栄から".ネワール"の世界へ、美しきサマエバジセット : Vintuna Dining &Bar

Nepal is a multi-ethnic country that Japanese people cannot imagine, and one of them is the Newar people. As Wikipedia explains, the Newar people are "an ethnic group that inhabits the Kathmandu Valley and the surrounding areas of Nepal, and have created the historical heritage and civilization of the Kathmandu Valley region." The other day, I started Instagram, and while following "Vintuna Dining and Bar," I wanted to go there. I have been there twice before, and in Sakae, where Indian Nepalese Cuisine tend to close on Sundays, Vintuna is open on Sundays and holidays. They also serve rare Nepalese Cuisine. That dish is the "Newar" dish I'm serving today. ------------------------------------------------------------ When I entered the restaurant around 11:00 on a holiday, the Nepalese man I had talked to last time was there. I put my hands together and said "Namaste" and then pointed at my face. "Do you remember me?" I have a brazen side to me. "Ah, it's been a long time," the man said with a cool expression. In fact, he had forgotten about me and was trying to think "who was it?" I thought that I might have caused unnecessary anxiety, so I decided to keep quiet today. Instead of lunch, the man handed me the grand menu. The menu had been updated, but the lineup had been maintained. I ordered what I had been aiming for the next time I came. ★Newar Samae Bhaji Set 1639 yen They said it would take a little time, but I replied that it would be fine. Three Nepalese male staff members, including the man, started cooking. I watched them from the table. They were cooking silently and seriously, opening and closing the refrigerator and frying in a frying pan. I couldn't help but feel excited when I thought that the Samae Bhaji was almost completed on the other side of the kaunder, which I couldn't see from here. ------------------------------------------------------------ Just as my excitement was reaching its peak, the man brought the food from the kitchen. When I put it on the table, he asked me, "What would you like to drink?" Since I was here, I decided to order. He recommended the Chang (a Nepalese version of doburoku or makgeolli-like drink) that was in the picture with the Samae Bhaji, but I said, "I can't drink alcohol today... I'll have a plain lassi (385 yen) please." Just like Chang, he served the Samae Bhaji with a glass of white lassi. And once again, I placed the Samae Bhaji in the center of my field of vision. How beautiful it was. Not only was the color of the food, red, yellow, green, brown, and white, beautiful, but the presentation of the food was also neat and beautiful. It was beautiful from above and from the side. It was beautiful no matter where you looked closely from in 360 degrees. If the phrase "people-pleaser" is used in a positive sense, it could only refer to this Samae Bhaji. "This is achar (pickled vegetables). This is..." I said, pointing to each dish in a counterclockwise direction, and the waiter said the names: "Choila (chicken salad), Alsadeko (potato salad), Batmasadeko (soybean salad), Saag (stir-fried green vegetables), Bori (some kind of beans), Anda (boiled egg), Chiura (fried dried rice), Bara (fried peas), and Macha (fried small fish)". I picked up the spoon and started eating. I was so overwhelmed by the beauty of the food that I didn't know where to start, but I savored each dish little by little. In between, I poured the sweet and sour taste of lassi into my mouth. "Which one is the best?" the waiter asked, and I immediately replied, "All of them." It was true. They were all delicious. The spices and salt of each side dish were just right, and they went well with the chiura and lassi. As for the texture, the choila is juicy, the al-sadeko is soft and fluffy, the batmas-sadeko, chiura, and macha make a crunching sound in the mouth, and the rose is crispy, so it's interesting to see the variety. I thought that the plate was made with care, seriousness, and attention to detail, which can be seen in the eyes of the men who were cooking. By the way, it seems that you can only order these grand menus on weekdays after 13:00. ------------------------------------------------------------- On the last page of the menu, there were photos of Newari architecture in Bhaktapur, zoozoo dau (yogurt), and traditional Newari costumes. Underneath was a passionate message from the owner, who is of Newari ethnicity. When I asked, "Are you Newari too?" he replied yes. The man played a video of Newari musical instruments on the TV. Apparently people eat samae bhaji when they go to the temple, pray, or when they are celebrating something, like a wedding. So they don't eat it that often. "If you come here, you can eat samae bhaji every day," the man said, smiling slightly at my joke. "I had a sama-e-baji set like this in Bhaktapur," I said. The waiter replied with a smile, "You showed me a picture last time, didn't you?" The waiter remembered me. I felt a little guilty, thinking that he might have forgotten. At the same time, it was me, not the waiter, who felt relieved. ------------------------------------------------------------ It's not Indo-Nepal, nor is it superficial Nepal. You can dive into the world of Newari food from Sakae and enjoy Newari culture. You can enjoy Newari food and drinks in a stylish bar atmosphere. You can probably play guitar or play billiards (there is a guitar hanging on the wall and a billiard table in the back). It's worth the price, especially if you like slightly deeper Nepalese Cuisine. Dannebad. Thank you for the meal.

