MARCO POLO

After sampling Tama's menu and gnawing on leftovers the next morning, I am surprised to meet foodies in the valley unacquainted with the four-year-old canteen in Gairdihara. Its traditional comforts are done so well that I forked right into the day-old helpings of tandoori chicken without reheating.

While Newa de Café in Thamel 'elevates the local', Tama has it streamlined. The casual, clean-cut joint does fast food without the in-and-out pacing typical of fast food chains. Black tied waiters are at your beck and call, and a glass divide reveals an orderly kitchen of white toques in full gear. Comfortable booths are available for seating as well as the Nepali convention of floor style dining.

Tama's menu conjures a candy shop for savory tooths and takes the street out of street side fare. Indian and Nepali snacks are easily at the top of its list among its tandoori and taas sets.

Pakoras are usually disappointing or average. The batter is often too doughy like a fritter or too light like tempura. But Tama's pakoras, particularly its cheese variation, strike the perfect balance.

The chicken tandoori is impeccably cooked and matches well with an order of sweet Peshwari naan. For vegetarians the palak paneer may seem ordinary. But Tama isn't about nouvelle cuisine; it's about quality. Unlike standard palak paneer, Tama's paneer is thinly sliced and seared for flavour.

Its most popular offering is its taas lunch set. Tender pieces of fried goat meat come with crispy bhuja, puffed rice, and spicy pickled vegetable achar.

For beverages, a glass of real juice like mango, guava or lychee seals the deal. For dessert, head elsewhere. Remarkably, prices are as local as the cuisine and are not affected by the packaging. The only possible drawback makes for a more or less 'authentic experience' and could only bother an illiterate expat or tourist. Tama spells out half (arguably the more interesting half) of its menu in Nepali, which a waiter would be more than happy to translate.

From the Narayanhiti Museum pass the Sunrise Bank in Gairdihara, cross the intersection and stay right