Rudraprayag: 2015. Two years after the Kedarnath deluge ‘Kedarnath Kitchen’ was set up in Sonprayag to bring employment to the youth of the region and also serve authentic Garhwali food to people who came visiting Kedarnath shrine from home and abroad.
Fast-forward to present day. A more refined version of Kedarnath Kitchen called Pahadi Kitchen with a sitting capacity for 40 people, has flung open its doors at Sonprayag, serving piping-hot traditional Garhwali cuisine for lunch and dinner.
From daybreak, this otherwise sleepy town comes to life with it eateries of all shapes and sizes buzzing with people. It is here where all vehicles come to a stop and from here you either walk, or take the shuttle to Gaurikund enroute to Kedarnath.
Refurbished and reopened on the 24th of May, Pahadi Kitchen prides itself for serving authentic cuisine, Manoj Semwal, the owner of the restaurant tells us, “For years we have been serving in the Kedar Valley. We started the Pahadi Kitchen with the whole purpose of generating employment for the youth here and also to serve authentic Garhwali food to people who come to Devbhoomi.”
With Chardham Yatra on full swing and over 12 lakh pilgrims, visitors and tourists on road, Pahadi Kitchen has the cash register ringing. At this point of time, there are close to twelve to fifteen people including four women working round the clock in the kitchen, here.
The menu boasts of mouth-watering traditional Garhwali dishes such as bhatwani, chausa, bhanjeer chutney, mandua rotis (Millet Bread), Chaulaee roti (Amaranth Bread), brown and red rice, and to end it all, jhingora kheer (millet dessert) to treat your sweet tooth.
“With the blessings of Lord Kedarnath our business is flourishing. Our clients are giving us an excellent feedback on the menu, which is heartening not only for us but also for our employees, who are eager to serve.”
If you happen to visit Kedarnath by road then do make sure you stop at Pahadi Kitchen and return with a flavour of the hills.
