Within one year, Bagaicha (which means garden in Nepali) has already built a strong reputation for itself, largely for its spaciousness. In a place like Kathmandu where open spaces are virtually nonexistent, a parking capacity for 60 cars and over 200 bikes is quite impressive. On a normal day Bagaicha can host around 200 guests, but it has also catered to groups over 500.

PICS: RUBY TUESDAY

The menu is extensive offering a little bit of everything- Indian, Chinese, Continental, Thai, and Nepali. So I did what I have learnt is the wisest thing to do when faced with so many choices: ask the server for recommendations. And the recommendations were as eclectic as the menu,ranging from tom yam kai to pasta with chili flakes to chicken mughlai. Bagaicha's chef Rek Bahadur Raut has worked in Kolkata, Ladhakh, Amritsar and Dubai and this probably explains the diversity of the dishes plated up.

We decided to start with the nam tok kai, the restaurant's most popular dish. Marinated, julienned, and crisply fried chicken strips with parsley and onions all tossed together in Thai hot sauce with a little bit of tart and a little bit of sweet is an excellent companion to the drink of your choice. The vegetable skewers were next and the usual culprits; onions, capsicum, tomatoes, mushrooms and paneer, were lined up and impaled together in an Italian sauce marinade for our dining pleasure.

The tom yam koong, Thai shrimp soup with button mushrooms and galangal and lemon grass was hot, tangy and warming - the perfect dish for chilly winter evenings. The chicken biryani came piping hot in a copper dish, garnished with boiled eggs and cashew nuts and maraschino cherries. Many restaurants get this dish so wrong because they season it too liberally and make it so rich with extra helpings of ghee that you are already overwhelmed by the time you make it to your third spoon. At Bagaicha, chef Raut cooks heavy food with a light hand which makes the dishes wholesome and filling yet delicate in their flavours.

The restaurant is divided into different areas with a large hall and outdoor seating and also private rooms for bigger groups. On Friday nights Bagaicha dishes up live music and dancing with 'live' barbeque stations. However, it does not fit under any label. What makes Bagaicha endearing is that you can decide what kind of place you want it to be: a reasonable place for a work day lunch, a place to hang out with friends and get drinks at the end of a long tiring day, or for a romantic rendezvous or a big boisterous meal with the entire family. Do give it a visit and discover your own Bagaicha.

GOOGLE MAPS

How to get there:At the Jawalakhel roundabout, turn left and head towards the Adidas showroom. There is a little lane right next to it, about 150 metres in, look to the left and you will see the signboard for Bagaicha.