Bajeko Sekuwa, a popular restaurant chain with roots in Kathmandu, Nepal recently opened its doors to the public in Queens, New York City. The 21 Google reviews include rave reviews of the Himalayan grill such as:
I have been there thrice in two days. What more can I say? The food is delicious and the price is very reasonable. I highly recommend this place to anyone looking for great tasting food. Enjoy!
Good food and nice hospitality. Worth visiting with friends or family. Highly recommend!
Good food and service…prices are bit high but worth it..
Amidst the 5 star reviews, there are a few 1 or 2 star reviews citing their high prices. On those few reviews, there is a response from the owner but it’s not personalized neither addresses the concern directly. The restaurant can write a more personalized message to each person posting a Google review. This would make the reviewer feel like he or she was heard plus it shows to other people that this restaurant is proactive in their customer service. Customer care is a long term strategy. You have to be absolutely passionate about service. If you’re looking at customer service as just part of your job description but don’t really care enough, you won’t get far much.
Bajeko Sekuwa is off to a very good start in Queens. By putting the customers first, listening to their feedback/suggestions and improving upon them will do wonders for the restaurant for years to come. I previously wrote about how the restaurant can prosper in New York. Rooting for Bajeko Sekuwa to continue to thrive.
P.S. I will soon post my restaurant review when I visit Bajeko Sekuwa in person.
There will come a time when your goal/vision/ambition might be different than where the company is heading towards. That’s a given. It doesn’t always workout the way you initially thought it would.
When that moment to go your separate ways comes knocking, what do you do? Do you thank people for the opportunity that was given to you? Do you hold animosity towards any individual, team or the organization for the fallout? Or no matter what caused the fallout, do you still hold your head up and treat people with respect and thank them.
It’s too easy to get emotionally charged up and get negative if something does not work out. But the “better you” should always be positive, thank the people around you and walk away gracefully. Leave on good terms if it comes to it.
Whoever said that could not have said it any better.
What is travel? A better question might be what do you experience when you travel. When I travel, I feel alive. It makes me realize that the world is so much bigger than where I currently am. Although technology has brought so many places (almost all) around the world much closer to us, being physically in that location is what truly does justice. Nothing beats those moments. It’s not just that you somehow know what to expect of the place based on the YouTube videos, websites or blogs you visit; it’s so much more than that.
Nothing beats taking the step to see the world for yourself. Go travel to learn, live and to discover the world.
People like to be appreciated. Simple as that. That’s the secret to keeping your most talented people in the team.
Some managers appreciate the little things their team members do. Other managers appreciate when the team members complete a major project or reach a milestone. Whatever your preference, just remember to appreciate when results are delivered by your team.
You have to feel the responsibility. No one can make it alone. There is always someone, a group or a community helping you to succeed. It’s only right to do your part and give back.
Giving back not only consists of financial help. Contributing your time to a project that you are passionate about, mentoring someone/group, helping others or just being there for someone not related to you goes a long way. When you give back, you also feel good about yourself and make your life more meaningful. It is also important that you are contributing to making the world a better place no matter how “small” or “big” your contribution is.
The joy of completing a book is priceless. I’m excited to acquire new knowledge and perspective by picking books on a variety of subjects. I recently picked up a book that was on my colleague’s table and started reading a few pages. I decided I wanted to finish this book, kept on reading and I’m very happy to say that I’ve finished it now.
Reading a book fills up the time between waiting for subways in NYC and all “the in betweens” that come up throughout a given day. I highly recommend keeping a book or two in your backpack. No matter what your day looks like or brings, you can easily make it productive, fun and fulfilling by reading.
You have provided a platform to show the world how beautiful and amazing Nepal is. From the natural beauty all across Nepal to the vibrant and colorful life of the capital Kathmandu, you gave everyone a glimpse of life as a local.
We are rich in culture, tradition and heritage. We are more than just mountains, lakes and valleys. We are people who are genuinely humble, hospitable and happy. We welcomed you inside our homes, villages and country to help us show the world how wonderful it is to be in a place like Nepal.
Recently, I flew from Kathmandu to Istanbul and my final destination was New York City. I decided to fly through Turkish Airlines this time and visit Istanbul instead of my regular routes through Dubai and Doha.
