Recently, after finishing the Himalayan Travel Mart press trip, a group of us teamed up for a walking food tour of Kathmandu. If you follow the blog, you know I love walking food tours and have enjoyed them in Morocco, Hong Kong, and Istanbul.
Joining me were Stephen and Nadja of A Backpackers Tale, Steph from Every Steph, Raphael from Journey Wonders and last but not least- our patient and knowledgeable local guide Bhisma, who probably had no idea what he was getting himself into when he signed up to take a group of bloggers on a tour.
We met at a central meeting point, which was great because it would be the only moment of the tour where I knew exactly where I was. Hands down, my favorite thing about this tour is that other than one-stop for a lassi drink, we would never have been able to find any of the locations on our own.
Each stop was down some narrow, winding alley. We followed our guide through complicated streets, ducked under half walls, and crossed hidden courtyards in search of the best local food.
Our first stop was the perfect example of this. Down a maze-like alley and up a dark set of narrow stairs, we found a group of local women hard at work.
They sat crouched around pans and large flat top cooking surfaces expertly grilling and flipping what looked like pancakes.
We all sat and watched as they worked, passing out dishes on a first-come, first-serve basis. And what we were served was definitely worth the wait. This dish is known as bara, which are spiced lentil patties. These were served with potatoes and I, of course, doused mine with a spicy sauce.
At the same shop, we were served yomari, a Nepalese sweet. Yomari is a steamed dumpling filled with two different fillings. Half contained sweetened milk (khuwa) and the other half concentrated sugar cane.
To be honest, this was the only food from the tour that I didn’t care for, but that’s probably because I don’t have much of a sweet tooth. I actually would have preferred a second serving of the spicy lentil dish!
Back down the stairs, through the busy streets, and down yet another alley, our next stop was one I knew I was going to like. If you’re following me on social media, you know I’ve been stuffing my face with momos since the plane touched down.
Momos are a different, savory type of steamed dumplings. Though they originated from Tibet, they are now Nepalese staple food. You can find momos filled with many different combinations- chicken, cheese and potato, pork, etc. I even found Bolognese momos, which weren’t great. At all.
I knew I would love the type of momos from this tour because I’ve had it so many times: buffalo momos. It may sound odd, but because the majority of Nepalese are Hindu, buffalo is the most common meat, more so than even chicken.
And, just as I expected, these were amazing. Bite-size dumplings filled with minced meat and covered in a spicy sauce.
Again, we followed our guide, this time ducking through a small doorway and emerging into a courtyard filled with people either standing around eating or waiting in line. I knew any place this full of locals and with a line in the middle of the afternoon must be good.
The vendors sold several different types of food, but we had come for what may be the largest samosas I’ve ever had. Samosas are a pastry-like dough stuffed with a savory filling and then deep-fried. These were served fresh and hot out of the fryer and had been filled with potatoes, peas, onions, and cilantro (coriander) before being topped off with a slightly spicy/sweet sauce.
I loved the samosa- the filling was quite delicious. I probably could have done with a bit less of the sauce (again, the sweet tooth thing), but overall it was great. The filling was savory and hearty. Two of these could be a complete meal.
Also, I don’t know if you noticed the bowls from both the momos and samosa, but they are all-natural, completely biodegradable bowls that seemed to be made from leaves. I was impressed to see they were being mindful of the environment.
Our next stop was perhaps the most interesting dish of the tour. Dahi Puri is a dish of flour-filled smashed potatoes topped with chutney, yogurt, and red chili powder.
You’re meant to eat each one in just one bite. I really enjoyed these- the yogurt on top was especially good.
As the tour continued, we passed local points of interest and temples. Our guide enthusiastically presented the history of each of the sites and explained their relevance. I’ve always enjoyed learning about the background of a place while trying local dishes.
Next, we stopped for lassi, a drink I’m familiar with. If you haven’t had lassi, it’s a yogurt-based drink blended with water and spices. To be honest, I don’t usually care for lassi, but I really enjoyed this one.
What made this lassi so different that I liked it? It was topped with dried fruits and nuts. I would drink a lassi a day with what essentially amounted to trail mix added into it!
Our guide also told us this version contains Nepali butter which, though it may make it less healthy, also helps explains why I liked it more than other versions.
As we wound the tour down, we stopped for flavored sodas. The vendor offered a host of different varieties of flavorings to add to soda water. Orange, lemon, ginger, medicinal, herbs, etc.
I opted for a classic lemon soda. It was extra fizzy and a great light drink after a few of the heavier dishes.
No tour in Nepal would be complete without finishing with a glass of tea. It was a great way to sit around and talk about the tour, debate our favorite dishes, and learn more about Nepali life in general.
When you’re visiting Kathmandu I highly recommend this tour. It’s a great way to try some of the best in local dishes from vendors known to have high standards while also learning about the city and its people.
Practical Information: Our guide made sure to take us to only well-known places with high standards of cleanliness. Eating street food in any developing country can be sketchy, but not one of us reported any upset stomachs or the like after this tour.
Disclaimer: I would like to thank Backstreet Academy for inviting me as their guest on this tour. Although the tour was complimentary all opinions remain my own, as always.
