I recently went on a week-long trek in Nepal with my dad from a small town called Phedi up to Annapurna Base Camp to see the breath-taking Annapurna Mountain Range. Like most Annapurna trekkers, we started our journey in Pokhara, a large, lakeside city about six hours west of Kathmandu via bus. (Due to traffic, the travel time can vary, so watch out. On the way back to Kathmandu, our bus took 10 hours!) Pokhara's Lakeside is like a mini-Thamel in Kathmandu, catering to backpackers and other tourists with many restaurants, hotels, shops, and fun activities like kayaking and parasailing. With all the restaurants in Pokhara lining the streets, it can be kind of intimidating to choose one during your stay. Luckily, I have the perfect restaurant for you: Moondance.
About Moondance
Moondance is a landmark restaurant in Pokhara, and it's well-established being run by the Lama family since 1991. They pride themselves on using fresh ingredients from local farmers and other local businesses, so you can be assured that here you are eating quality food that supports the community. My dad and I originally decided to go to Moondance because my distantly related cousin Dorje Lama (my aunt's son's sister-in-law's husband) owns this restaurant, so we wanted to check it out.
Of all the restaurants in Pokhara we visited during our two-day stay (two of which had Maya in the title because I love a little ego boost), Moondance was by far the best. It had amazing food ranging from seafood to burgers to pasta to tandoori chicken, so whatever you're craving, this restaurant probably has it. Moondance also has an elegant but homey atmosphere. There are two stories with beautiful woodwork throughout, warm low lighting, and a balcony, which is where my dad and I sat for our meal.
Appetizers
To begin our meal at Moondance, we ordered the Cajun fries, which were lightly seasoned and tasted like your standard wedge fry. The sauce, which was some type of thick mayo, went really well with the potatoes.
My dad also got the Himalayan Red Sherpa beer. Sherpa Brewery is the first craft brewery in Nepal, so I definitely recommend trying their beer if you're ever in Nepal. This beer is made with high quality ingredients, is brewed by Sherpas, and it's a great way to support a Nepali industry.
Entrées
For his main course, my dad had the slow-cooked pulled pork shoulder, which is one of Moondance's signature dishes. I tasted some of it too, and no joke, it's some of the best pulled pork I've ever tasted. Just a reminder that I'm in Nepal where dishes like that really aren't the specialty, but it somehow tasted like it had come straight from a top barbecue restaurant in the U.S.
For my entrée, I also had a signature Moondance dish, the Sizzling Chicken Fajita. It was definitely the right choice because it tasted delicious and bonus, it takes a great picture. Here's a close up of the chicken, so you can see just how sizzling it was.
The chicken was cooked to perfection with just the right seasoning, and everything tasted amazing together. Assembling the fajita was kind of a mess for me because I apparently don't know how to wrap a tortilla, but that's on me. There was more than enough food for me and my dad, and we were both stuffed. But that didn't stop us from getting dessert about 10 minutes later.
Dessert
For dessert, we had two slices of lemon meringue pie, which was highly recommended by Lonely Planet. I am usually not a lemon meringue pie super fan, but this pie surprised me. The meringue was fluffy and light, and the lemon filling was the perfect combination of tart and sweet. I easily devoured my slice within minutes.
My dad and I also got lattes with our slices of pie to end our meal with a little boost of energy. This foamy latte was just what I needed to keep from slipping into a food coma at the restaurant.
When in you're in Pokhara, you will not go hungry because there are restaurants everywhere. I have no idea how they all stay open during off-season (a.k.a. right now during Monsoon season), but at least there's a good variety to choose from. Even though the food is a bit more pricey at Moondance than at some other restaurants in Pokhara, it is more than worth it. The atmosphere draws you in, and the food will make you want to come back again and again.