The Madka Tea

Ah! Tea. Pure Nepali Tea. Finding one in Kathmandu has been like a nightmare. At least, we tried. In a new place. Endure this whole writ with me to know what happened today.

I had heard of Ashwini Koirala starting off a new tea selling business in the downtown of crowded Kathmandu, not sure but I think it was around Baluwatar.

He quit journalism and started, suddenly, a tea shop. Was he effing kidding?

Whoa whoa! wait... but It was a novel concept.

He blended the tea experience with ambience, and the global taste. You can get the tea that costs from Rs. 11 to Rs. 1111, at your choice. Brands peculiar of any place of the world? You name it. But yes, that comes with a price. He opened the memberships for tea lovers who can pay a low-cut annual membership fee in groups and enjoy the tea sips around the year. Things didn't stop for a cup of tea right there. Because, we know from eons of time, tea has been a major household culture for us Nepalese--which expanded to mingle into a part of hospitality and later to identity. Nevertheless, tea culture did not get an opportunity to develop and catch many of people independently. I mean, we can say it in another way: we can find many things--eatable or drinkable--in a single place which is particular for that place. For example, Sekuwa at Bajeko Sekuwa, Momo at Everest MOMO, Burger at Burger's House, Pizza at Pizza's hut, an ice-cream at Baskin and Robbins, Thali at Thakali, etc. But having ancient history, we hae not yet been able to epitomize the tea, here in Nepal.

The iconized kettle hung at the door of Chiyawala

Ashwini simply unfolds that chain in a big scale. It was revolutionary of a writer--he still is a writer as a free-lancer. So, he even beautifully rediscovers the tea culture letting his clients to sit in a chair in the surround of greens reading books from the in-house library. What's perfect than this ? For a connoisseur with a tingling taste buds who also is a bibliophile, it is a paradise.

What came running in the aftermath was a typhoon. The one that sweeps minds all over. The entrepreneurs, investors, and mostly people with money but no minds, started to juggle off to invest away their money. In many tosses, posh tea house flipped out. They ventured for tea in a key locations. Some ran out. Some are rolling in. Some are rocking. The ones who had their own original idea are rocking. Furthermore, Tea is just a commodity. You can get it in every nuke and corners, from Bhatti to grocery stores, there is a gas stove and sugar buckets ready to be spooned. In a snap, you can order a cup, have it in no second and get lost. That's how easy to get a tea in Nepal.

Now tea has grown to become an experience, not merely a commodity. For an experience, you certainly have to pay some extra bucks. When you get there, you will. Happily.

I was just to write a blog. And forgive me to have been a little blown away with some whimsical opinions. Sometimes, I can't stop not to ladder down the words to the white spread of screen that comes boiling from inside.

Today was scorching hot 3rd of July. Sandeep pops out an idea to have hot tea. In the form of Madka. The word itself arouses the curiosity. We are craved by the idea. Everybody hops in. Birendra knows the place, as always. Straight, left, left, in the circle of Chakrapath, cross the Bagmati bridge at Subidhanagar, left, straight away along the corridor. Five lads on the two-wheelers. Stop in a few minutes. Look at the right side, there is "Chiyawala."

The banner reads it was here since 1956. Who knows...!

Besides the nuisance of intermittent stinks of Holy Bagmati, it was nice. More so especially when you get a spot in the attic to sit in Paleti style. Open air. Open views. I would rather go for six out of ten. In a quick over, we could surmise that almost all the clients were the youngsters tasting Madka in revolving smokes.

The ambience of Chiyawala

Birendra takes time, as always. But in relief he comes with glasses. Opens bag. Curd canister. Ah! Spoons after spoons the Yoghurt gets split into 5 glasses. Mahi in the making. Churns in and around, shakes ups and downs. Sips after sips, Mahi drips down in gulps.

Mmmm. Utopian taste. Simply the best.

Madka tea in five mud glasses. Okay. Bring them on! Self service. Sandeep stretches his legs downstairs. Namkins and tea in the plate. A cup of tea for Rs. 60 Nepali rupees. Good enough, with fairly strong flavor. But when is Birendra returning?