The winding road to Tabo, high up in the Himalayas of Himachal Pradesh, offers very limited options for food and drink. Nako is a small town close to Reo Purgyal, the highest peak in the state of Himachal Pradesh at 22, 362 ft. I knew my food choices would be limited. Hunger pains told me this was the right place to stop.

Centerview Dhaba, misspelled on the sign, appears around a corner almost begging you to stop. With several cars parked near the cafe, usually a good omen, my friend and I found ourselves surrounded by Bengali tourists. Loud, unruly, and lacking common social skills, this bunch had taken over the limited seating options here. Also limited here, the Indian food choices. Centerview Dhaba is Tibetan owned which was no surprise given Nako hugs the far East border of India and Tibet. On the menu, Momos (steamed or fried stuffed dumplings), Thukpa (soup with noodles), and chowmein. Oh, scratch that…the Bengalis ate all the momos and thukpa, so, chowmein it is!

Nako, India

As the food was being made, I took the opportunity to snap pics and wander around the ridge. Amazing views that you just can’t believe are real surround this area. My friend and I took our meals into a small eating area behind the kitchen away from the outdoor seating section. Here we found one of the workers/owners watching satellite TV. An entertainment console held a decent size TV, a playstation and a computer. Just when I thought we were at the far reaches of the world, reality set back in. The chowmein was good, the chai afterward even better.

Walking back to the car I noticed a small sundry shop across from the kitchen. Mounds of fireworks for Diwali were stacked on the front counter. Sweets and candy were the next most stocked items. The owners here knew who their customer base was and their needs.

Our time was limited on this travel day which made stopping just off the road at Centerview Dhaba an attractive choice. When I make a proper stop to Nako in the future, I’ll keep this place in mind while searching better options.

TIP: Stock up on bottled water here.