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Which dish looked best to you? Would you consider a walking food tour of Kathmandu during your time in Nepal? Let me know in the comments section below!
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I also love to discover new places through their food culture. This was a very interesting article and wow, your photos!
I never really thought about going around Nepal and Kathmandu for food, I just think of the hiking 😀 So cant wait to get there one day and check this out. Fantastic read. 🙂
umm… I am hungry and want to eat all of this now. I think its time to go to Nepal! 😉
this is such a mouthwatering post!! I get hungry looking at those great photos. I once had the pleasure to have a chef from Nepal cook diner during a Yoga retreat and it was soooo good. Your post made me think of it again! Awesome to do a food tour like that!
Delicious food walks I would say. Lassi with dry fruits topping is a great idea to replenish lost energy in the heat. In my opinion best Samosa’s can be had only in Delhi 🙂 🙂
I really MUST make food tours more of a priority when I travel, I love the idea of a guide picking out the safest places to avoid a stomach revolt!
I think that you are exactly right when you said that one of the great things of taking a food tour is that you are able to experience places that you would not be able to find on your own. You are able to take advantage of your guides local knowledge. The momos look amazing, and it doesn’t hurt that I love buffalo meat.
Tasting local foodis the best way how to learn about the place. And it’s such a pleasurable way! 🙂 I would go for yomari and Dahi Puri. They look amazing..same as all the other dishes. Great post 🙂
Now this is my kind of post! Consider it pinned! We are heading to Nepal next year, so great time for travel planning. Those spiced lentil patties are definitely on my wish list. If you loved Nepal, you could go to Mcleod Ganj in India (home of the Dalai Lama) an incredible town that definitely has the Kathmandu vibe!
Feeling really hungry after reading this post. The fact that Nepalese cuisine is similar in many ways to Indian Cuisine, is really fascinating. The Lentils pancake and spicy sauce is something i would love to have and the sweet dish too. And talking about samosas, that is something we really freak out on here in India.
Oh my gosh, this post has me drooling! If I ever return to Kathmandu I so totally need to do a food tour! Momos are the greatest food ever and I haven’t had them since being in Nepal four years ago! That banana lassi is super yummy too, although I think it may have contributed to some of my traveling tummy troubles ;P
Bara with spicy sauce sounds wonderful. Love the photos!
I’m a huge fan of food tours and this one sounds very intriguing. You had me half sweetened milk and half sugarcane. LOL The dumplings look amazing. I will admit I had no idea what kind of food they eat in Nepal but think, after reading this, that i would be okay. 😉
I think food is the best way to connect with a culture and with people. Especially when it’s a group of people like us travel bloggers who can relate to each other in some or several ways.
I think this is an awesome way to do a food tour. The pictures look great as per usual. I thought the last picture was a glass of beer…but tea can work
I felt hungrier by each thing that you guys ate, they all look delicious!
It sounds like a great tour and a fantastic way to really taste the flavors of Kathmandu. Good on your guide too for doing such a great job, because you’re right, he probably had no idea what he was getting himself into!
I always think food tours are such a great way to get a taste for the local culture, and this one looks like no exception. I love that all of the places were off the beaten path and not something you could have found on your own.
That was my favorite part also- everything felt so local and authentic! It was a really great tour.
I like walking and exploring local food too. The pictures tell me that this must have been fun. I couldn’t stop myself from gorging on the momos of Nepal but really missed trying Yomari.
Some of us tried doing the same in Pokhara and we did find some interesting street food and snacks. I will blog about it soon.
I look forward to reading that blog! I know what you mean about momos– I could (and did) eat them everyday!
It was a blast! Rice wine and wonder woman! Thanks for the shout out!
That should be an entirely separate post– the things that don’t make it into the blog! Wonder Woman and rice wine made for a perfect combo!
This post makes me want to go back to Nepal. I love the momos and there are a lot more foods you’ve posted here that I still haven’t tried.
It looks terrific and we would love to take the tour but I can’t find the exact tour on the link…..???
Bobbie- it’s the far left one on the top row. Here’s a more direct link: https://www.backstreetacademy.com/kathmandu/206/secret-food-tour-exposing-the-locals-best-hideouts If you go I’d love to know what you thought of the tour!
Nice to read in fact some of the items are tasted by me and I really enjoyed the food of khathmundu. Well can anybody suggest me the way to set up one Bangladeshi restaurant in Nepal or can anybody like to join with me to set up it in the capital of Nepal .pls need your reply ..
You really made me hungry for some Nepalese food! I have enjoyed it many times stateside but this piece really brings it home that I have got to get to Nepal to get the real thing. Great photos – the food looks delicious your descriptions had my mouth watering.
Your photographs of Nepal are magnificent. They capture the essence and beauty of Nepal really nicely. We have not been to Nepal, but it is a country that would love to visit one day.
Hi – love the blog 🙂 Just tried to book the backstreet academy secret food tour in Kathmandu, but alas they’re not taking bookings anymore due to covid. Do you know of any other food tours in Nepal or how to contact the hosts? Thx
Thank you for the update! No, unfortunately that is the only food tour I did in Kathmandu!
@Saj, contact them on the chat form (I contacted the WhatsApp number) and they were able to arrange the food tour for us ☺️