Any person who has grown up eating at Nanglo would certainly have developed a special connection to the restaurant with its old school charm and subtle hints of the modern times. Nanglo is perhaps, best known for its chicken sizzler and a definite favorit

Established as a small 20-seater pub, Nanglo has been around for more than 40 years, and has grown with Kathmandu city. It was first built in Durbar Marg in 1976 by the father and uncle of Taijash Kakshapati, who is now the first amongst the second generation of the Kakshapati family to run the restaurant.

After completing his undergraduate degree from the Culinary Institute of America, Taijash worked in the famous “4 Seasons Hotel,” who opened numerous work options for him.  Nanglo however, was always special to him and, and he made a mindset to come back to Nepal to take care of it. So five years ago, Taijish came back from U.S. after completing his 15-month contract with the “4 Seasons Hotel.” Since then has been looking after the Kamaladi Nanglo Cafe and Pub which is located next to the Ganesh Temple.

Taijash firmly believes in growing strength rather than on weakness.  Some time ago, the “Weekly Special” was introduced on the menu where each week a special dish was labeled. However, later on Taijish came to realize that it was not what the customers would want to come back to. They could always find the “Weekly Specials” at other restaurants so it would have to be something else, something of significance, something lasting.  Nanglo already had a sense of timelessness and an old charm to it, so Taijish thought of putting that strength to his advantage.  Thus, “Sometimes never change,” is the perfect tagline for the restaurant, which is housed in an old building that belongs to his family friend and that is more than 90 years old.

Taijash values little things, and finding a balance between holding back from making dramatic changes and pushing oneself. While Nanglo has an old-school vibe to it, the establishment has also subtly changed with the flow of modern times. There may not be any drastic noticeable changes, but a few tweaks may have been made here and there, such as in the presentation of a dish, to match the modern times, and modern taste.

Talking about Nanglo’s menu, there are a variety of dishes to choose from -- a mix of Nepalese, European and Chinese cuisines, there were added later on in 1978. While the menu here seems identical to the menus you find in other restaurants, it has an interesting past. Keeping in mind hippy generation of the 1970’s, the founding Kakshapati brothers introduced the sizzler, a western dish, to attract its foreign guests. The continental dish made the foreigners think that Nanglo was the most hip and happening place in town. It also acted as the final wholesome meal for the trekkers before they went on their adventures. The chicken sizzler is served in a hot pan placed on a wooden tray with noodles, brownish-golden roasted potatoes, steamed vegetables, brown sauce made from fourteen different ingredients, and beautifully cooked meat, which is so rich and tender that it easily parts from the bone.

Another must try dish here is the “Thakali Set.” It is served in a huge ‘thaali’ with the rice placed in the middle, which in turn is surrounded by various other items such as lentil soup, chicken with a light gravy, a variety of vegetables like spinach, cauliflower, potatoes and spices which are also known as ‘achaar.’ An interesting point to note is Nanglo’s way of moving with the flow of modern times, its changing the nitty gritty details such as the plating of the Thakali set. When the “thakali khaja craze” set ablaze in the city, Nanglo decided to change the way they served the dish. Now on, all the items in the dish are neatly presented in small bowls, each surrounding a round plating of the rice in the middle thus, giving it a more authentic thakali feel, whereas in the past the dish was served in a huge tray.

Nanglo has been around for a long time now, with its own style of food which caters to the taste buds of the people in Kathmandu. Many people have grown up eating at Nanglo, and have a certain attachment to it. There is a certain charm that Nanglo has that has long been attracting people of the city to it, and it will continue to do so for a long time.