-- BY  AASHIYANA ADHIKARI

The pre-modern look that restaurants and bars have adopted over the last decade or so is marked by salvaged wood, fireplaces that may or may not function, bare electric bulbs dimmed to mimic gaslight, warrens of small rooms hung with framed lithographs. But styles age, the pre-modern look increasingly appears to be a studiously crafted illusion. Bu-Keba is one of the very few restaurants that has maintained a fine line between the pre-modern and classical look. With the dreamy bulbs and exquisite sitting arrangements, Bu-Keba gives full justice to the term village café.

Covering three ropanis of land in Sanepa, the café can seat 150-200 guests at a time. Started in 2011, Bu-Keba hosts birthday parties and corporate meetings. Ram Kumar Khadka, Manager of Bu-Keba says, “We opened this organic café to promote healthy food and a healthy lifestyle,” adding, “Almost 70 percent of the food we serve is organic and healthy.”

Five years on, it has become a swell place to dine in a zone where gentrification has moved as slowly as the water in a canal. There are smiles at the door in the corner, whether you walk in with or without a reservation. Well uniformed staff with excellent customer service adds bonus points to this café.

The resident chef surely has magic in his hands. The Chef’s Favorite Buckwheat Spinach Pancake made up of buckwheat and spinach stuffed with flambéed mushroom and zesty mozzarella is a treat. This is a must try! The veggie delights don’t just end there. Piro Alu here actually justifies its name. It is indeed piro, meaning it is very spicy. If your mouth craves for some hot and spicy food then Piro Alu is the dish! The buckwheat momo is extraordinary and you cannot find it any other restaurant. The head chef of the restaurant Krishna Khatri says, “Masala fish and Timor chicken are just a few of the many dishes that many top notch people prefer to eat here,” adding, “I personally recommend everyone to try the sandwich momo and buckwheat momo if you want to taste something new.”

The non-vegetarian dishes are a delight here, too, from the Kalmi Kabab- chicken supreme marinated with rich nuts and spice paste, roasted to perfection and served with Royal Nizam Gravy-to the Buffalo chicken wings, a dish made up of six pieces of grilled buffalo wings marinated in Bu-Keba’s secret marinade sauce, everything is highly pleasant to the taste. They also serve a variety of pizzas here which come in two sizes. Out of all the pizzas here, the Goat Cheese Pizza made up of goat cheese, mozzarella and tomato sauce with basil is a must try.

The avocado salad made up of fresh garden greens with tomatoes, cucumber with olive oil and balsamic vinegar topped with avocado is definitely a dish for the health conscious. If you want a one of a kind rainbow coloured dish of vegetables and seafood, the closest the menu comes is the Seafood Salad,made with lettuce, tomatoes and cucumber dressed in olive oil and lemon Juice and topped with a variety of seafood. 

Who would not want to end the delicious food safari with some delightful dessert? At a restaurant like this, the desserts had better be good. For the most part, they are. The chocolate brownie served with hot chocolate sauce melts in your mouth with the saccharine taste that it gives. But the best dessert here,recommended by many customers,is the Molten Choco Lava giving you the wholesome goodness of chocolate inside your mouth.

On Fridays at Bu-Keba you can also enjoy the good organic food with some live music. Aside from having adequate parking space, good ambience and fine customer service, there is room for improvement for the restaurant in terms of serving food on time.

Also one can drop by Bu-Keba every Saturday for some amazing fresh farm produce like juices, smoothies, organic coffee, natural organic rudhilo honey, and enjoy a freshly prepared breakfast along with buck wheat pancakes, grilled cheese and organic baked goods.