There is a famous Tibetan restaurant named Small star near Thahiti tole in Kathmandu, Nepal. Delicious, simple, cheap, friendly, warm... Who can properly describe this Tibetan restaurant? Many Koreans, Japanese, as well as some westerners, love this restaurant so much. Thunba is a traditional Tibetan hot beer. Once tasted, you will never forget !!!
You will not see the same restaurant as this picture anymore, because the Tibetan owner pulled down this old Newali building in 2003, and constructed new concrete building instead. Many foreigners remembering the romantic atmosphere feel sorry to see the new westernized building.
The sketch on the right depicts the interior of the restaurant. The room has simple ceiling made of bamboo and bare ground. Thunba jars are on the tables. They usually use bamboo straws to drink Thunba 3 minutes after pouring hot water into the wooden jar filled with fermented cereal from the Himalayas. Customers are advised to repeat this 3 or 4 times. I had difficulties to draw this one because of crowded customers and dimly lighted room but tried to describe the interior in detail.
Can you look for owner's license, electric rice cooker, vacuum bottles, electric fans, Dalai Lama's photo, freezer, clock, coke bottles, menu board, kitchen, towel, calendar and momo & chowmin(Tibetan food) with chopsticks?
Small star restaurant was newly rebuilt at the site of the previous one in 2003. The room is very clean, light and tidy. Local people and tourists love it as it used to be. The warm-hearted owner and her family are as busy as ever. Her big and bright smile is the same as usual.
