1905 Farmer's Market

A while back I had mentioned (link HERE) that there was a farmer's market at the Summit Hotel in Patan. The probelm of course is that it was all the way in Patan...it might as well be another planet most of the time. I mean yes there are some good restaurants and shops in Patan but the taxi ride is more than i normally want to deal with, at least just to go to the farmers market. In the last couple months though they have started having a market at the restaurant 1905 on Kanti Path, just across the road from Phora. As this is only a twenty minute walk from the house we have made it a weakly stop unless we're out trekking, biking or whatever.

1905 Market

It's not only the best place in the city to get cheese, including chèvre and Greek style feta, it's also a nice way to spend a Saturday morning. The setting is great, the 1905 restaurant was once an exclusive club that entertained the elite of Kathmandu, and was located next to the famous Royal Hotel. It has a great laid back feel and you would never suspect that you were within a stones throw of one of Kathmandu's busiest streets. There are plenty of gardens fountains and man made ponds on the property, and the setting is something you would expect to find on the outskirts of the valley as opposed to the heart of the city.

Looking out over the Pond

Aside from cheese, there are vendors with organic vegetables, bees wax products, fruit drinks, dried strawberries and  tomatoes, baked goods, pâté, and more treats that can make into a good brunch. Because it is the one of the only places you can get all this kind of stuff in one place it is also common to run into plenty of people in the expat community, and you almost always run into at least a few people you know. After buying some different cheeses, spreads and bread we'll sit, talk and sample. If I'm not doing something active, it's a great way to spend a relaxing Saturday morning.

Donnie Wants More Salsa

I have come to the conclusion that there is however a lack of good salsa available in this city, and no one sells any at the farmer's market. Sure you can buy crappy brand name stuff that has been shipped from the states, but it has a good size mark up on it, and to be honest isn't all that great. The other kicker is that corn chips are so pricey here, like $4 for a bag that would cost you maybe $2 tops back in the states. So I may be looking into making salsa for the expats of Kathmandu, it would only be the civic minded thing to do. I brought a batch of regular chunky and some mango salsa today to test out and people seemed to like it, and so I might give it a try. I was thinking of making a regular, a spicy one, mango, pomegranate, and possibly tequila-lime. I may also look into a corn based one and a black bean salsa. Kim drew up a label with a fat Buddha in the lotus position with a sombrero on as the label. I got a kick out of it.