All posts filed under: RESTAURANTS

Explore local cafes and restaurants

RootsandLeisure_BibliothequeCafe

Where the Love for Food and Books Meet | Bibliothequé Cafe, Sikkim

The food culture in Sikkim, particularly in Gangtok is moving at an accelerating pace. New food joints have sprung up not only at the main market, M.G Marg but all around the capital town. Gone are the days when Sikkimese people stuck to momo, chow mein and chopsuey for their food outings. The palate has evolved for the food enthusiasts and today, the new restaurants offer a wide range of cuisine from Italian to Korean. Even the Chinese restaurants have broken away from the usual Chilli Chicken and Sweet Corn Soup to Lo Mein, Moo Shu and Mein Fun. One food joint/cafe that stands out for many reasons is the Bibliothèque Cafe at Tharo Line. Kunzang Chuki Denzongpa, fondly called ‘Pamu’ by her friends and family is an English Honors Graduate from Delhi University. She hopped from law school into the world of Beckett and Chaucer because her love for literature overpowered her comprehension of the judiciary. After returning from Delhi in 2015,  she worked as a content editor in a corporate house, thinking that …

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Meet the Owners of Bangkok Cafe Dimapur – a Chat with the Thai Entrepreneurs in Nagaland

Meandering through the lovely streets of Nagaland will land you in the most charming cafes. But beautiful interiors and cozy nooks aside, is it just us, or have cafes stopped reinventing their menus of late? Imagine our surprise then when we discovered that ‘Bangkok Cafe’ in Dimapur offers an authentic taste of Thailand – right here in Nagaland! We soon discovered that the cafe owners are from Thailand,  residing in Nagaland. Let’s find out how they landed in Nagaland, and more about what’s on the menu of this famous Thai cafe in Dimapur.   Coming all the way from Thailand, what made you open up a cafe in Nagaland? North eastern Indians are very similar to the Thais in terms of lifestyle and cuisine. Therefore, we intended to expand and share our Thai cultures here in Nagaland and Assam as well. Our next step will be another Bangkok Café & Cuisine in Guwahati, preparations for which are underway. Our first outlet was launched in Dimapur almost four years ago, where we introduced our wedding gown and …

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Come Home to Delicious Cakes and Bakes | Interview with the Founder of Hetika Bakery and Cafe

Sometimes you yearn for a place where you can unwind, seek some peace and quiet – away from the hustle and bustle of the city. A place that is comfy, friendly and has the right ambience to relax in. The one place that immediately comes to mind is *Hetika Bakery and Cafe* – tucked away on a quiet corner just off the highway in Dimapur, Nagaland. Meet Vekutholu Vero – Baker and Owner of Hetika Bakery and Cafe, in Dimapur Nagaland, as she talks about her venture with our R&L member, Kumti Hi Veku, this place is such a charming place! So tell us how and when you started Hetika Bakery and Cafe? The cafe was launched in mid of last year (in 2016). The sole reason why I started this cafe is because I felt there aren’t many quality cake shops in Nagaland. We do have a lot of great bakers, but very few outlets where people can just walk into – whenever they have a craving for something nice and sweet. That’s where the whole …

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Happiness and Health in a Loaf of Bread | Meet the Couple Behind Craft Bread, Bangkok

  Haven’t we all heard the saying: big cities harbour bigger dreams? So then, what made this couple set up a beautiful bakery in a tiny village about 30 kms away from Thailand’s biggest business hub, Bangkok? We’ll let Angsumarin Lauruengtana ( age 35 ) and Nikorn Sripongwarakul ( age 35 ), founders of The Craft Bread, speak for themselves. Tell us how it all began : how you met, and how you guys started Craft Bread. Angsumarin : We met at Thammasat University in Bangkok, Thailand, where we both majored in Film and Photography. After we graduated, Nikorn worked in the film industry  as director of photography, and I joined the airline industry as a flight attendant. We were friends for many years before we became lovers, and we finally got married in 2010. My husband Nikorn, later joined me to build ‘Craft Bread’ together. It all started when we began making bread with our own hands. We enjoyed the learning process and got better at it, loaf by loaf. Like all handcrafted products, we think that making good …

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Meet 21-Year old Co-founder of Cafe Bae, Nagaland | Talikumla Aier

Sometimes amid writing tales of ingenious entrepreneurship, we find a gem that rocks our perspectives about life. Today we feature a quaint little cafe at Dimapur called Cafe Bae, whose story is unique because it has both the elements. Cafe Bae’s story begins with a friendship between two little girls in a small Naga town and goes on to stand as a testimony of everything that they achieved as twenty-year-old businesswomen. Meet Talikumla Aier, co-founder of Cafe Bae, as she takes us through her journey as a young entrepreneur at 21. What made you think of owning a cafe business at such a young age? My co-founder, Late Anushri Jain and I had been best friends since Class 6. We grew up together and basically spent most of the time in each other’s company.  As youngsters, we realized that Dimapur didn’t have many spaces where one could hangout without burning a hole through their pockets. And if you manage to find such a spot, it generally doesn’t have the quirky decor that could draw one’s attention.  So, we decided …

