Located in the state of West Bengal, Kalimpong is a dreamy hill station known for the beauty related to the views of the Teesta valley, the Shivalik ranges, old Buddhist monasteries, old markets and so on. In today's episode we bring you a delightful food experience from the 1st day of our visit to this charming place.
The first stop was Cafe Kalimpong which is renowned not only for its food but also for being a space to promote the rich history and unique culture of Kalimpong and the stories of its beautiful people. On the recommendation of the warm and genial owner, here we tried some of the street food special dishes from their eclectic menu. This included classics like momo, phambi, thukpa with matar, aalu dum and laphing. We also tried a brilliant pulled pork burger. As the flavours of the local dishes are concerned, they have tried to keep it as authentic as possible. This approach as well as the use of fresh locally sourced ingredients are the reason behind their great taste. Anyone willing to try Kalimpong's street food without the chaos in the streets can come and it here. Because of its apt location, it also offers a magnificent view of the city and the nearby villages.
The next destination was our homestay, Duke's Home. On reaching there we received a warm welcome from the beaming owner Ms. Duke. Since the festival of Dasai was round the corner, she had arranged for a traditional dance performance by the spirited kids from the neighborhood. After the cheerful and energetic presentation we joined them for some refreshment and heartwarming interaction. Soon it was time for dinner and we were surprised to be served with a grand Nepali spread consisting of Karchi Marchi, tamo ko achar, ningro,bhatmas, iskush ko monta, sisnu, gundruk, umarekyo methi etc. It was a truly overwhelming gesture from her. The food was homely and super gratifying. We appreciate the fact that all the dishes were thoughtfully chosen so as to introduce us to a plethora of flavours, some of which were very new to us. Overall we has a great start to our Kalimpong food journey.