Kathmandu Hides a "Middle Eastern Cave"

Band Singing Turkish Ballads, Roast Chicken Sauce So Good We Licked the Plate The second I pushed open the second-floor door, I thought I’d stumbled into a cave bar in Istanbul—rough stone walls hung with Persian rugs, stained glass lamps casting colorful (shards) of light, a live band plucking an oud, the lead singer’s voice like honeyed wind. Later, I learned this is Thamel’s most hidden Middle Eastern restaurant: by day, sunlit coffee sipping; by night, locals’ "nightlife hub," with pretty Nepali girls raising iced tea, earrings glinting like stars in the light. 🌌 From "cave vibes" to live band: even the air feels exotic Tucked above LOD Bar, the staircase is narrow enough for one person, but the door opens to a surprise: curved ceilings like hollowed-out caves, (clay pots) stacked in corners, vines creeping through stone cracks, (twining) around hanging copper lamps. Best of all, the live band—three Nepali guys playing Middle Eastern instruments, singing ballads mixing Turkish and Nepali. A local girl at the next table sways to the rhythm, gold hair accessories "jingling." Daytime must be magical: sunlight through stained glass paints the stone walls in rainbow spots, coffee steam mingling with naan’s wheat scent—lazy just thinking about it. But night is headier: band melodies, clinking glasses, girls’ laughter, food aromas—like cramming all of Middle Eastern (vibrancy) into a Kathmandu alley second floor. 🍗 No curry, just surprises: Middle Eastern dishes with a hint of "Chinese soul" The menu barely has Nepali curry, instead full of hummus, tacos, roast chicken. We blindly ordered, and hit the jackpot: Potato chips & chicken nuggets were first (delight)! Golden chips piled with crispy nuggets, served with cheese sauce thick as yogurt—tangy with a salty kick, like the dip I had in Dubai. Even the friend who hates chips fought over bites. Half roast chicken arrived with glistening, crispy skin, beneath it rice grains separate as pearls. But the real "MVP" was the sauce: orange-red paste with sesame, sweet with a spicy kick, like honey mixed with chili, plus mystery spices. We scraped every last bit with rice, even licking the plate. Tacos wrapped beef, lettuce, and cheese in soft tortillas—the cheese was salty and stretchy, the tortilla fluffy as cotton, nothing like crispy-shelled ones. My friend said, "It’s like rolling Middle Eastern (tenderness) into a wrap." Sweet-sour fish tasted surprisingly Chinese! Tender, boneless fish coated in clear sweet-sour sauce, like grandma’s sweet-and-sour fish. The rice was a bit dry, but mixed with fish sauce, it worked—mild spiciness creeping in, making us eat more. Curry chicken was wild: not heavy Nepali curry, but "sweet-sour chicken" upgraded—crispy-fried nuggets in amber sauce, sweet with a zing. Scoop it into taco shells for a (surprisingly harmonious) East-West mix. 🥑 Drinks are the "grease cutters" Avocado smoothie was thick as milkshake, avocado’s creaminess mixed with milk sweetness, fine ice shavings cooling from throat to stomach—perfect with spicy roast chicken, "ice and fire" joy. Peach iced tea in a clear glass, peach chunks at the bottom, tea light and refreshing, naturally sweet. Even the non-drinker asked for a refill, fishing out peach bits to eat. The bill: 4,900 NPR for three (≈250 RMB)—a steal for an exotic Kathmandu spot. Leaving, the band played a lively tune, the girl at the next table raised her iced tea to us, light spots dancing on stone walls. Suddenly, it hit me: finding such Middle Eastern food in Kathmandu is like stumbling on an oasis in the mountains—unexpected, but beautiful enough to remember. 📍 Easy to find: Search the name, second floor above LOD Bar in Thamel—follow the music. Coffee and sun by day, band and roast chicken by night—either way, you win. #WantToRecordThisMoment #NepalTravel #NepalFoodGuide #MiddleEasternFood #KathmanduFood #NepalFoodTour #FoodExploration #OffTheBeatenPath #NepalExpatLife