Food · Maneybhanjan
Momos and milk tea before the climb
Fuel up at one of the small kitchens near the jeep stand with a plate of steamed momos, a bowl of thukpa or bread and eggs, and sweet milk tea. It is the cheapest good meal you will eat for days, and the start of the trek's food rhythm.
Maneybhanjan's kitchens open early for drivers and porters. Expect plates of six to eight steamed momos filled with pork, chicken or cabbage and served with a fiery tomato and chilli sauce, bowls of thukpa noodle soup, and roti with fried eggs and potato curry. A plate costs roughly ₹70–120 here, about half the ridge price.
Order a glass of milk tea and something with carbohydrate. The first stretch to Chitrey climbs about 400 m in 3 km, and a good breakfast helps. If you are not used to chilli, ask for the sauce on the side; the local version is made with dalle khursani, the small round chilli of these hills, and it is strong.
Pack a few boiled eggs or a roll for the trail; there are tea stops at Chitrey and Meghma, but lunch on the first day is often late. Then pay, pick up your pack and walk to the start of the trail.
Cost: ₹100–180
Questions people ask
Good to know
What is good to eat in Maneybhanjan?
Steamed momos, thukpa noodle soup, chowmein and simple roti, egg and potato breakfasts are the standards. Kitchens near the jeep stand open early for drivers. Prices are lower than on the ridge, with a plate of momos around ₹70–120 and tea ₹20–30.
Are there vegetarian options at Maneybhanjan?
Yes. Most kitchens make vegetable momos with cabbage and onion, vegetable thukpa and dal-bhat. On the ridge, lodge menus are mostly vegetarian anyway, with eggs widely available. Vegans should ask about ghee and butter in dal and roti.
Should I carry food from Maneybhanjan?
Carry light snacks: dried fruit, nuts, chocolate, biscuits and churpi. Lodges on the ridge serve full meals, so you do not need to carry cooking food. Snacks cost roughly twice as much at Sandakphu, so a small stock bought here saves money and gives energy between lodges.
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