Lhasa Dining
Lhasa dining will bring you some information about what to eat and where to eat in Lhasa. As the old saying goes: "Food is the first happiness of people. " No matter where we are, we are longing to have a venture of the special food in the itinerary destination. Lhasa's food is mainly Tibetan cuisine and sichuan cuisine, and there are many delicious food waits for you in Lhasa.
What to Eat in Lhasa
Tibet is the paradise of animals like yak, sheep and goat, so dishes in Lhasa are aminly made of yak, mutton, and goat meats, but little vegetables. Tibetan minority is regarded as the nomadic tribe who need meat to keep their strength from the ancient times to present. And the main crop in Lhasa is highland barley, Zanba and barley wine are necessary in the daily life of Tibetan people. Besides, there are also Tibetan noodle and buttered tea, etc. Tourists are suggested to sample these dishes, many of which can be hard to find elsewhere.
Featured Food in Lhasa
Zanba/Tsampa
Zanba is one of the traditional staple food of Tibetan herdsmen. In fact, it is the highland barley fried noodles, and is the staple food that Tibetan people must eat every day. Zanba is the flour ground from highland barley. When eating, mix the highland barley flour with yak butter tea, milk residue and sugar evenly, then knead into a ball with your hands. It is not only convenient to eat, rich in nutrition, high heat, very suitable for stopping hunger and resisting cold, but also easy to carry and storage. When visiting a Tibetan family, the host will certainly serve the fragrant buttered tea and highland barley fried noodles.
Yak Meat
Living in the area above 3500 meters all year round, yaks often eat wild herbs such as fritillaria, cordyceps and so on. Therefore, their meat is delicious and tasty. Yak body is treasure, meat can be eaten, skin can be sewn into garment, boots and bags, etc., head can be processed into crafts, tail can be made into brooms, and bullwhip is an aphrodisiac medicine. In addition, yak beef can be braised in soy sauce, stewed or dried to eat, with unique taste.
Tibetan Noodle
Tibetan noodles are pressed in advance with plateau wheat, a specialty of Tibet, cooked and dried for stand-by.When eating, put it into the yak meat soup pot until the noodles hot. Put the cooked Tibetan noodles into a bowl, fill it with delicious beef soup, sprinkle some diced beef. You can also add Tibetan hot sauce according to your taste.
Tibetan Curry
The Tibetan region is close to India and Nepal, so curry dishes are also popular among the local people, and Tibetan curry also has a unique flavor compared to the famous Indian curry. For example, the common curry beef rice and curry potato rice are also the daily delicacies of the Tibetan people. Tibetan curry is hot and spicy, often cooked with yak meat or potatoes.
Drinks in Lhasa
There are a number of traditional beverages enjoyed by the Tibetan people.
Yak Butter Tea
Yak butter tea is a necessary drink for Tibetan people to entertain guests. It is often served with zanba and other staple foods. Brick tea contains much tannic acid, which can stimulate gastrointestinal writhing and accelerate digestion. If you drink the tea alone, you will be easy to get hungry. So yak butter or milk is needed when drinking the brick tea. Buttered tea is the best beverage in Shangri-la area because of its high quantity of heat, which can eliminate the cold and replenish the heat needed by human body.
Sweet Tea
If Barkhor street is the heart of Lhasa, then sweet tea house is the blood of Lhasa. Sweet tea ranks the first among the necessities of life for local people in Lhasa. Sweet tea houses in all corners of Lhasa are the most close to life and the best expression of Lhasa's local culture. Lhasa sweet tea is made of black tea, milk or milk powder and white sugar. It tastes sweet and delicious, and is rich in nutrition.
Highland Barley Wine
The highland barley wine is a Tibetan favorite, a kind of liquor made from highland barley with low alcohol content. In Tibetan areas, almost every family can make the barley wine. Every time when festival, marriage, giving birth to a baby, welcoming friends and relatives, barley wine is the best drink for Tibetan people to entertain guests. The Tibetan people have a long history of brewing highland barley wine.
