Ngari Dining
Ngari dining offers you local Tibetan food and Sichuan food, etc. Ngari is located in the western Tibet, and the food in Ngari is quite limited in varieties under the influence of a harsh climate. Especially vegetables and fruits are mostly imported from other places. Therefore the food in Ngari is much more expensive than expected. Anyhow, it is lucky that restaurants still can be found in most towns and counties of this remote area. The restaurants supply traditional Tibetan food, Sichuan food and other dishes. Usually, the food served are fried rice, noodles and simple dishes.
What to Eat in Ngari
Without a lower altitude and a nice climate, number of restaurants here are very limited. Ngari is sparsely populated area, the living condition is relatively poor. Prepare enough food before you go there. And the special food is the same as the other area in Tibet.
Featured Food in Ngari
Blood Sausage (血肠)
Gyurma is a type of blood sausage made with yak or sheep’s blood and other spice. It is very difficult to find this kind of food in other places of China, however it is a very popular cuisine in Tibet. Each time when sheep is butchered, cooking of blood of the sheep is not preferred but to convert it into the blood sausage is the method, which tastes delicious and is tender in texture to eat.
Air Dried Meat (风干肉)
As the staple of herdsmen in Tibet, the food made from mutton or beef is dried by air, nutritious and tasty. To a great extent, air dried meat is the very picture of typical characters of Tibetans – openness, impassioned, and wildness.
Tibetan Noodle (藏面)
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.
Tingmo (馍馍)
Tingmo is a type of steamed bun or bread. It is usually served along with other foods but sometimes it is stuffed with meat or cheese. This is a good choice to stow your belly when you are very hungry.
Tsampa (糌粑)
Zanba/Tsampa 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.
What to Drink in Ngari
People in Tibet have the tradition of drinking buttered tea and Highland Barley Wine. There are a number of traditional beverages enjoyed by the Tibetan people. The most popular drink in Ngari is Sweet Tea. You may find it in many roadside stores.
Sweet Tea (甜茶)
We tend to say the Barkhor Street is the heartland of Lhasa, if so, we could say that sweet tea is the blood vessel maintaining the life of Tibet. Drinking sweet tea has become a kind of routine for Tibetans in Ngari. When you travel to Ngari, do not miss the chance to have a cup of sweet tea.
Buttered Tea (酥油茶)
It is the main drink of Tibet. In the winter, you can dispel cold. If you feel starved, you can satisfy your hunger; if you are sleepy, buttered tea can assist you in relieve from fatigue. Hospitable Tibetans often entertain guests with this tea, so you are suggested not refusing them, otherwise you are considered impolite.
Highland Barley Wine (青稞酒)
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.
Tsam-thuk (特色汤)
It is a kind of very delicious soup made with cheeses, tsampa, and either yak or sheep stock.
Thukpa (汤面)
Thukpa is a kind of noodle soup, usually served with mutton or yak meat with some vegetables.
Where to Eat and Drink in Ngari
Restaurants in Ngari are not provided with upscale facilities and decorations, however, the sceneries around are very beautiful and the exotica decoration style is impressive. I believe you will be enchanted with the yearning sites. The food in Ngari is much more expensive than expected. Anyhow, it is lucky that restaurants still can be found in most towns and counties of this remote area. The restaurants supply traditional Tibetan food, Sichuan food and other dishes.
Recommended Restaurants in Ngari
- Big Beard Beef Hot Pot(大胡子肥牛火锅)
Tel: (0897)2739000
Add:No. 73 Wenhua Road, Ngari, Tibet(西藏阿里文化路73号) - Tibetan Restaurant (藏族人家)
Tel: 0897-2612777
Add: Guangxi Road, Coqên County, Ngari 阿里地区措勤县广西路 - Xueyu Tibetan Restaurant (雪域藏餐)
Tel: /
Add: No. 13, Wenhua Road, Gar County 噶尔县文化路13号 - Time-honored Brand Hand grabbing Noodles Restaurant (老字号手抓面食王)
Tel: 13658971471, (0897)2827023
Add: No. 9 Disan Road, Ngari, Tibet(西藏阿里狄三路9号) - Haozailai Restaurant (North Binhe Road) 好再来饭店(滨河北路)
Tel:(0897)2622528
Add: No. 12 Hebei Road, Ngari, Tibet(河北路12号) - Gar Huayang Restaurant (噶尔华洋饭店)
Tel:(0897)2666615
Add: No. 17 East Shiquanhe Road, Gar County, Ngari(Next to Nyingchi Teahouse)(阿里地区噶尔县狮泉河东路17号(林芝茶馆旁)
Where to Drink in Ngari
- Highland Tea House (高原茶馆)
Tel:0897-2824123
Add: No. 2, Gesang Road, Gar County 噶尔县格桑路2号 - Yare Town Tea House (亚热乡茶馆)
Tel:/
Add: Main Street in Yare Town of Gê'gyai County 革吉县亚热乡主街道 - The 5th Season Cafe (第五季咖啡屋)
Tel:/
Add: West Shaanxi Road, Gar County 噶尔县陕西西路 - Naqu Tea House (那曲茶馆)
Tel:/
Add: G219 Highway, Burang County, Kailash 冈仁波齐普兰县219国道