I had done research on Touristanbul and was excited to experience it first hand. Tours are available on different days and times. Anyone who flies through Istanbul and has a waiting time of at least 6 hours can join any of the tours. You would need a visa to get out of Istanbul Atatürk Airport and to travel within the country. It is a very easy process to get an electronic visa and you can get all the needed visa information right here.
Based on my Tuesday morning tour (8:30am-11am), here are my observations:
Best things of the tour:
-Free
-You will get to see a variety of attractions in just two hours
-Two stops (Galata Bridge and Dolmabahçe Palace) for photo sessions are worth it
-Tour guide was very knowledgeable and helpful
Can be better of the tour:
-A much more immersive cultural experience might be gained through a longer tour
-20 minutes at Dolmabahçe Palace won’t give you enough time to visit the palace so a different location where the visitors can actually get to experience Turkish culture/history/food would be better
-A short stop at a local souvenirs shop towards the end of the tour would be good. I actually had to rush through the airport shops to buy the souvenirs after the tour.
-Since the longer tours include lunch or dinner, this short tour can include a local Turkish treat (can be eaten in the bus or when stopped for photo sessions). I had heard a lot about Turkish treats and wanted to enjoy it while there.
I was about to take a tour of Istanbul in a few hours. My phone battery was running low so I managed to charge it a little bit at the hotel. I knew it would not be enough to capture pictures and videos of this beautiful city.
On the scheduled group tour starting at 8:30am, I keenly listened to our tour guide calling out the boarding passes. He called out Amr Ismail who was heading to Miami after Istanbul. Once the tour started, I started talking to Amr and we talked about our travels and experiences so far. I also mentioned to him that my phone battery is running low and won’t be able to capture any pictures/videos of Istanbul. He quickly assured me that he can take the pictures and email them to me later on. Amr not only shared the pictures with me later on but now we have decided to stay in touch half way across the globe.
Sometimes reaching out for help is all you need to do. What’s the worst that can help? They can say no but anything beyond that is a better outcome. Sometimes we tend to get caught up too much in our differences that we don’t realize how understanding, caring and helpful people are.
A colleague at work, Bijay Gurung shared a good resource on the best way to find more time to read. The blog was from Farnam Street. Found the blog very simple and insightful. I’m borrowing lines from the blog that stuck out to me:
As simple as it sounds, finding time to read boils down to choices about how you allocate your time. And allocating your time is how successful people increase productivity.
When reading, I generally take notes. I’m underlining, synthesizing, asking questions, and relating concepts from other things I’ve read. (I’ve heard that Bill Gates does the same thing while reading books).
If you’re a knowledge worker, you’re paid to use your brain, so it’s in your best interest to make that brain as big as possible.
Charlie Munger, voracious reader, billionaire, and vice chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, once commented: “In my whole life, I have known no wise people (over a broad subject matter area) who didn’t read all the time – none, zero.”
Warning: Side effects of reading more may include (1) increased intelligence; (2) an uncomfortable silence when someone asks you what happened on Game of Thrones last night and you say “Game of what?”; (3) better ideas; and (4) increased understanding of yourself and others.
Today was my mother’s birthday so my sister had sent a cake through Thamel.com. A representative from Thamel.com called us in the morning to know our location and gave us a delivery time (around 2pm). We didn’t know if it would be delivered on time. At 2pm, we got a call. The representative was near the neighborhood and made the delivery on time.
A few years back, we had waited hours for a cake to arrive at our home from Thamel.com. It was a bad experience and we had lost our trust with the e-commerce site. But now they had improved their customer service and delivered on their promise.
Many times just delivering on your promise is enough to delight the customer.
I saw an ad on Kantipur on Monday that stated Bajeko Sekuwa was opening its first international outlet in NYC.
A local restaurant from Kathmandu dreams big and starts an outlet in the city where you can find flavors from all corners of the world. This is laudable and I congratulate Bajeko Sekuwa’s management team for this. I have had pleasant experiences dining at Bajeko Sekuwa here in Kathmandu.
Just want to share my two cents on how Bajeko Sekuwa can thrive in NYC (based on my experiences of having lived both in NYC and Kathmandu).