　栄で日曜日でも開いているインドネパール料理店"ヴィントゥナ ダイニングアンドバー"にやってきた。一度来たことがあったのだが、他の方のレビューを拝見し、バフ料理を食べてみたくなっていた。

　入店し窓際のテーブル席に座ろうとしたら、優しそうなネパール人お兄さんが「こっちの席のほうが涼しいですよ。」と笑顔で対応してくださった。イケメンである。

　店内を見渡せば、奥のビリヤード台、オールドダルバールやククリラムなど整然と並べられたお酒の瓶の数々、ネパールの写真やカラフルな装飾、ネパールの人々が踊る光景を想像できる音楽。まさにネパールバーと表現するにふさわしい。

　ランチセットもあったが、前回訪問時のダルバート同様、ネパール料理を食べたいんですとお兄さんに伝えた。他の店ではなかなか食べられないという基準で、2品注文した。

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★バフチョイラ 890円（どうやら税抜）

　"チョイラ"は焼いた鶏肉やマトンを野菜や香辛料でマリネした料理。今回はバフ、すなわち水牛肉。黒くコロっとした水牛肉が赤く香辛料をまとい、紫の玉ねぎと緑のネギがふりかけられている。

　外はカリッとしており、硬い肉をぎゅっと噛むと肉肉しさを味わえる。ニンニクや生姜が効いており、肉の臭みもない。時間をかけて調理してくださったのもあり、丁寧な味つけという印象。少しのサラダと生野菜も添えられている。

　店によってはただの肉野菜炒めと相違ないチョイラが出されるが、この店のは本場の作り方で作られたと感じる見た目と味である。こういうちゃんとしたネパール料理を食べた後、口の中にはニンニクや香辛料の匂いが残る。私はそれが好きである。

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★バラ（ミックス）530円（どうやら税抜）

　ネパール風お好み焼きなどといわれるバーラ。豆を生地として焼かれたものである。プレーンもあったが、ミックスを選択。ナイフで4等分してから手で食べた。

　薄茶色の柔らかい生地。中央に玉子、その周辺にひき肉も乗っている。豆の風味を感じる。重くなく気づいたら4切れとも胃に入ってしまっていた。ペロリと食べられる軽食である。

　ちなみに、チョイラもバーラもネパール料理の中でネワール族の料理に分類されるようである。

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　ネパール旅行中に食べた料理の写真をお兄さんに見せた。メニューの中にある料理の写真と似ているねという話になった。この店は他のネパール料理も本場的だろうなと確証を得た。

　出身地を教えてくれるくらいお兄さんとお話できたのもあってか、彼は「オーナーからのサービスです。」とラッシーをくださった。ドラマでよく見るシチュエーションの如く、「あちらのお客様からです。」と店員さんが私の前にカクテルを置く日も遠くないのではないかと妄想した。

　税込で合計1560円となり、思ったより高くなった。値段と量を考えるとそれほどコスパはよくなかったのだが、一般的なインネパ料理店より雰囲気が素敵だし、珍しめのネパール料理もあるし、何より食事中ずっとジンやウォッカの瓶が私のほうを見つめていたので、誰かを連れて正式にバーとしても利用したいなと思った。

　ダンネバード。ごちそうさまでした。

Sunday lunch. Sakae area. Being from the country, I had no idea that it was normal for restaurants to close on Sundays. The restaurants I had checked beforehand were closed one after the other without a word. I assumed it was because it was a business district, but I kept running around and finally found this place after the fourth restaurant. I went in late at lunchtime. I was the only customer. The restaurant had a bar counter and a billiard table. It was stylish. The waiter recommended the lunch set as a good deal, but I was in the mood for Nepalese Cuisine), tarkari (stir-fried vegetables), saag (stir-fried green vegetables), achar (pickles), yogurt, papad (half-sized bean Senbei (rice crackers)), and raw vegetables. It came with a drink (I chose lassi). ・The dal was light and a beautiful light brown color.・The chicken curry was a light Nepalese curry. It was quite tasty, with the thinly sliced onions in a soft, melty state. ・The potato and green bean tarkari. I liked the fluffy texture of the potatoes. ・The achar was not the usual crunchy radish, but a soft radish. It was quite sour. I mixed the dal, chicken curry and side dishes into the rice and ate it. After all the effort of the dal bhat, the rice was gradually disappearing. I asked for more rice. They adjusted the amount. I paid 1,510 yen including tax. It seemed more expensive than other restaurants. For this price, I wish they served it with basmati rice instead of Japanese rice. But well, I realized once again that dal bhat is beautiful and delicious. Dannebad. Thank you for the meal.