Even Potatoes and Eggs Carry the Taste of Mountains 🥔

During my days wandering in Nepal, the most unexpected joy wasn’t the snow-capped mountains or lakes, but the happiness of having my taste buds spoiled——the food here is like hidden surprises. Even common potatoes and eggs taste completely different from those in cities. Pokhara’s Soul Garden made me visit twice, and that 4.8-rated eatery in Kathmandu was a instant hit. Now, thinking of those days filled with "potato and egg feasts," I still can’t help but salivate 🤤 🌱 Soul Garden (Pokhara): The Original Flavor of Mountain Ingredients, Cooked to Perfection The first time I walked into Soul Garden, I was drawn by the wooden sign at the door: "Using ingredients from Pokhara Valley, making simple dishes." The small restaurant is tucked in an alley in Pokhara’s urban area, with mint and basil planted in the yard. Tables are set under the shade of trees, and when the wind blows, the scent of leaves mixes with the heat wafting from the kitchen, making people hungry before even stepping inside. The potatoes and eggs here really carry the "mountain vibe": The potato curry uses small potatoes dug from the mountains, with rough skin still (carrying) traces of soil. They’re stewed tender but not mushy, and you can taste the natural sweetness of starch when bitten into. The curry sauce is mixed with local yellow ginger, with a subtle fragrance that never overshadows the potatoes; The tomato scrambled eggs are even more amazing! The eggs are from free-range chickens, golden like little suns, fried fluffy with crispy edges. The tomatoes are local cherry tomatoes, sour and bright, mixed with the aroma of eggs. Served with rice, it’s enough to eat three bowls——later I found out that the owner goes to the mountains to collect vegetables every early morning, with potatoes still (carrying) morning dew and eggs just picked by farmers. No wonder even simple stir-fries are fresh enough to impress. On my second visit, I deliberately ordered wild vegetable soup. The leaves unfold in the hot soup, and a sip brings a bitter followed by sweet aftertaste. Paired with crispy-on-the-outside, soft-on-the-inside Nepali bread, I suddenly understood "simplicity is delicious"——the dishes here are like Pokhara’s mountain wind, not fancy but full of natural sincerity. ✨ 4.8-Rated Small Restaurant (Kathmandu): Too Exquisite to Eat, with a Bite of Sweet, Fragrant, Salty and Crispy While wandering in Kathmandu’s old town, I was stopped by a small restaurant squeezed in an alley——the door is only half a person wide, with a sign reading "Home Cooked." The small dishes in the glass cabinet are arranged like works of art, and the secret behind its 4.8 rating is clear at the first bite. The most amazing dish is honey walnut fried potatoes: small potatoes cut into rolls, fried crispy outside and soft inside, coated with local honey and crushed walnuts. A bite first brings the crispness of the sugar coating, then the powderiness of the potatoes, and finally the aroma of walnuts on the tip of the tongue. Sweet, fragrant, salty and crispy swirl in the mouth, with layers as rich as eating dessert; The egg spice tart is even better: free-range chicken eggs steamed tender like pudding, served in a palm-sized clay bowl, sprinkled with roasted cumin powder on the surface. A spoonful in the mouth, the egg fragrance mixes with the warmth of spices, and even the throat feels warm after swallowing. The owner, an aunt wearing a headscarf, smiled and said, "These are all taught by my mother, using Kathmandu’s spices, cooked for guests like for family." 🥘 Those Days of "Potato and Egg Feasts": The Most Solid Happiness in the Ordinary After staying in Nepal for a long time, I realized that locals’ obsession with potatoes and eggs is actually their tenderness towards "the land"——mountain potatoes grow slowly, free-range chickens run on slopes looking for insects, and their flavors hide traces of sunshine, rain and mountain wind. As the owner of Soul Garden said: "It’s not that we cook well, but the ingredients themselves are great." During those days, breakfast was potato pancakes with egg sauce, lunch was curry potato stewed with eggs, and dinner was mashed potatoes mixed with scrambled eggs. Obviously repetitive ingredients, but there were new surprises every day——because the original flavor of mountain ingredients is never monotonous. On the last meal before leaving, I packed a potato and egg roll from that small restaurant in Kathmandu. The crispness of the crust, the powderiness of the potatoes, and the aroma of the eggs mixed together. Suddenly, I thought: the most unforgettable flavors in travel are often not delicacies If you go to Nepal, don’t just check in at internet-famous restaurants. Find a small local eatery and order potatoes and eggs——maybe you’ll also fall in love with this happiness of being "fed by mountains and land." #PokharaFood #KathmanduFood #NepaliFood #SurprisesInTravel #FlavorOfMountainGoods