Nook restaurant is located inside Aloft Kathmandu Thamel and serves up an array of breakfast, lunch and dinner items as the all-day dining restaurant of the hotel. Creative and contemporary, Nook serves their hotel buffet with the style of a ‘House Kitchen’. The restaurant is conveniently located inside the Chhaya Devi Complex in Kathmandu’s designated tourist hub, Thamel. The offerings are a nice mix of Asian and International cuisine.
The interior of Nook is spacious and bright with both indoor and alfresco seating for just over 148. Inside has a smart-casual, modern vibe with the touch of Nepal as the showcase of traditional Nepali kitchenware is quite an eye-chaser. A spacious balcony named as Backyard is the alfresco area which has a much more laid-back feel. Although officially not opened yet, this place is a crowd favourite to get some fresh air.
Nook offers guests the opportunity to experience a range of dishes that are truly unique and captivating. Taking a creative approach to Multi-cuisine, Nook presents a menu which masterfully combines the city’s characteristic cultural blend of flavours and spices with authentic produce, to produce dishes that are truly original. There is something to suit every taste, and guests can also enjoy light, casual dining as well.
With five stations of unique offerings and an á la carte menu, there are plenty of items to fill up on. Time to dig in.
Kicking things off with the appetizers station at Nook. Lemon Chicken Coriander Soup and Minestrone Verdure Soup were the heartiest soups I’ve tried, sure to keep the winter chills away. The freshly baked breads served at the station were a delight as well.
Nooks’ Salad station was a sight to look at with eight different freshly prepared salads to choose from. From classic Geek Salad to Mixed Organic Salad and a Nepali touch of Chicken Choila on the station, there were even assortments to a make your own salad. Frankly a salad lovers’ dream come true and even if you tried only their salads, it wouldn’t be diet anymore!
The mini-samosas at this station were the perfect snacks to get your taste buds tingling for the big meal ahead. Served along with various spices and accompaniments you could customise your own chat. Unfortunately, the day we went, there was no Samay Bhaji at the counter, but the Chat at Nook is something to definitely look forward to.
Executive Sous Chef Rajeev Shrestha talked to us about the offerings at Nook’s mains station. “We serve a diverse menu with dishes from various cuisines such as; Pan-Asian, Continental and Nepali. With a theme of ‘Go Local’ we also feature both the prevalent as well as exotic Nepali dishes. Sometimes we set up a Samay Baji or Chat counter.”
The mains station had a total of 18 dishes from different cuisines. The dishes carried the unique authentic taste of their respective cuisines. At the mains station you can find a variety of curries, rice dishes, seasonal vegetables, meat and fish. With so many dishes to choose from you can’t help but go for seconds and thirds. Vegetable Biryani, Maseura Bhatmas Gundruk Tarkari, Kalo Daal Jimbu Jhaneko, and mutton and chicken dishes were some of my favourites.
The dessert options at Nook were both plentiful and expertly made. The two items not to be missed are the warm, just off the grill Malpuwa dipped in sugar syrup and the multi-tiered Croquembouche.
You will also find a multitude of other dessert items to pick at such as assorted cakes, pastries, fruit and local Mithais.
Overall, the buffet spread was modest in size, but the items were well curated and presented – what was done, was done well. There was a little something for everyone.
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