5 Best Places To Eat Newari Food In Patan Under Rs. 500
Patan, as we all know, is one of the main settlements of Newar in the Kathmandu Valley. Most of the people in this area are the natives and have been living here for generations. Due to this, the cultural foods have remained almost untouched by modernization and the methods of preparing foods are still the same. This has led the foods to be rather cheap.
Unlike most other places, the people don’t really have to rent a place to open up a stall as they can open up an eatery in their own home. As we have talked before, Newari’s classic dishes are cheap and simple to make. Due to these reasons, we can find Newari eatery here rather cheaply. We are not saying that the eateries in other districts are expensive though as most of the eateries are pretty cheap in the entire valley. We just mean that here we can find cheap eateries easier and quicker. The fact that Patan is a compact place also helps with that as well.
Following are 5 good newari food eaters in Patan where you can eat your belly full within 500 rupees.
1. Honacha(होनचा)- Krishna Mandir
If you have been to Patan, you must have heard of this place, Located in the heart of Patan, Mangalbazar, this eatery is one of the famous ones. The place is small and comfortable and the food is prepared fresh here. The best thing about this place is that Honacha is located in the Durbar square area. All of you must know where Krishna Mandir is right? Well, this place is right behind that temple. You can get Newari foods from Chowela to Yomari. The thing that sets this place apart from the rest is the fact that this is a family run business and is currently run by the 6th or 7th generation. So that means that this place has been here for a long time. Given that a generation is usually 30 years long in Nepal, this place has been here for more than 150 years.
This place is famous for its Haku chowela which is super spicy here and it’s chhyang as well. Chhyang is a rice beer that is common in many Nepali cultures but it is mostly famous for Newari drink in Patan. Also, there are actually two Honacha in the same place. The second one is beside the Bhimsen Mandir. If one place is packed, you can always go to the second Honacha. Just don’t go here on the weekends as this place is usually packed the whole day during that time.
2. Kwachha(क्वाचा)- Chyasal
This is among those famous yet hidden Newari eateries in Patan. Located in the galli’s of Chaysal, this place is mostly famous for its Chhyang and Alu along with the rarely seen Chhyalchha. This is a good place if you want to have a hidden food junction in the heart of Patan. The thing about Kwachha is, even if you do know the general location, it is rather hard to find if you don’t know the ally system of Patan. The most common people who know about this are the food hunters, the regular, and the locals. Now what is special about this is that occasionally, this palace serves crabs prepared in Newari style.
Unknown to many, Newari people have eaten crabs for a long time and this unique food is recently disappearing. How do they get crabs? Well, most of the people of Patan are farmers and they plant rice in the monsoon. Where there is rice, there are occasional crabs here. Generally prepared in the style of fish stew, you have to try it to feel the goodness. Along with the crab, you can also find the hidden meat jelly Takha here as well in the winters. Similarly to Honacha, this is also a family run business currently run by the 5th generation.
3. Nandini Food court – Swotha
Nandini Food court is one of those eateries where a lot of foreigners have gone. The reason for this is because of the rare type of Newari cuisine served here. Unlike the previous two eateries, the food served here is in the court of the eatery. You can eat inside as well but eating inside a room when you have come to a food court just is not the same. Along with that, this place is also located near the Durbar square area and hence also has that durbar vibe as well.
Talking about rare foods, the most famous foods here are the Yomari and Sapu Mhicha. You may hear about Yomari a lot but in most eateries, this is seasonal food and that includes most Newari eateries as well. As for Sapu Mhicha, a lot of you might not even have seen it. Not only is it a rare dish to outsiders, but it is also a rare delicacy to even the Newari people themselves. You can see the appeal here, right? Although a bit more expensive than all the other eateries in this list, you can eat your belly full here. We advise you to control Sapu Mhicha and mixed Wo here as they can get you addicted.
4. Bulal Newari Khaja Ghar- Pinchhen
Now let’s go a bit outside the Durbar Square area. This place is located near the edge of the Patan area in an area nearing Gwarko. A lot of you might not even have heard about the location let alone this eatery. This is, however, a fine eatery where you can find the rare locally made blood-sausages. Actually this is among the few places that serve a local blood-sausage in the entire of Patan. Regardless of how commonly you can get factory-made blood-sausage, the ones made and prepared locally have a different taste to it. Along with local-blood sausage, you can also find another rare Newari food here and that is Hyangu-thwo (ह्यांगु थ्वों). The name sounds Chinese but it is actually a Newari form of rice beer. Now because making a red-rice beer takes a lot longer than a regular rice-beer, it is rather rare.
Besides these two Newari cuisines, you can also find Haku Chowela, Kegu-Achar (spicy pea salad), Alu Tama, Kachila, and other delicious foods as well. If you want a place to drink and have good food within a few hundred rupees, this is the place for you.
5. Maharjan Khaja Ghar- Pimbahal
This is a recently opened eatery and not many people know about this palace. Although this place has no special dish of its own the ones they serve are made damn near perfectly, this place does serve a lot of the ones so far in the list and that includes, Haku Chowela, Kachila, and the rare Takha and Chhyalcha as well. Located near the beautiful pond of Pimbahal this place is a bit far from the bustling noises of the Patan gallis and is a good place to just lay down and relax while having Newari foods. The ones who visit this place are those seeking some peace and quiet place to drink and relax. That being said the Chnayang of this place is a bit unique not in the sense of taste but in the sense of how it hits you. You don’t get a hangover from the Chhyang of this place for the most part and it has a subtly sweet taste and a slow effect.
Since this is a recently opened place that has existed for just over a year, there is still time to grow much further. You can visit this on your way to Patan Dhoka. Also, the famous potato chip shop is just around the corner so this might just be the best place to enjoy a bag of chips while you drink peacefully.
Now we know that a lot of you might not know what some of these foods are. Don’t worry as we have got your back. Check out our list of “10 Newari foods that you must try” to know more about Newari Foods.
Also read: 10 Newari Culture That I Bet You Didn’t Know Before.