Salads in the city

Most menus in Nepal will list an entrée that comes with salad, but what they are referring to is a few measly slices of carrots, cucumbers, onions, and if you’re really lucky, it’s garnished with a cube of lemon and a sprig of parsley.[break]

To anyone who enjoys munching on fresh greens, we all know that isn’t a salad. So The Week has picked five places in the Valley where the word “salad” isn’t put to shame.

Casa De Cass

If you want a place that turns salad into gourmet, visit Casa De Cass, opposite the UN Complex at Harihar Bhawan.

“We buy our leafy greens from Appropriate Agricultural Alternatives in Bhaktapur, and meat and seafood from Nina and Hager,” says manager Sunita Adhikari. And with those items, the chefs at Casa De Cass create salads that are not only mouth-watering but a feast to the eyes as well.

Two salads that come highly recommended are the Chef’s Special and the Calamari Salad.

The Chef’s Special, consisting of various meats on a bed of lettuce, is sure to delight meat lovers and health freaks alike.

The Calamari Salad is a top-notch salad with delicious calamari, fresh rocket leaves and grilled tomatoes that soak up the balsamic vinaigrette.

Red Dingo

Should you be in the mood for a salad that is reminiscent of summer, Red Dingo in Jawlakhel is the place to go to. Owner Jonathan Mendies says, “Salads are especially popular during warmer months, so we have a salad bar during the summer.”

Although the salad bar hasn’t opened this year, be sure to keep Red Dingo in mind when summer rolls around, and you want to throw a salad together with a variety of ingredients at your disposal.

Regardless of the time of year, two salads that are a must-try are the Australian Brie Cheese Salad, and the Roast Pumpkin and Cajun Chicken Salad.

The roast pumpkin salad is especially popular for the dressing which is a mixture of lemon juice and sweetened condensed milk that is sweet and complimented by the Cajun chicken.

All salads at Red Dingo use a mix of iceberg lettuce, romaine and rucola which are purchased at Appropriate Agricultural Alternatives, Bhaktapur.

Green Organic Café

If you’re craving for salads that are less leafy but just as delicious, head to Green Organic Café opposite Roadhouse Café in Thamel. Phanindra Raj Pandey, the owner, proudly claims, “We grow most of our own produce in Kavre and Melamchi,” and the freshness of their food is evident in the salads. Another trait that makes Organic’s salads unique is the yacon.

Also known as ground apple, the yacon has a distinct but subtle flavor with a crunch that is competition to the best apples in the world.

All farm products are available for sale so you can take the freshness from Kavre and Melamchi to your very own kitchen.

With a mixture of garden vegetables, the taste straight from the field is incomparable.

The Garden Fresh Salad with Nuts is a favorite, but if you want a salad that puts pasta salads to the test, the Buckwheat Pasta Salad with buckwheat (phapar) noodles topped with lightly fried tofu is the dish to have.

Each salad comes with homemade dressing and buckwheat bread that is baked at the restaurant.

1905

Introducing salads to their menu about three years ago is 1905. For the past year, they have been hosting a farmers’ market on their premises where they buy their leafy vegetables.

“The farmers market is held every Saturday from 9 am to12 noon,” says manager Bijay Khatiwada and adds that various farmers from the Valley congregate to sell their produce to the restaurant as well as to the public.

With various salads for different seasons, the Warm Spinach Salad is a winter favorite.

Using spinach set in fresh cream and blue cheese, the salad is creamy and different. The Nicoise Salad isn’t the traditional nicoise: tuna is mixed with finely chopped vegetables on top of boiled potatoes and topped with a boiled egg.

La Dolce Vita

With only two salads on the menu, the options seem limiting. But what La Dolce lacks in quantity, it more than makes up for in quality.

All the lettuce is purchased from Lettuce Organic Farm, Bhaktapur. Most cheese items are imported, and other fresh vegetables are bought at local markets.

The Insalata Mista is a mixed salad using five types of lettuce – iceberg, lolo rosa, romaine, oak leaf and rocket lettuce – and mixed with other veggies with olive oil and vinegar dressing.

But what you don’t want to miss is the Caprese Salad. Using ripe tomatoes and fresh mozzarella, the caprese, drizzled in olive oil and garnished with verdant basil, is a treat for your taste buds.