Establish a customer first brand from the beginning (Customer service is highly valued in the US. Each staff should be trained in customer service and should go above and beyond to please the customers.)
Invite food bloggers/food writers for news organizations to your restaurant’s inauguration to generate publicity. I once took the role of a Nepalese Ambassador in Jackson Heights and it was a great way to generate publicity for the restaurant with an interested audience. There are thousands of foodies around NYC waiting to try a new cuisine or discover that new restaurant in town.
Hire service oriented and proactive individuals to look after the restaurant’s website, social media pages and mobile app (if any) (Engagement is key especially in building the brand in a new market.)
Be active in review sites and respond promptly. (Americans love reading reviews before checking out any place such as a restaurant/bar/club etc).
Strive to become the best Nepalese restaurant in the US by providing excellent food and service mixed with the Nepali hospitality.
If you tell a friend that you will meet him or her at a cafe at a certain time, be there.
If you tell a client that you will meet them at a place at a certain time, be there.
If you tell an acquaintance that you will meet him or her at a location at a certain time, be there.
Your words have weight. Speak so people can believe in your words. Speak so people can trust you. We should not make promises that we can’t keep neither make promises that we cannot deliver.
Maybe we should watch this video to remind us the power of words in our daily lives.
Pemba was telling stories one after another. He had our attention and was enthusiastically sharing tales-tales of dolphins, fish, lions, superheroes and all. We were amazed by this four year old who kept us entertained during our dinner at Kutumsang Yak Lodge & Guest House. Just that afternoon, our eight people trek team (Akhilesh, Nirmal, Pujan, Rijna, Rupak, Salvi, Soyesh and Unika) had reached Kutumsang and made ourselves at home.
Leaving from Kathmandu on Friday morning, we took the bus to Sundarijal, hiked to Chisapani and made our way to Chipling by the evening. The next day we hiked for five hours from Chipling to reach Kutumsang. We spent the afternoon and stayed overnight at Kutumsang and took the bus back to Kathmandu on Sunday. This is how we got here…
the explorer
Rupak brought lunch from home most of the times. This particular day, he had brought chicken curry and rice. Today he had an agenda. His agenda was to get the lunch group to go to Kutumsang for a weekend preferably for two nights and three days. An avid traveller who had recently visited RaRa lake during the Dashain break, Rupak was always energized to explore new places and meet people from around the world. Rupak’s eyes lit up as he spoke of Kutumsang, a place his friends had travelled back in 2008 and he had missed the chance to go with them. Nevertheless, he had not given up hope and was convincing this lunch crowd (Akhilesh, Binny, Durga, Manjul, Nirmal, Pujan, Rijna, Rinesh, Rita, Ruby, Salvi, Soyesh, Unika) to trek to Kutumsang.
The lunch crowd was keenly listening and then asked questions about the route, sightseeing places, days, budget etc regarding the trip. Rupak had done his research-he came prepared. The lunch hour finished with the group semi-convinced on the trip. Next up was talking to our parents and getting their permission for this trip and also getting the Friday leave approved at work.
On Monday, while nibbling on lunch, the conversation came back to Kutumsang. Rijna inquires about the route to Kutumsang. She had done some research on the destination and had queries. Rupak answered them. Soyesh inquires about the budget and Unika adds her two cents in the conversation as well. Akhilesh checks Google maps of the whereabouts of Kutumsang and its routes. After some discussion, the budget for the trip is decided: 2000 Nrs per person. The group finishes lunch and agrees to collect 2000 from each person by Thursday. Conversations regarding the trek ensues on chat and the group members are anxious for the trip. By Thursday’s lunch time, everyone had handed the money for the trip. It was happening. Rupak had convinced the group and now we are about to make the trek to Kutumsang a reality. Rupak prepares the itinerary.
