PICS: RUBY TUESDAY

Tamas in Sanskrit signifies a lifestyle of decadence, indulgence and indolence. Tamasic activities include eating meat and drinking alcohol. And Tamas-laya at Naxal lets you escape the stress of everyday life and be coddled, even if just for a while, in the hedonism it promises.

While Tamas in Thamel has been around for over five years and has become an established hotspot, this new venture of Puja Chand Thakuri and Prem Bahadur Gurung promises to outdo its predecessor. It hasn't had its official opening yet, but draws in full houses every evening.

The restaurant's lure lies in its décor with a huge tree as its centre piece. The bar in the courtyard, the open kitchen, the smell of freshly baked bread wafting through the air, the white walls and the shimmering curtains all come together to create a shangrila in the midst of a mess that is Kathmandu. Laya means coming together of and at Tamas-laya, nature and pleasure are intrinsically intertwined. A great deal of emphasis has been placed on aesthetics, not only of its surroundings, but also in the preparation of food and service.

Cosmopolitan, sophisticated, trendy and upscale, Tamas-laya wants to highlight fine dining experience and has hired Chef Lama to create a menu that could rival those of five-star establishments in terms of quality and taste. The diverse and multi-ethnic food on offer is reflective of the changing attitudes of Kathmanduites towards food.

We started our meal with the Greek salad- a crunchy, fresh platter of lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, olives and feta cheese. We followed this with prawn tempura and chicken satay cooked the Balinese way. The spices infuse this snack with zest and tang and is truly delightful. Also the freshly ground peanut sauce accompanying the chicken satay deserves a mention. I scooped it up with bread sticks flavoured with carom seeds and I think they should start serving the sticks as a separate snack.

For the main course, I had the fisherman's fish. I love words more than I love food and the alliterative sound of that dish had me hooked. Grilled fish fillet, served over mashed potatoes and bitter cucumbers drizzled with parsley butter, with a tomato concasse was delicious as the clashing flavours came together to create this beautiful meal. The fillet came with a mushroom fish stew, a light airy consommé of goodness in each spoon.

Tamas-laya opens at 7am for breakfast and hosts special themed nights thrice a week:Oriental, Arabic and Italian, with Saturday being barbeque day.

There have been complaints of service being slow and waiters not being the most competent, but these are teething problems that are sure to be sorted out by the time they open officially.

I like places that have character, ambience, where stories are spun and related, where the music sets the mood and hands touch tentatively for the first time across the table. There is the promise of new intimacies, renewed romances, large memorable meals, music, song and a rejuvenation of the senses. Such is the allure of Tamas-laya.

How to get there: In Naxal, right next to Mike's Breakfast, 100 metres or so from the Police Headquarter.