But Tamang readily admitted that she heads to Patan quite often for no other reason but to tickle her taste buds that always long for Newari foods. [break]
Hunacha Restaurant, the much read and talked about local joint, has been popular with its customers for decades for its signatory cuisines. “This place is as old as I can remember. I feel good after savor my favorites dishes at the restaurant,” said Tamang.
Located at the far end of Patan Durbar Square, in an alley behind the shades of the ancient temples, the restaurant has left an indelible impression in the minds of its customers when it comes to typical Newari cuisines.
PHOTO: RIWAJ RAI
Over the years, an array of chic restaurants opened in the area. While many of them closed shops and many others survive catering to tourists, Hunacha has managed to pass the test of time against all odds, informed Sil Shakya, manager of Café du Temple, a multi-cuisine restaurant in operation for the last two decades in Patan Durbar Square.
Shakya, who also owns two other restaurants, candidly shared that he has been fond of Newari cuisines from his childhood days and that he visits Hunacha whenever he longs for the cuisines.
“Time changed, more houses have come up in the area, and even temples have worn out, but somehow this restaurant thrives in that corner as people adore their food a lot,” said Shakya.
Remembering an incident while he was in Pokhara, Shakya recounted how some tourists praised the local joint´s food. “A few years back, I encountered a group of foreigners at the Lakeside who had visited Patan Durbar Square. To my surprise, they pronounced the name of Hunacha restaurant and the wonderful food they had eaten there,” said Shakya. “I was amazed to find out that the tourists remembered Patan Durbar Square for Hunacha restaurant,” he added.
One of the reasons for the restaurants popularity is its location. “The restaurant has two branches: one is right behind the Krishna Mandir and the other, older one just a few blocks from the first.
PHOTO: RIWAJ RAI
"Most visitors going past the temple love to stop by to have snacks,” said Shakya. “There are other restaurants in the area, but this advantage of good location has worked wonders for them,” he added.
Marina Byanjankar, 40, one of the operators and head cook of the restaurant, however, attributed their success to the unique taste they have been offering since ages. Marina, who has been cooking at the restaurant for more than two decades, said, “Till this day, I have hardly come across a customer who is unhappy with the foods we serve.”
When asked if she has any secret recipes, Marina laughed and denied having any. “May be it´s just my hand that does the magic,” said Marina.
“All the dishes we prepare have been handed down to us from our great ancestors. The ingredients, condiments and edible oils we use are carefully chosen so that the foods smell and taste good,” said Marina.
“We use pure mustard oil and the pulses used in making baras are ground manually that brings out the sweetness from within,” said Marina´s elder sister Saraswati Byanjankar. “We don´t even remove the husk of the pulses while grinding them into fine powder. The dough prepared from this powder brings the best taste to the baras we prepare,” revealed Saraswati.
The whole family engaged in running the restaurant business also believes that they have the blessing of the deities. Adding certainty to their belief is the fact that the restaurant suffered no damages during the 1934 earthquake in which more than 8000 people perished.
“This was the only local joint running in the area during that epoch where locals mostly farmers used to come down for their afternoon lunch,” said Malina
Saraswati shared that the restaurant has remained in the same place for all these years and has undergone very few changes.
"The restaurant´s wooden ceiling has been raised, the space inside has been widened and some food items have been added. Besides that everything about the restaurant is the same," said Saraswati.
A worn out yet sturdy-looking safe sits in the front, openly visible to all passerby and customers. “This safe is here since the establishment of the restaurant. Our grandfather used to store all the daily earning inside because he had the faith that people would never steal from him and no one did during his time,” said Saraswati.
“After a thief broke the safe a few months ago, we have begun to keep our money inside,” added Saraswati.
“Our grandfather was a very hardworking and positive person. Had he not been a farsighted man, he would never have opened this restaurant in the first place,” said Saraswati.
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