Not sure what to order? The Lachung food guide starts from the dishes — what each one is, when to eat it, and which of these kitchens is known for it.

How eating works here

Lachung is a village of hotels and homestays, not a restaurant town. North Sikkim packages usually include dinner and breakfast, so you eat where you sleep. The four kitchens listed on this page are hotel and village kitchens that also serve outside guests, and they are useful if your own hotel's menu is thin.

The listed kitchens

Yarlam Resort Restaurant serves Sikkimese, Tibetan and general dishes, with momos and thukpa the ones to order. The Fern Denzong Kitchen is a hotel kitchen known for noodle soups and gundruk soup. Snow Lion Restaurant is the place to ask for Bhutia food, including phagshapa and pork momos. Lachung Village Kitchen does home-style Sikkimese and Nepali cooking, with sel roti in the morning. Opening hours are short and change with the season, so check at your hotel before walking over.

Dinner is early

Days start before dawn here, and kitchens follow. Dinner is usually served early in the evening, and few places stay open late. If you arrive after dark from Gangtok, ask the driver to call ahead so the hotel keeps a meal for you.

On the Yumthang day

Breakfast is often a quick meal before a dawn departure. Small stalls at Yumthang and Zero Point sell tea, coffee, instant noodles and snacks, and there is little else until you are back in Lachung for a late lunch. Carry water, dried fruit and chocolate.

Homestays

A homestay is the best way to eat local food. Families cook what they eat themselves, which may mean gundruk, local greens, rice and pork, and sometimes butter tea. Tell your hosts in advance if you do not eat meat.

Plastic and water

Lachung does not allow packaged drinking water in plastic bottles. Hotels and homestays give filtered water, so bring a reusable bottle and fill it before the day trip. For the dishes themselves, see the Lachung food guide.

Questions

Lachung — FAQ

Where should I eat in Lachung?

4 places are listed here. Each entry says what that kitchen is known for rather than reprinting its menu, so pick by the dish you want and the area you'll be in.

What should I order in Lachung?

Start from the dishes rather than the restaurants — the Lachung food guide covers what each dish is and when to eat it, then links to the places that do it well.

Are meals included in a Lachung package?

Usually dinner and breakfast are, and lunch is extra. Check the package details when you book, as operators differ.

Can I get lunch at Yumthang?

Only snacks, tea and instant noodles from small stalls. Most visitors have a late lunch back in Lachung after the valley trip.

Do restaurants in Lachung take cards?

Do not count on it. Carry enough cash from Gangtok, as card machines and mobile networks can be unreliable this far north.