PICS: MARCO POLO

Blame the rain. Grey clouds Wednesday stormed out expectations for a carne cookout at the nearly year-old Station BBQ in Jhamsikhel, forcing us to shift indoors and sample kitchen-cooked viands in lieu of playing chef.

The eatery's trademark, tabletop grills for self-cooked barbecue, is limited to the front yard, where a copse of pomelo trees provides ample shade but doesn't shield patrons from the elements. Station BBQ's management says installation of awnings is underway, hopefully before the monsoon months.

But, the review must go on!

Perhaps, the rain was opportune. Cook-it-yourself ventures (aside from special preparations like Szechuan hot pots and Korean kalbi) are somewhat unconvincing for high-priced dining and have made me wonder: "Why did I leave home in the first place?"

For dreary days and for those prone to burning or undercooking, the kitchen can prepare any of the options on its BBQ list like lamb chops, mutton skewers, pomfret and quail. As recommended, we opted for pork chops (Rs 310 for a single portion) and bekhti fish (Rs 240).

Fat-in and tender, the pork was sublime and well cooked; while the butterflied fish filet was decent. Both came with smears of chili, mustard and barbecue sauce, which smacked more of a sweet curry paste than a smoky mesquite.

Mixed greens were served, but missing from the spread were complementary bread rolls or potatoes to mop up the drippings. Overall, the menu can better emphasize its barbecue theme by offering combo meals with choice of cuts and sides. Think Peri Peri.

The Chicken Hawaiian Salad (Rs 275) dresses slices of poached chicken breast, apples and pineapple in mayonnaise. Almost too decadent to be a salad, it pairs well with the savoury marinades of the grill.

For mains, the chef's grilled tenderloin (Rs 485) smothered in a red wine reduction was subpar and cooked well done instead of medium rare. One could owe the miscalculation to the steak's cut, which was flat and resembled a flank steak fit for a fajita.

Inside seating at Station BBQ is comfortable but impractical for proper dining. Glass coffee tables and low-lying armchairs have us huddling over our plates. Frankly, the lounge feel is as overdone as cover bands in Thamel. Slap on a different name to Station BBQ and you'll easily get another res-turned-resto in the Jhamsikhel or Lazimpat style.

As of January, we have instated a new rating system based on a ten-point scale that accounts for the total experience at the time of review, where a 5.0 is satisfactory. Station BBQ gets a 6.0 in my book because it was unprepared to withstand the downpour, nevertheless dishing out a delectable pork chop and making an attempt at a unique dining experience.

Find Station BBQ in Jhamsikhel, across from Hermann's Bakery and two houses down