MildGundruk Soup
VegA tangy soup of gundruk — fermented leafy greens — a signature sour flavour of the Sikkim-Nepali kitchen, warming and probiotic.
₹80–200
Best around: Pelling
Eat in Pelling
What to Eat in Pelling Today?
Search Pelling dishes by craving — gundruk soup, momos, phagshapa and more.
Pelling eats like the rest of the Sikkim hills: dumplings, noodle soups and a few dishes from Bhutia and Nepali home kitchens. Most of it is warm, filling and made for cold mornings.
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5 Pelling dishes found
Mild
MildMomos
Non-vegSteamed dumplings filled with pork, chicken or vegetables, served with a fiery tomato-chilli chutney — the beloved Himalayan snack, everywhere in Pelling.
₹60–180
Best around: Pelling
MildPhagshapa
Non-vegA Sikkimese-Bhutia dish of pork fat and belly stewed with radish and dried chillies — rich, warming mountain comfort food.
₹150–320
Sel Roti
VegA ring-shaped sweet rice-flour bread, crisp outside and soft within — a festive Sikkim-Nepali treat eaten at breakfast and celebrations.
₹20–80
MildThukpa
Non-vegA hearty Tibetan-Sikkimese noodle soup with vegetables and meat in a warming broth — perfect after a cold monastery morning.
₹100–250
Best around: Pelling
Momos and thukpa
Momos are everywhere, steamed or fried, with pork, chicken or vegetable fillings and a hot tomato and chilli sauce on the side. Vegetable momos are easy to find even where the menu lists meat first. Thukpa is a bowl of noodles in broth with vegetables and meat, and after an early start at the viewpoint it is the obvious lunch.
Gundruk soup
Gundruk is leafy greens, usually mustard or radish leaves, fermented and dried. In soup it tastes sour and a little smoky. It is a Nepali and Sikkimese home staple, and it is one of the few dishes here that is naturally vegetarian. Order it with rice.
Phagshapa
This is the Bhutia dish to look for. Strips of pork with the fat left on are stewed with radish and dried red chillies. It is rich rather than very hot. Not every kitchen makes it every day, so ask in the morning if you want it for dinner.
Sel roti
Sel roti is a ring of rice-flour batter, fried until crisp outside and soft inside, and lightly sweet. It is made in quantity for Tihar and Dashain in autumn, and some kitchens and stalls sell it for breakfast with tea the rest of the year. It goes early.
How eating works here
Most people eat in their hotel, where the menu mixes Indian, Chinese and a few local dishes. The local dishes are often better than the rest. Kitchens in town close early, so plan dinner for around eight. Pork is common in Sikkim, and vegetarian travellers should ask how a dish is made.
Where to find it
The where to eat page lists the kitchens in town and what each one is known for. On the road to Khecheopalri Lake there are only small tea stalls, so carry snacks.
Questions
Pelling — FAQ
Is Pelling good for vegetarians?
Yes, with some care. Vegetable momos, vegetable thukpa, gundruk soup, dal and rice are easy to find. Ask about stock, as some soups are made with meat broth.
What is phagshapa made of?
Pork strips with their fat, stewed with radish and dried red chillies. It is a Bhutia dish and is usually eaten with rice.
When is sel roti easiest to find?
Around Dashain and Tihar in autumn, when families make it at home. At other times, look for it at breakfast stalls and some hotel kitchens in the morning.