On Thursday night, I’m starting to pack. Warm clothes, medicine, chargers etc. I message Rupak on the exact location to meet for the bus on Friday morning. I setup the alarm at 5am and get to sleep. After getting up, I pack the rest of the stuff, grab the safe tempo and head towards Chabahil Stupa. The rest of the group would catch the bus at the Old Bus Park and would pick us up on the way to Sundarijal. I call Akhilesh and he updates me on the whereabouts of the bus. He texts me BA 3 KHA 9277-the bus number. I called Rupak to meet me at the corner and he says “Dai countdown till 10 and I’ll be there.” The bus approaches Chabahil Stupa, we aboard the bus and reach Sundarijal.
the breakfast
At Sundarijal, we had two options for breakfast. Eat at the bus stop area or hike up a little bit and then have breakfast. We decided for the latter. As we approached the first stop, Rupak recognized the lady as Bimal dai’s wife and inquired if there is breakfast available. For breakfast, we get roti, vegetable curry and tea-the typical Nepali breakfast.
Everyone’s getting ready for the day. I’m about to charge my phone. Pujan, Salvi and Rijna are going through their trek bags and some are about to wear sunscreen. Unika is searching for her glasses. Rupak is taking out his camera. Akhilesh is setting up his headphones. Soyesh is relaxing on the seat. Rupak announces “Oh I missed my lighter at home” and goes to the shop to see if the store has a lighter or a matchbox. Breakfast arrives and we devour what’s on the plate. The seating area overlooks a gorge and there are big rocks below. I head down to check out the spot and Rupak has ample opportunities to capture these moments in his beloved Canon camera.
the “30 min hike”
We are about to enter the Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park. The person on the desk inquires about our trek and suggests us to also check out some spots along the Kutumsang trek. We state that we have to return to Kathmandu by Sunday but thank him for the suggestion. We tread on. I confide in Akhilesh that hey we made it happen-we are actually here hiking today. Akhilesh tells me about another possible trek next week-Mardi Himal. Akhilesh is ardent about trekking-he’s just about ready to go anywhere if you make it happen. A vegetarian who has the appetite of a sumo wrestler and the metabolism of an olympic swimmer, Akhilesh is a calculative hiker and will lead the group in many parts of our trek. There are hordes of domestic tourists hiking up just as we are. A group of young kids pass us by and I inquire about their destination. Sushil was hiking up the hill as part of his annual trip from his hostel in Boudha. He asks me tapai haru kaha bata aauna bha to which I swiftly reply Kathmandu. Sushil in dismay says tapai haru english ma boldei hunuhuthiyo tesai le sodheko. I smile and we continue our hike. We make a short stop, fuel ourselves with water and Snicker bars.
The sun is out and its getting hotter. I had to change into a t-shirt and trekking shorts. Now I felt like I could fly. The breathtaking views are all around us. Clear blue skies, hills around us and 100% fresh air-something missing in our capital these days. I was thinking to myself how beautiful a place there is not so far away from Kathmandu. A pitch road comes by and few kids are coming down the road. They’re asking pach rupaiya…chocolate. Soyesh grabs a Snickers and hands one of the kids the bar. The kid is happy and returns to his group. We snap a group picture and then continue our journey to Chisapani.
Chisapani, Chisapani, Chisapani…I had heard a lot about this place and now I had made it here. A security personnel asks about our destination and we state that our final destination is Kutumsang. He nods his head and we carry on. The first thing I notice as soon as we get to Chisapani is the sight of the buildings. It looked like we travelled back in time to April 2015 when the massive earthquake took place and the buildings were shaken from the ground. Two buildings were titled and seem ready to fall on any minute. What a sight…
Rupak and Salvi had already reached Chisapani before us so they ordered lunch for the whole group. For lunch we would be having rice, dal, vegetable and achaar. I immediately search for the power outlet and charge my phone. When you hike/trek it’s crucial to keep your phone charged whenever possible especially in treks like these. As we wait for the meal to arrive, we take pictures and inquire with the local people about places to stay in Chipling-our final destination for the evening. Our lunch arrives and we’re busy finishing our plates. I tell the restaurant owner, a middle aged lady khana mitho thiyo. She responds maileta chini haleko thiena. We both giggle after her response. Now we’re ready to continue our journey ahead. Rupak notices some kids watching us and reaches for his camera.
