Food in Nepal – Potatoes, rice, a lot of vegetables, bananas and surprisingly good pastries

I was part of Air Asia X media trip to Nepal earlier in November 2012 for the launch of their One Child One Laptop (OLPC) program with OLE. Throughout our 6D5N trip, we were very well fed and for our safety, health and convenience we only ate at hotels and mostly established restaurants. In fact we even complained that we didn’t sample enough of authentic Nepalese fare, and thus towards the end of our 6 days trip, our kind guides arranged for more Nepalese cuisine to be incorporated into our meals.

Upon landing on the 1st day, we were whisked quickly to a nearby Airport Hotel for lunch as we were already late for our journey to Chitwan.

Kathmandu nepal - Air Asia X trip Rebecca Saw (54)

Being in a big group, meal times were mostly buffet-style. I was pretty excited as this is our first meal in Nepal and I had anticipated authentic Nepalese fare. Unfortunately it wasn’t. Most of the dishes were very Chinese don’t you think?
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Kathmandu, Nepal 2012 : Chitwan National Park – Elephant rides, baby rhinos and more!

NOTE: Delayed postings as I was waiting for the video to be ready. Now it seems that there are more issues with the editing so I’m publishing my posts without further delays. Enjoy! 🙂

On the very day that we arrived in Kathmandu, we were whisked from the airport to a quick lunch before heading straight to Chitwan National Park, a UNESCO designated World Heritage Site (in 1984) in the district that extends over four districts: Chitwan, Nawalparasi, Parsa and Makwanpur, covering an area of 93,200 hectares.

Nepal Day 2-100

Chitwan National Park was established in 1973 and it’s Nepal’s first National Park. It is home to one of the last populations of single-horned Asiatic rhinoceros and is also one of the last refuges of the Bengal Tiger.
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Jaan, Singapore – my lunch: the Autumn-Inspired Artisanal Menu

2012 had been an incredible year.
I went to places that I had never dreamt possible, dined on dishes so adeptly executed that my tastebuds are now eternally spoiled and over the course of the journey I have chatted and learnt much from many highly accomplished chefs. The wealth of knowledge and the development of my own palate for food, fine produce, wine and spirits has been wondrous. Yes, 2012 was remarkable and I don’t see myself slowing down in 2013.

Out of a sparse few, a particular meal that lingered in memory for 2012 was one I had just last month in Singapore. For the gourmet, Jaan in Singapore is no stranger on the culinary scene.

Jaan, Singapore - lunch - the Autumn-Inspired Artisanal Menu-002

For some of us, dining in Singapore can be a pain for the pocket. For Jaan, and though SGD68 (RM170) may not be your usual budget for a meal, I believe you will find the price well worth the splurge for a taste of the exquisite creations of Chef Julien Royer. Come to think of it, you would be paying north of RM120++ for some mediocre buffet in KL anyways.
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Singapore – Dean & Delucca – Wagyu Portobello burger and Valhorna Banana Muffin

For all the hype on Dean & Delucca, my virginal visit was outright disappointing.

Dean and Delucca Singapore

I dropped in for a quick bite as I have another dinner later that evening in Orchard Central but when I saw the pastries and the food display I couldn’t resist going for a burger. There were only 2 options, and I chose the Wagyu Portobello mushroom burger as it sounded really tantalizing based on the description.
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