.
Anjana Rajbhandary
How to get there: Tasneem’s is located in Jhamsikhel, right next to the fire department.