Eating habits in Kathmandu

If you look at the eating habits of kathmanduties, 20 years ago, then you will know  there was nothing like today. You would just find small restaurants or so called Chiya pasal (tea shop). These small tea shops were located in petite streets coroners that would cater few items on their menus like chiura-masu, tea, boiled eggs, and momos. These small restaurants were hard to find and when you found one, they were hardly busy. People then, were not in a habit of eating outside they rarely went outside for dinning.

But now times have changed; people today seem to enjoy the luxury of eating and dinning highlighting on the three C’s–comfort, convenience and choice.  As a cluster of few shops turn into a shopping arcade and malls, the definition and style of eating habit has also changed with a wide variety of cuisine and style of eating habits. From the international franchise of KFC to the local restaurant of Newa Lahana(Kirtipur) people have become foodie and lavished.

Today it’s not just about eating it’s spending your hard earned money to the comfort of what you want. The concept of eating or dinning outside has grown so much that it has adapted an industry that is loud and clear about its presence and identity.  Likewise with the growing concept the importance of incorporating a restaurant in any commercial complex is a high priority. With the competition of malls and shopping complexes the restaurant industry has also gone to the level. Initially serving just a few local dishes, has now become a haven for food lovers with an astounding variety of local as well as international cuisine. This has been necessitated by the increasing tourists coming into Nepal from all over the world. Walk through Thamel and you will find restaurants serving Thai, Indian, Tibetan, Greek, Japanese, Mexican, Italian cuisine and the list goes on. These are unique places that are hygienic and convenient, which provide good choice of local and international cuisine at a very affordable price. The retailers are constantly setting the standard for superior quality. A lot of them even fly in their chefs or even use the natural ingredients from around the world, in order to maintain the taste and aroma.

Kathmandu is taken over by restaurants where you can hardly miss a street without a small eating place or restaurant.  They have actually gone from these roadside restaurants to fully air-conditioned restaurants with special focus on service and quality. Whether it is a fast food restaurant or a family style restaurant, in every shopping arcade you have a wide variety of eateries to choose from.

The new restaurant business has adopted creativity and marketing as its new tool where they look trendy and sassy with ideal locations and food selection. With the changing times and increasing competition, restaurant operators cannot afford to rest on their menu only. They realize that it is vital that they constantly review the eating trends where concepts are being upgraded on regular basis. Cultural programs, gazals, karaoke, variety of contests, video gaming arcade, are only a few attractions to draw customers. Continuous effort is made to ensure a strong image in these outlets. It is the retailers’ responsibility to conjure up ideas on how best to attract and capture the ever-growing traffic of food connoisseurs.