We make our way to Patti Bhanjyang. Salvi notices a group of people on the rice field and inquires the way for Chipling. They murmur something amongst themselves and then reply Chhaang khane baye aaunus yaha. Salvi says thanks for the offer. I look back and ask Rupak is he’s ready for some local chhaang. Rupak is excited and says to the group that we’re coming down for some chhaang. When we meet the local group, they kindly offer us a cup of chhang. Chhang is a popular beverage mostly among the Newar, Sunuwar, Rai, Limbu, Gurung, Magar, Sherpa and Tamang communities. The millet flavored chhang is slightly strong and delicious. They offer us more chhang as we chit chat for a few minutes. The elder in the group points to the other hill as Chipling which we have to reach before night falls. The rest of our group has carried on and me and Rupak head back on the trail to catch up.
We met some locals and they say that Chipling is just 30 minutes away. I’m saying to myself “Wow another 30 minutes……hmmmm” We are anxious to reach Chipling in 30 minutes or so. We climb some steep hills and I’m starting to get tired. My pace is slowing down. After a steep climb, we find a water station. I’m craving for some tea to quench my thirst and to take a breather. The group decides to continue on and is optimistic that we’re almost at Chipling. I ask the locals in this village how far Chipling is and they respond with 30 minutes. 30 minutes for a local of this area could mean a couple of hours for us. In this part of the trek, we don’t find any other trekkers; just locals going about their day. Rupak is at the front of the pack rushing to reach Chipling and find us a good place to stay. Then there is Akhilesh and Rijna followed by me. Salvi is right behind followed by Pujan, Soyesh and Unika. We reach Chipling right before sunset.
We made ourselves at home at Lama Guest House-owned by a middle aged round figured man. He was soft spoken and working at his own pace. We warm ourselves with a cup of tea and then request for dinner in an hour as well. In the meantime, we’re chit chatting with each other. Rupak is mingling with other guests at the guest house and meets Viola from Italy. She had traveled to Nepal with her brother some time ago and was staying in Chipling teaching kids at a local elementary school. We have dinner and after that play some cards. Then we are done for the night and everyone gets their much awaited sleep. The next morning as I’m brushing my teeth at the water station, Viola says she’s also interested in heading to Kutumsang with us. She had not been out of Chipling much and wanted to discover the villages nearby. We have breakfast, leave Lama Guest House around 8am and prepare for a 4-5 hour hike to Kutumsang.
the destination
The hike feels good. It’s refreshing to trek early right before the afternoon sun scorches us. A steep hill greets us and we make that climb. Viola’s already at the top. Viola and Rupak meet an Italian couple and learn that they are returning from Gosaikunda-the popular lake. A few porters are making their way down. It always amazes me on how much porters can carry and how fast they move in the hills and mountains. As we get higher, there is a stupa followed by a wonderful viewpoint.
A flock of tourists are taking a breather and observing the serenity and beauty of this view-mountain ranges and dense forest. From here on, it is mostly downhill-there are pitch roads mixed with off roads. Rupak’s at the front followed by Rijna, Akhilesh, Salvi and I and then Unika, Pujan and Soyesh. We talk about anything and everything on our way. The hike is more smooth and easier compared to the long hike we did yesterday. We had covered a lot of ground in the prior day. As we pass by villages, we inquire about the bus to Kathmandu. We climb some steep hills, pass through a grazing field and hike down.
We reach Kutumsang around 12:30pm.
At Kutumsang, we talk to several hotels on their lunch/dinner options as well as accommodation rates. We quickly learn that most or all of the residences and hotels in Kutumsang is powered by solar energy and there is no electricity. At one hotel, an owner said he would get the generator on to charge cell phones if needed and a hot shower would cost 100rupees/person. Also we had been craving for a chicken platter for lunch since we left Kathmandu. However, there was scarcity of chicken in this area and one chicken would cost between 2500 to 3000 rupees. Akhilesh and Rijna had found Kutumsang Yak Lodge & Guest House which had the needed amenities for us-comfortable stay, hot shower, reasonable lunch/dinner rates. Run by a hospitable Sherpa family, Kutumsang Yak Lodge felt more like a homestay to me. The lady was versed in Nepali, Sherpa, English and Hebrew languages. She delightfully interacted with some Israeli trekkers as they came to the lodge. Now the lodge had two groups-our group and the Israeli trekkers.
