22nd Nov 2012
So we had two nights at the 5star Radisson after our grueling 19days of camping, and boy did we lap it up. We didn't leave the hotel except to eat. Our first night back we decided to check out a local restaurant down the road that would sell the Nepalese local drink 'Tongba'. Our guide Trin had told us where to find it after we asked him about it. Sam had been told to try it from his Nepalese workmates back home in Sydney.
This restaurant was only 5mins down the road and was described so well by Trin that we no trouble finding it, the problem was it wasn't local. It was more touristy and expensive then we were expecting. And sure enough when we asked the waiter for Tonga he shook his head. They do not and never have sold Tongba.We were seriously disappointed... But still we ordered our favourite chicken chilly momo's and a Gorka beer so as not to waste his time. The momo's were by far the best we had tried yet!
When the waiter came back we asked him if he knew where to find this so called Tongba. He shook is head again and walked off. Sigh... We'll never get to try this local drink will we? We were starting to give up when all of a sudden he came back, and said " You really want to try Tongba?" We smile and nod eagerly. "Ok, follow me". So we paid our bill and then proceeded to follow the waiter out the back of the restaurant where the other waiters were sitting around smoking and staring at us, wondering why we were in their space. He led us through a back gate into a small alley and pointed to a tiny shop and said we could find it there. So off we went happily, into this dark and tiny place that ended up being a real local restaurant. Inside there were a couple of wooden tables and no menu's anywhere. A Nepalese lady and a young girl stared at us, probably confused as to why two tourists had walked into their place. Well why one white girl had walked in with a Nepalese guy (that's right, Sam was mistaken constantly for being a local). It was obvious that neither of them spoke English. I just said "Tongba" which they both then nodded and pointed at a table for us to sit.
A few minutes later the young girl brings us this strange metal cup thing with a straw and a huge jug of boiling water. Sam and I just stare it and wonder what the hell? What do we do?
We stare at the girl puzzled and try to make out we need help. She just stares at us confused before running back to the lady who then calls something Nepalese in the back. A nice man comes out with a smile and says to us in English "New to this Tongba?" "Yes!" we both say. He smiles then lifts the lid of the jug thing, where we can see all the seeds, and pours the boiling water in to the top before closing the lid. "Now wait 5 minutes before you drink".
The whole thing was so exciting to us. We had never seen anything like it. The boiling water obviously soaks up the seeds and becomes alcohol! Its like 2minute noodles, only alcohol. Just add water! After waiting 5 minutes Sam took the first sip. "Yum, it's like a warm vodka or wine". He was hooked. I then had my swig and he was right, it was like wine! We then proceeded to take it turns and sip through the straw, refilling with hot water whenever we ran out. It took us hours. In that time we watched locals come into the restaurant, run in the back, then sit at a table and be brought their drinks or local food. There were no menus, no one sat a the table and waited to order. Every single customer went in the back first, obviously to tell them what they wanted before taking a seat. There were two groups of men that sat each side of us and ordered rum which they had with boiling water. They kept staring at me, probably wondering what I was doing in there, being the only obvious tourist!
After a few hours of sipping, we were both feeling all warm and relaxed. Finally the Tonga started to taste like just water. We did it, we sucked all the alcohol you could possibly suck from the seeds! We went up to pay "70 Rupees" The lady mouths.WHAT! that massive amount of alcohol is only 70 Rupees (75c)??
In our warm and happy state we set off 'Everest Steak House' for a big feast of red meat. Sadly we did not know where it was and no taxi drivers ever know anything either. We ended up on the other side of Kathmandu at 'Everest Hotel', a super ridiculous fancy 5 star hotel. Luckily the staff there were over friendly and helped us out. They rang Everest Steakhouse then gave the directions in Nepalese to our taxi driver. We eventually got there and found out it was in Thamel all along! Sigh... if only we'd known we would've saved alot of time and money. Ahh well, we got there and it was totally worth it in the end - yum!
So we had two nights at the 5star Radisson after our grueling 19days of camping, and boy did we lap it up. We didn't leave the hotel except to eat. Our first night back we decided to check out a local restaurant down the road that would sell the Nepalese local drink 'Tongba'. Our guide Trin had told us where to find it after we asked him about it. Sam had been told to try it from his Nepalese workmates back home in Sydney.
This restaurant was only 5mins down the road and was described so well by Trin that we no trouble finding it, the problem was it wasn't local. It was more touristy and expensive then we were expecting. And sure enough when we asked the waiter for Tonga he shook his head. They do not and never have sold Tongba.We were seriously disappointed... But still we ordered our favourite chicken chilly momo's and a Gorka beer so as not to waste his time. The momo's were by far the best we had tried yet!
When the waiter came back we asked him if he knew where to find this so called Tongba. He shook is head again and walked off. Sigh... We'll never get to try this local drink will we? We were starting to give up when all of a sudden he came back, and said " You really want to try Tongba?" We smile and nod eagerly. "Ok, follow me". So we paid our bill and then proceeded to follow the waiter out the back of the restaurant where the other waiters were sitting around smoking and staring at us, wondering why we were in their space. He led us through a back gate into a small alley and pointed to a tiny shop and said we could find it there. So off we went happily, into this dark and tiny place that ended up being a real local restaurant. Inside there were a couple of wooden tables and no menu's anywhere. A Nepalese lady and a young girl stared at us, probably confused as to why two tourists had walked into their place. Well why one white girl had walked in with a Nepalese guy (that's right, Sam was mistaken constantly for being a local). It was obvious that neither of them spoke English. I just said "Tongba" which they both then nodded and pointed at a table for us to sit.
A few minutes later the young girl brings us this strange metal cup thing with a straw and a huge jug of boiling water. Sam and I just stare it and wonder what the hell? What do we do?
We stare at the girl puzzled and try to make out we need help. She just stares at us confused before running back to the lady who then calls something Nepalese in the back. A nice man comes out with a smile and says to us in English "New to this Tongba?" "Yes!" we both say. He smiles then lifts the lid of the jug thing, where we can see all the seeds, and pours the boiling water in to the top before closing the lid. "Now wait 5 minutes before you drink".
After a few hours of sipping, we were both feeling all warm and relaxed. Finally the Tonga started to taste like just water. We did it, we sucked all the alcohol you could possibly suck from the seeds! We went up to pay "70 Rupees" The lady mouths.WHAT! that massive amount of alcohol is only 70 Rupees (75c)??
In our warm and happy state we set off 'Everest Steak House' for a big feast of red meat. Sadly we did not know where it was and no taxi drivers ever know anything either. We ended up on the other side of Kathmandu at 'Everest Hotel', a super ridiculous fancy 5 star hotel. Luckily the staff there were over friendly and helped us out. They rang Everest Steakhouse then gave the directions in Nepalese to our taxi driver. We eventually got there and found out it was in Thamel all along! Sigh... if only we'd known we would've saved alot of time and money. Ahh well, we got there and it was totally worth it in the end - yum!
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