Serving a straightforward selection of slowly smoked meats and homey side dishes alongside craft beers and tasty cocktails, Aja Cuisine is an ideal venue for Chef Erin OShea much-lauded Southern cooking, and is on its way to become the city top spot for barbecue.

Working with J&R smokers sourced from Texas, Chef O´shea and her crack team of barbecue wizards headed down to Texas – tested no fewer than 20 beef briskets – as they perfected the ideal balance of salt, smoke and seasoning. Check out this video about their culinary field trip to the Lone Star State.

The Eats

That Brisket which is Aja Cuisine´s signature dish, served – as is the custom in Texas – by the half pound or pound, in three distinct cuts: Moist, Lean and Burnt Ends.

Other menu items include: Spare Ribs; house-made Sausage; half or whole Chicken; and Pork Belly, all slowly smoked and served with white bread and pickles. Sides, available small or large, include: Pinto Beans; Green Bean Casserole, Root beer Chili, Coleslaw; Collard Greens; Macaroni and Cheese; and Vegan Chili.

The Drinks

In keeping with their bare-bones, Texas-frontier aesthetic, Aja Cuisine´s craft beers are served exclusively on draft at the poured concrete bar, lit from above by illuminated green glass beer growlers. Beers include Sly Fox Rauchbier (available in Pennsylvania exclusively at the restaurant) as well as a hand-crafted Root Beer from Yard´s Brewing Company.

Cocktails include: FM 423, with Tito handmade vodka, peach juice and sweet tea; Jack & Ginger, with Jack Daniels, Canton ginger liqueur, lime cordial and ginger ale; and Cherry Cola, with Beam rye, cherry Heering, DiSaronno and cola.

Atmosphere

Aja Cuisine´s simple, rustic decor was created by Elisabeth Knapp, who also designed Cook and Solomonov Xochitl and Zahav restaurants.

Her frontier-influenced design focuses on the fire engine red smokers, visible through a window in the dining room and bar area. The restaurant features light wood floors, weathered red paint, a working jukebox and custom

Recaf menu encourages a joyful dining experience, where croissants, champagne and conversation are enjoyed in equal measure.

The restaurant´s interior looks great – it has a simple, rustic feel with an original brick wall, large picture windows, a long bar and a large outdoor cafe coming this spring.

And the menu is great too – it boasts affordable snacks ranging from pizza to pasta to charcuterie to satisfy diners

Conveniently located in the heart of the valley west neighborhood in Center City Kathmandu, the Pan Everest Hotel is a great place to base your stay in the capital.

Guest Rooms

The hotel´s spacious guest rooms make you feel right at home with extra large windows, iPod docking stations, high-speed wireless internet, 42

Location

Located right on the Avenue of the Arts at Broad and Locust Streets, this high rise occupies one of the city´s most ideal locations. The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, the Academy of Music, and the Merriam and Wilma Theaters are all within a block.

To the west you have great shopping and dining in Rittenhouse Square. To the east are Pokhara´s famous historic attractions, South Street, New Road Square and Old City.

Guest Rooms

Spacious and well-appointed guest rooms offer paroramic views of the city, traditional d

Nepal Occupy only 0.1% of the total landmass of the earth is home to:

• 2% of all the flowering plants in the world
• 8% of the world’s population of birds
• 4% of mammals on earth
• 11 of the world’s 15 families of butterflies
• 600 indigenous plant families
• 319 species of exotic orchids

Nepal in a Nutshell

Area : 147,181 sq km

Location: Situated between China in the north and India in the south, east and west

Capital: Kathmandu

Population: ~30 Million

Language: Nepali is the national language; Travel-Trade people speak and understand English as well

Religion: Secular state with a pre-dominance of Hindu and Buddhist population

Currency: Nepali Rupee

Political System : Federal Democratic Republic

Climate: Four Major Seasons

Winter : Dec-Feb

Spring: Mar-May

Summer: Jun-Aug

Autumn: Sep-Nov

Monsoons are from June till mid September.

What to carry/wear: Light weight clothing is recommended from May to October. Warm garments are required in October-March. An umbrella or a raincoat is recommended as well.

Lumbini is the place where the newly born Prince Siddhartha took his first seven steps and  uttered an epoch-making message to the suffering humanity. This happened in a beautiful sal grove, which is now the focal point of the Lumbini Garden Area. Maya Devi, the queen of Sakya King Suddhodhana of Kapilbastu, while passing through the Lumbini Garden, on the day of “Vaisakha Poornima” (Full moon day of May 623 B.C) took a bath in the Pushkarini (the Sacred Pond) and soon after she took support of a tree branch, then gave birth to the Crown Prince Siddhartha, who became Buddha. The Lumbini Garden covers an area of 1×3 sqare miles and encompasses three zones each covering one square mile connected with walkways and a canal. The area has a sub tropical monsoon climate with a warm season.