What better way to top our trek than a warm and delicious lunch at our destination. The rice platter with vegetables, papad and aachar was the icing on the cake. Even Viola ate with her hands. We talked about the right way to eat a pizza, types of pasta and anything Nepali/Italian that came to our minds.
After lunch, we relax on the porch and also resume our card game. Rupak decides to venture to the stupa with Viola and we continue our card games. Within a few hours, I’m feeling tired from the accumulated trek and take a nap. As a group we watch a movie and then head to the kitchen/dining area of the lodge where the Sherpa family is cooking dinner. It’s a cozy atmosphere and feels like we’re a big family. Pemba is running around the room and starts telling stories to us. He’s animated, energetic and has everyone’s attention. We have a great dinner and then head outside. The sky looks so open and we can see thousands of stars. This is the closest I felt to the sky and was just amazed at the beautiful view. Over in the room, we recall our individual travel stories around Nepal and humble ourselves to know there are still so many places to visit in this beautiful country.
The next morning before breakfast, we hurriedly hike up to the stupa, take pictures and head back down to the lodge. We bid goodbye to our hosts, catch the bus and head back to Kathmandu.
Ray Dalio explains idea meritocracy in this Ted video.
Idea meritocracy seems like the best way to go. The best ideas should drive the company’s decisions. When you have the right talent in the right place, you need to trust their judgements and have the humility to accept that as a leader you won’t have the best ideas all the time. Embrace collective decision making.
Would you let your ego drive strategic decisions or let the best idea that came from the team discussion steer the company? Choose wisely.
Travelling takes you out of your comfort zone and into new places and situations. You make adjustments, meet people and gain a new perspective on life. Exploring a new place always excites me. The excitement comes from witnessing new landscape, architecture, cultures and experiencing something different.
Back in college, I made a bold decision to study abroad in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. That decision was one of the best decisions I made. Studying abroad in Amsterdam allowed me to meet dynamic individuals from around the world, explore the amazing city of Amsterdam and travel around Europe. I picked Amsterdam because the classes at Hogeschool van Amsterdam would be taught in English, Nike’s European headquarters was close to Amsterdam (in Hilversum) and no one from my college, State University of New York (SUNY) at Potsdam had studied abroad in The Netherlands.
I caught the travel bug from Amsterdam and then became enthusiastic to travel to many states once I returned back to New York. So far, I have visited 25 states in the US, many parts of Nepal and have been to over 16 countries.
There is still so much to see and explore and I hope to do so in the coming days, months and years.
A few things I learned from my travels:
–Start travelling. Don’t plan too much and don’t wait for everyone’s schedule to work out.
–Enough money to travel is an illusion. If you really want to travel, you’ll find a way. Money will come but first you need to make up your mind. If something else seems to occupy your time to travel, then travel is not in your priority.
–Start small. If you have plans to travel around the world, take the first step. You’ll be on your way.
There are plenty of blogs, articles, videos on the web for you to get started on travelling around the world or in your country. Travel to live.
The best ideas are right in front of you. You just have to hear them out.
An idea can lead to a startup. The founder can tweak the idea overtime or change it completely. As time goes on, market changes, competition arrives, challenges amass and then you have to come up with new ideas to stay ahead in the market. There are good and bad ideas thrown at you left and right to lead the pack. Which do you choose?
In any organization, there are individuals who have good ideas or strategies that can help the company tremendously. A lot of times the voices of these individuals are systematically silent because their supervisors or leaders are too busy managing their egos, not hearing their team out or just busy watching the competition.
Create an idea funnel in your organization where the team constantly challenges the status quo, find ways to manage loss and increase increase or impact and you have the opportunity to hear many ideas before deciding on one. The outsider consultant can help but before that make sure you have fully heard from the ones that you work with everyday. They might just be waiting for their turn to speak, contribute and make an impact.
It was the word of the day: Leave no stone unturned.
I was attending the Himalaya Toastmasters meeting on September 14. It was a great platform to hear from polished speakers, practice my public speaking skills, network and much more. For students, young professionals and anyone hungry to hone their speaking skills, the Toastmasters club is an amazing platform.
I highly recommend you to participate in or join any of the Toastmasters clubs below. Attend a Toastmasters meeting and leave no stone unturned.