Of Kindness, People and Food | Meet the Founders of Barefoot Cafe in Chiang Mai, Thailand

We have been stumbling upon quite a lot of pretty little cafes and coffee houses in and around Thailand. We especially love the small cafes and  coffee shops, as they have the most interesting offerings and stories. So today, we are having a chat with the founders of ‘Barefoot Cafe’  – a quaint little cafe in Chiang Mai. Meet Sathita and Tasasin, owners of the Barefoot Cafe in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Before we talk about your cafe, enlighten us a bit about yourselves. Sathita : I’m 27, originally from Bangkok, but moved to Chiang Mai when I was pretty young. I graduated from Chiang Mai university majoring in Literature. I have been selling homemade (baked) stuffs ever since I was in high school. After graduation, I began working as an assistant for a Japanese artist for a year before opening this restaurant. I was also an exchange student in Germany for a year. I then attended a self-reliance course at PUNPUN organic farm and that’s where I learned about nurturing the deep connection between humans and nature. I like traveling …

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A Cafe for Serious Coffee Lovers | Graph Cafe in Chiang Mai, Thailand

  To travelers who are familiar with the city of Chiang Mai in Thailand, many would agree that cafes are showing up in almost every corner of the city. Yes, there’s a vibrant coffee culture that is brewing within the heart of Thailand’s cultural capital – driven by the popularity of coffee+ leisure among the local youth and travelers alike.  It’s in the middle of this chaos, that ‘Graph Cafe’, tucked away in one of the old town’s streets, caught our attention. Meet the owners of  ‘Graph Cafe’- Kharuaporn Satraphai, 39 and his wife, Pae – Ajaree, 33. Thee gave up a lucrative job in Bangkok where he worked as an engineer to pursue his dream of owning his own cafe business. Despite no experience in the cafe business, the couple have managed to take their dreams to the next level with lots of passion, hard work and coffee – of course. They now own two outlets : Graph cafe and Graph Table Why did you name your cafe ‘Graph Cafe’? This is inspired by our journey …

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Meet the Man behind the Hottest Food Venture in Nagaland | Fat Fryday and Fit Fryday

  The food culture in Nagaland is becoming pretty progressive, as a growing tribe of young people are experimenting with various world cuisines and mixing it artfully with the local taste palate. The consumers are participating with equal zest by eating out more often; this is definitely a shift away from the earlier norm, where meals were generally had only at home or at a friend’s/relative’s place. As a result of all these, plenty of food ventures are sprouting in this part of the country with some really innovative themes. One such venture that we would like to talk about today is the one started by Pur Longkumer from Nagaland. It’s an interesting home based cloud kitchen serving two categories of food : Yummy comfort food under ‘Fat Fryday’ and yummy healthy food under ‘Fit Fryday.’ R&L caught up with Pur to learn more about them. Tell us a little bit about yourself. What was the first step you took to finally start this venture? I graduated in hospitality and tourism management from Queen Margaret University in Singapore …

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ML 05 Cafe Shillong | A Biker’s Retreat Nestled in the Lap of Nature

Dear readers, are you ready to discover your next favorite hangout spot in Shillong? Well, we just discovered this cafe called ‘ML 05’ on 5th Mile, Upper Shillong. With its custom-themed decor and ambiance reflecting the owner’s love of sports, bikes, and travel, it is indeed the perfect retreat/haven for bikers and travelers alike. We spent a cozy evening at ML 05 Cafe on an evening stroll around Upper Shillong, and had some yummy comfort food like wai wai thukpa, onion bhajia – with our favorite cup of hot chai. Located right beside a pine forest, the outdoor view was just as pleasant as the ambiance inside. This new cafe has only begun operations in May last year (2016), but it comes as no surprise that it is already one of the favorite spots for locals and tourists around the region. We had a tete-a-tete with Vatsala Tibrewalla, who manages the cafe along with her brother Deval Tibrewalla, who also co-owns the Dylan’s Cafe with her. How did you come up with the idea for ML 05 …

RootsandLeisure_DylanCafe

This Cafe in Shillong is Bringing Bob Dylan’s Music Back with a Twist

Shillong, a beautiful city unsurprisingly known as ‘Scotland of the East’, has also grown up to become India’s ‘Rock Capital’. As a city that hosts a line of international concerts and music festivals every year, Shillong is home to a lot of talented musicians (Tipriti Kharbangar and Rudy Wallang anyone?) and music lovers alike. Music runs in the heart of the city and love for rock music especially is shared passionately among both the young and old. So, in a city where musicians are worshipped as Gods and music seeps through all aspects of life, one is bound to encounter little nooks and corners that revel in good music alone. Today, at R&L, we introduce you to one such amazing local venture that pays special tribute to eminent musician & poet, Bob Dylan. Set in a quiet neighbourhood right next to St Edmund’s school, Dylan’s Cafe, is aiming to reinvigorate Dylan’s memory among local enthusiasts. Needless to say, we couldn’t help but find out what the buzz was all about. We spoke with Vatsala Tibrewalla, …