Yogurt
Tibetan yogurt is a kind of unique dairy product in the Tibetan area. It is made with the yak milk which has been extracted yak butter. It is rich in nutrition, helpful for digestion, producing saliva and slaking thirst. It is most suitable for the old people and children.
Where to Eat in Lhasa
As the flourishing tourism in Tibet Autonomous Region there are a number of restaurants appeared in Lhasa as well. Most of restaurants in Lhasa cater to tourists, offering local cuisine as well as Sichuan, Chinese, Indian, and Western dishes. Some hotel restaurants even provide Nepalese and Indian dishes. Most of the restaurants can be found clustered around the Jokhang Temple, Barkhor Street, and the center of Lhasa City, so that travelers can find places to eat and drink within easy reach.
Recommended Restaurants
- Barkhor Cafe(八廓咖啡店)
Address: South of Johkang Temple Square, Chengguan District, Lhasa拉萨城关区大昭寺广场南侧
Tel: 0891-6326892 - Ganglamedo Bar & Restaurant(岗拉梅朵酒吧餐厅)
Address: No.127, Beijing East Road, Lhasa(Across from Yak hotel)拉萨市北京东路127号(亚宾馆斜对面)
Tel: 0891-6333657 - Makye Ame Restaurant(玛吉阿米餐厅)
Address: Barhkor Street, Chengguan District, Lhasa拉萨市城关区八廓街
Tel: 0891-6328608 - Xue Shen Gong Restaurant(Snow-deity palace Tibetan Restaurant) (雪神宫饭店)
Address: on the western side of Potala Palace Square, KangAng East Road, Lhasa拉萨市康昂东路布达拉宫广场西侧
Tel: 0891-6825866 - Gangji Restaurant(刚吉餐厅)
Address: Tibetan Medicine Hospital Road, Chengguan District, Lhasa拉萨市城关区藏医院路
Tel: 0891-6328263 - A Luo Cang Restaurant(阿罗仓餐厅)
Address: No.5, Junmin Road, Chengguan District, Lhasa拉萨市城关区军民路5号
Tel: 0891-6338826 - Xueshan Nima Tibetan Restaurant(雪山尼玛藏餐厅)
Address: No.87, Beijing East Road, Chengguan District, Lhasa拉萨市城关区北京东路87号
Tel: 0891-6363758
Where to Drink in Lhasa
- Makye Ame Restaurant(玛吉阿米餐厅)
Address: Barhkor Street, Chengguan District, Lhasa拉萨市城关区八廓街
Tel: 0891-6328608
Introduction: The restaurant not only serves delicious food, but also provide tourists with tasty sweet tea, yogurt, and other beverages. - Ganglamedo Bar & Restaurant(岗拉梅朵酒吧餐厅)
Address: No.127, Beijing East Road, Lhasa(Across from Yak hotel)拉萨市北京东路127号(亚宾馆斜对面)
Tel: 0891-6333657
Introduction: This restaurant is another restaurant which offers soft beverages as well as special Tibetan drink such as barley wine, sweet tea and the like. - Anitsangkung Nunnery Sweet Tea House(仓姑寺甜茶馆)
Address: Linkuo South Road, Chengguan District, Lhasa拉萨市城关区林廓南路 - Guangming Gangqiong Sweet Tea House(光明港琼甜茶馆)
Address: Tibetan Medicine Hospital Road, Chengguan District, Lhasa拉萨市城关区藏医院路
Tel: 0891-6885357 - Yak Yogurt Shop(牦牛酸奶坊)
Address: No.41, Beijing Middle Road, Gongdelin Sub-district, Chengguan District, Lhasa拉萨市城关区公德林街道北京中路41号
Tel: 0891-6837131/13908998965 - Bazha Yogurt(巴扎酸奶)
Address: Lhasa Department Store, Beijing Middle Road, Chengguan District, Lhasa拉萨市城关区北京中路拉萨百货大楼
Tel: 18908997750/18089915121 - Nima Teahouse(尼玛茶馆)
Address: Beijing East Road, Chengguan District, Lhasa拉萨市城关区北京东路
