Villa Everest
Korean Restaurant and Bar

Villa Everest is simply a taste of Korea in the tourist hub of Kathmandu. The Korean Restaurant is a home away form home for many visiting Koreans. Minimalist décor, a well-kept garden and small bamboo huts create a homely and inviting ambience. The service is friendly, pleasant and committed to provide quality. Dolsot bibim bha, samgyop sal, nyengemeon may seem a difficult choice for people not familiar with Korean cuisine, but the staff are on hand to explain the menu and help you make your choice.

Villa Everest is the first Korean restaurant established in 1991. Authentic spices and oils are especially flown all the way from Seoul to delight the taste buds. Even some utensils like the special stone bowl set made up of volcanic lava are brought in all the way from Korea.

Owner and professional cook Ang Dorje Sherpa, impressed with Korean food learnt Korean language and cooking in Seoul. On his return, he wanted to recreate a little Korea in his homeland. Popular with tourists and local residents, Villa Everest is a busy affair in the evenings. It is advisable to make reservations should you decide on dinner here.

To experience the true spirit of Korean dining Sherpa had the tables designed traditional Korean style with an inbuilt gas stove. “Koreans like to eat their meal hot and warm”, he explains, “and they prefer cooking their own meal at the table. A style that is gaining popularity with the Kathmanduites.

For those wishing to experience a conventional Korean meal must begin with the Seaweed soup. A soup that must be partaken during one’s birthdays explained the owner. For starters, sam gypo sa, pork ribs served in true Korean style bacon with two types of kimch which is fermented vegetables flavoured with spices and lashings of garlic, rice, soup, vegetable pancake, fried or boiled vegetables and lettuce is well recommended. There is a belief in Korea that it is good to eat pork at regular intervals as it cleanses the throat. Another favourite among the clientele is kimchi – a sour pickle made either of Chinese cabbage or radish and marinated with Korean spices. This pickle is a must with every meal for Koreans, and believed to enhance the taste of every dish. For kimchi lovers there is kimchi jungolt or kimchi stew with tofu, pork or bacon served with low calorie noodles. However, for those who prefer simply noodles try nyengmeon- the rice and buckwheat flour noodles. A nutritious and wholesome meal topped with either cold soup or hot sauce. Another must try is dolsot bibim bab served which is a mixture of vegetables, meat and fried egg over boiled rice and topped with a special Korean sauce served in hot stoneware. A very popular dish among the locals is samge thang or whole chicken filled with rice, ginseng, garlic and jujube served with the all time preferred kimchi. To savour with the food is the ever famous Soju, the local Korean drink which is brewed in most Korean homes.

The special allure of this restaurant is yarchagumba -the indigenous vegetable worm, which exists as an insect during the winter and grows in the form of a mushroom in summer. This herb has been found effective in strengthening the immune system. The herb received wide publicity during the 1994 Asian Games where Chinese athletes attributed their display of power and record-breaking feats thanks to this magical herb. Yarchegumba, in Villa Everest is served in the form of rice, tea and alcohol.

And to help you experience the true essence of Korean culture is the Karaoke bar. As Sherpa explains, “Koreans like to sing and make merry after a good meal. The Karaoke bar however, is increasingly gaining popularity among the Nepalese clientele too”.

Whatever your choice of relish, you are assured a satisfying meal at Villa Everest. The food here will leave you feeling good as all the meals are wholesome and nutritious with just the very right amount of spices, oils and fats. With exceptional cooking skills combined with warm hospitality the Villa Everest will certainly have you returning for more.

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