Ever since I left Kharagpur, I have been missing Waldorf’s food – or Waldies as would affectionately call it. It has been almost two and half years since I have tasted anything that is remotely close to Waldies[1].
After many outings to the “Chinese” and North-Eastern restaurants, I came across Yak’s Kitchen. Last weekend me and my friend, Amit, visited this joint near Brigade Road. The food is adapted Tibetan food. The taste is much different from the usual pseudo-Chinese stuff. Although the food itself is nowhere similar to Waldies, the vibe felt strangely similar.
Amit staring at my mobile camera while I clicked a photograph of the place.
There are six tables in total with a seating capacity of no more than twenty two. You place the order at the counter. It takes some time but hot and fresh food is served on the table.
This was our second visit. We had momos, tingmo and shaptra. The food is something I can repeatedly come back to. It’s not too sophisticated to reprimand frequent visits. The price is also cheaper than most places. We had a lot of food for 340 rupees only. In the end we both felt quite heavy after having stuffed ourselves.
One thing that I must mention about the momos. In most places, momos are partially cooked and stored. When an order is placed, these partially cooked momos are steamed and served. Here, however, the momos (as well as the tingmos) are prepared and steamed right on the spot. They use electric steamers – similar to the ones used to steam idlis in various Udupi style joints.
I might be going there this weekend. It will be nice to see some consistency.
Notes:
[1] I will reserve the Waldies story for some other day. In Kharagpur, the mess food was so bad that I often visited Waldies to fill myself. It was so influential that in the acknowledgement section of my Ph.D. thesis, I have briefly touched upon the importance of its role in my survival.
[2] There is a nearby place called Taste of Tibet. They have a very similar menu and similar price profile. Personally, I found Yak to be marginally better than Taste of Tibet.
Edit: August 24, 2014
I revisited the place yesterday with my friend Amit (the same one pictured above). The meat was a bit chewy this time but the dishes still had the nostalgia and comfort I was looking for.