In this last episode of our North Bengal food series, we bring you an immersive food experience gathered during our return trip to Siliguri for Kurseong. We started the day by exploring the lush green area around our homestay on foot. The walk through the forest felt so pleasant and we also came across a beautiful grotto. After coming back we polished off some hot puri and aalu dum for breakfast and left for Siliguri.
Although we were full, we stopped by Kurseong Tourist Lodge at NH 110 just to experience the vibe of this eatery which is very popular. We ordered a basic cheese sandwich with beaten coffee. This place was bustling with tourists who had stopped by to enjoy some local dishes.
Next we stopped by Cafe Kurseong Diaries on Hill Cart Road because we have heard a lot about this place. Here too we just tried one of their signature soup called the mountain man soup as we were still full from the last meals. Apart from the food and great service, another best thing about this cafe is its decor that is peppered with the elements related to Kurseong, starting from the paintings of the locals to a toy train replica.
Our next stop in this journey was the restaurant at Cochrane Palace, a boutique hotel. The ambience both inside and outside the hotel was stunning. They have an elaborate menu consisting of Continental, Chinese, Indian cuisines. We opted for the banana pancakes which were soft, fluffy and luscious. This place should be visited for its calm and beautiful ambience.
From there, after a long commute we reached another beautiful restaurant called Timboor On The Trail. Here we joined Mr. Prabhakar Thapa who is one of the co-founders. He also happens to be an academician and an activist. On his recommendation, here we tried an elaborate Nepali course which is their specialty. This included choila, potato wedges with timboor chutney, stinging nettle soup, pumpkin flower fritters, sel roti, aalu dum, gundruk, pork meat, bara masala chicken etc. Each and every dish had a unique taste profile and we liked them all. What made this eating experience memorable was the community food stories shared by Prabhakar Thapa.
After the amazing time at Timboor we visited The Tribe, a popular pub in Siliguri to experience the nightlife over there. It was a happening place with neon lighting, music and a stunning bar. We wrapped up the day with a gin based cocktail called Pink Lady.
This food trip was a great end to our enchanting North Bengal Series. Will see you soon in a new city.