Best Food in Paro for the Traditional Taste of Bhutan

Bhutanese cuisine is very distinctive, and rice forms the main body of all Bhutanese meals. Usually accompanied by one or two tasty side dishes of meat and/or vegetables, mostly using pork, beef, or chicken. Chilies are also a major addition to almost every meal in Bhutan, and feature heavily in the national dish. Paro is one of the great places to try local Bhutanese cuisine, as there are plenty of restaurants that cater to the local population here that you can try with your guide.

Top 10 Must-Taste Traditional Food in Paro Bhutan

Rice, cheese, vegetables, meats, and chilies are the main ingredients in any Bhutanese dishes, and the most distinctive part of the meal is the outright spiciness of the dishes. In fact, chilies are considered to be so important in Bhutanese cuisine that most local people would not enjoy a dish without them.

Ema Datshi - Chilies and Cheese

The national dish of Bhutan, this unique dish contains chilies and cheese, and is eaten with almost every meal. Variations include the addition of green beans, ferns, potatoes, mushrooms, or swapping the normal cheese for yak cheese.

Khewa Datshi - Potatoes and Cheese

A traditional variation of Ema Datshi, this tasty dish uses potatoes instead of chilies, which are known in Bhutan as “khewa”. The potatoes are first sautéed with a lot of butter before the cheese is added. A variation adds a few finely chopped chilies for taste.

Jasha Maroo or Maru - Spicy Chicken or Curry

Made from minced chicken, this spicy dish is usually served with a side of vegetable soup and the traditional Bhutanese red rice. The spiciness comes not only from the chilies, but also from the blend of Indian spices, including a local version of a garam masala.

Phaksha Paa - Pork with Red Chilies

A traditional dish that can sometimes include radishes and spinach, this delicious dish is a popular daily meal. Other variations can include the use of sun-dried tomatoes, as well as green beans, turnip greens, and yak cheese.

Shakam Paa - Beef with Dry Chilies, Potatoes, Onions and Radishes

Beef in Bhutan is usually dried and preserved to give it a taste similar to jerky. This delicious dish is made from the dried beef cooked with dried chilies and slices of radish. Onions are added after searing the beef, and chunks of potatoes give it a little more body and flavor.

Momos - Dumplings

Momos are Tibetan-styled dumplings that are normally stuffed with pork, or beef, and with cabbage and cheese. Popular during celebrations, they are usually steamed instead of fried in Bhutan.

Red Rice - Staple Food in Bhutan

Red rice is the main variety of rice eaten in Bhutan, and is a staple of all Bhutanese cuisine. Similar to the typical brown rice found in lower altitudes, it is extremely nutritious and filling. While it is known as red rice, when cooked, the color is more pinkish, and the texture is soft and slightly sticky.

Khur-Le - Buckwheat Pancake 

A common breakfast food in Bhutan, these pancakes are often made for on-the-go eating. While the main recipe calls for traditional buckwheat, variations also use normal wheat flour or even barley flour in the higher altitudes. The pancakes are usually eaten with main dishes such as Ema Datshi or Shakam Datshi, or just with scrambled eggs and chili sauce. The texture is thick and spongey, and they are very filling.

Zow Shungo - Veggie Dish

Zow in Bhutanese means “splendid”, and this vegetable dish is a really splendid stew that can be made quickly and easily, since it is normally made from the leftover veggies. A healthy option for the Bhutanese, it is served with red rice and ensures that nothing goes to waste. Popular as a latter-week dish for dinner, the stew is spiced with chilies in the normal way of the Bhutanese.

Jaju Soup - Traditional Bhutanese Soup

Jaju is one of the most popular soups in Bhutan, made from milk and local vegetables. Usually made from local spinach or turnip leaves, or any of the local leafy vegetables that are seasonally available, even cabbage, the broth of the soup is made using butter and milk. A creamy and mellow flavor, it is often used to supplement feasts during celebration days and festivals. An alternative, to make it a little thicker, is to add some yak cheese to the broth.

