And it was amazing! First, the restaurant was charming, with about 10 tables, an altar to the Dalai Lama, a Tibetan screen painting of Buddha's encounter with Mara and his enlightement, as well as posters for various movies about Tibet, including Seven Years in Tibet, The Cup, and Cry of the Snow Lion. The kids were very adventuresome and enthusiastic about trying new dishes. We had mango dhara, like a lassi, and the best chai I've ever had, so cardamom-filled and creamy with milk. I started with Thang, a soup with tofu, spinach and sweet potato noodles that the kids enjoyed, too. Mama liked the Thukpa Dhrang-mo, a spicy cold noodle with sesame dressing. For our main courses, I had the Shogo-ngopa, a Tibetan curry of potatoes and spinach--so wonderful and flavorful! It was served with delicious flaky fried flat bread. Mama enjoyed the Tibetan equivalent of hash browns, Shogo sip-si, of shredded potatoes sauteed with dried chili, garlic, and red onion. It was served with a dense steamed bread we all liked. Sis liked her Thukpa, rice noodle soup with vegetables and chicken (and maybe mint, as it reminded me of Vietnamese soups), while Bud liked his Sha-momo, steamed dumplings with chicken (read about momos here). This was served with Dhang-tsel salad, rather like our "Sumi" sesame Ramen coleslaw. And we even managed dessert, Tibetan Kheer rice pudding with cardamom, pistachios, and almonds and Drey-sil, which was sweetened rice with a side of yogurt all flavored with a sugar syrup. Bud wasn't so interested, but Sis liked the latter. And throughout it all, we talked about Tibet: who the Dalai Lama was, the relationship of Tibet to China (starting with the Silk Road), Buddha's birth and childhood and then Nirvana. It was an absolutely delightful experience for all of us; we can't wait to go back and try more new dishes.
Then we headed for the apples . . . .we loved the colorful foliage and tromping through the trees of Mutsu and Empire. We picked three bags full, with plans for pie, pork and apples, and school snacks. We have been going to Lyman since the kids were 1 1/2 (if not before, just the two of us) and this must have been the warmest apple-picking outing ever.
After picking apples, we went to the market store, which was so packed we almost couldn't get inside. But we wanted cider doughnuts, cider, apple turnovers, and pot pies and so braved the crowds. I found an absolutely delightful Apple Cider herbal tea from Republic of Tea.
And duck food. Because you always have to feed the geese and ducks. And pigeons. And seagulls. Just like when the kids were too little to see over the bottom fence post! We called to do them and finally called Pop and Gommie to help us out!
And then we headed home, with the late-day sun illuminating the golden leaves. A beautiful day.
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Miss V's Homemade
Chai
The family recipe of my neighbor from New Delhi. We had
been talking about my addiction to chai and so she made some. I won’t have the right teas so I write it up
as I can replicate it.
darjeeling
tea
green
cardamom pods
sugar
milk
Place tea and crushed green cardamom
pods in water and boil gently on the stove.
When well heated, add sugar and milk to taste. Serve.
Miss V
