KATHMANDU, August 20: Cafe Chheli, Jhamsikhel, boasts spacious interiors, a fandom of pop star Selena Gomez (purely based on observation) and a taste for local and international spices in most of its dishes. 

The café derives its name from the Newari language, which translates to “ground floor” owing to the fact that the café’s infrastructure strictly expands across just a floor. Apart from the name, the place shares very less semblance to the culture itself as Café Chheli mostly offers modern dishes. 

The restaurant is inviting to youngsters and business persons alike. It has a wide meeting hall and provisions to dine outdoors. It also shelters large mirrors for selfie enthusiasts who could use its grandiose dimensions for a good Facebook profile update. Check out four delectable dishes available at the café.

Christened Potato
Potatoes in any form are delectable. The taste of Chinese salt and vinegar stood out in the dish. In addition to the general Nepali spices like the chilli powder and cumin powder, these ingredients enriched both the texture and flavor of the fries.

Buff sessame
It would be an understatement to say Buff Sesame tasted better than it looked. The sharp tartness of oyster sauce and rich mix of sesame oil was not something one would expect with the presentation of the dish.

The dish was rich with steamed and fried vegetables, including onion, carrot, capsicum, and zucchini. What further enriched the flavor of the dish were Chinese salt and sugar, fish sauce, dark soy sauce, chilli sauce and the dish’s main ingredient: sesame seeds. The dish was also a reminder of why it is important to sufficiently stew the meat before mixing any add-ups. 

Fried ice cream 
Fried ice cream was everything one could want on a hot, sunny day.  The dish’s crunchy coconutty feel was something worth fighting for. The Fried Ice-cream was made of vanilla and inculcated an ample mix of coconut powder and eggs.

The main challenge of making a Fried Ice cream is to not let the ice cream explode out of the fried coating.  

Phat si-io
This Thai food is one of the specialties of Café Chheli. Phat si-io is made by mixing stewed rice noodle with steamed vegetables and lots of spices. The highlight of the dish was sprouts and spring onions.

The taste of the dish will definitely linger on your tongue for some time and ensure that you revisit the café soon.