Places to Eat in Paro for the Traditional Taste of Bhutan

Eat in the Hotels that you Stay in Paro

When traveling to Bhutan, where you eat can usually depend on the time of day. On a tour of Bhutan, all of your meals are included in your tour, so you normally get breakfast and dinner included in the hotel you are staying at. While many hotels in the higher end of the market for foreign travelers offer mostly western-style meals for breakfast and Dinner, there are some good hotels that have traditional Bhutanese dishes for these two meals as an option for their guests.

Eat in Local Restaurants of Paro

When out and about in Bhutan during the day, your lunch is usually taken in one of the many restaurants, and the type of restaurant you visit for lunch each day is usually pre-arranged by the travel agency. However, you can choose where to eat, and your guide can also recommend some good local and traditional restaurants for you to try the delicious Bhutanese cuisine. Paro has a good number of both traditional and westernized restaurants that have wide ranges of dishes available, so you can try just about every dish that chefs in Bhutan can think up.

There are some great restaurants in Paro for traditional Bhutanese cuisine, and your guide should know where they are. The top restaurants for local dishes include:

My Kind Of Place – Located on Main Street, right in the middle of Paro market, this warm and welcoming restaurant is a lively and vibrant place that is run by the female chef. Noted for being one of the best restaurants in the city, they serve some of the best beef in Paro, and have plenty of vegetarian and vegan options as well.

Sonam Trophel Restaurant – Located on the Paro Tshongdue, in the heart of the city above the Paro Canteen, the Sonam Trophel is an awesome place in which to try the best bowl of Thukpa in Bhutan. The restaurant has a relaxed and cozy ambience, and all dishes are prepared fresh to order. Featuring only the tasty Bhutanese cuisine, with no international dishes available, this is an ideal place for lunch, since they close in the early part of the evening.

Tou Zaiga – Situated around ten minutes from the airport in Paro, the Tou Zaiga is a restaurant that is owned by the Bondey Institute of Hotel tourism in Bhutan, and is renowned for training some of the country’s best five-star chefs. Your traditional Bhutanese dishes are prepared by the young chefs fresh to order, and the restaurant is famous for its fusion of traditional dishes with western cuisines. The restaurant only uses locally-sourced ingredients, and their mushroom ricotta, using local field mushrooms, is one of the most popular dishes.

Eat with the Homestay Family in Paro

Homestays in Paro are a popular way to explore more of the typical Bhutanese traditions and culture, and can give you a delightful insight into local cooking the family way. While restaurants endeavor to provide the best quality and flavor, a homestay meal, cooked in a family home or farmhouse, gives you the true authenticity of home-cooked dishes in Paro.

Frequently Asked Questions about Food in Paro Bhutan

Is vegetarian food available in Paro?

Most of the traditional restaurants in Paro have their own selection of both vegetarian and even vegan dishes, and you can be sure there is no cross-contamination involved. Several local Bhutanese dishes are vegetarian anyway, containing only vegetables and butter or cheese, and you have a wide choice of dishes to try.

Is Indian food available in Paro?

There are a huge number of restaurants in Paro that serve Indian dishes, and you can even find some dedicated Indian restaurants here too. From the Hotel All Season Pure Veg Indian Restaurant, the Lotus Bistro, and the Tandoori Restaurant, which are wholly Indian restaurants to the Sonam Trophel and the Soechey Restaurant, which sell Indian dishes as well, you can find plenty of Indian food to eat here.

Are there any good options for a cafe in Paro?

Café culture is coming to Bhutan with a vengeance, and modern cafes are popping up all over Paro. Some of the most popular include the Champaca Café, a casual coffee shop in the center of the city that has a delicious menu, and the Brioche Café, a child-friendly café that has a cozy atmosphere and delightful cakes. If you love to read, The Book Café is a hospitable place to spend an afternoon, and you can choose a book from the hundreds they have on the bookcases around the café.

Conclusion

Dining and food in Paro Bhutan is unlike anything you will find anywhere else in the world. Spicy is the order of the day, and this is one of only a few countries that uses chilies as a vegetable, instead of a spice. Hot green chilies can be found in almost every dish, and spicy red chilies are often added as well. And with their national dish being a mix of cheese and chilies, this is one country where the amazing and delicious cuisine will blow your socks off. How about joining in a Paro tour to have a taste!