KATHMANDU — Traditional flat-bread Tandoori roti has disappeared from some restaurants. Others are no longer preparing fried dishes.

Some eateries are turning to infrared stoves and rice cookers to keep their kitchens running. Others are considering firewood. Service times have stretched, sales have fallen, and businesses continue to shoulder rent, wages, and electricity even as their menus shrink.

For restaurant customers in Kathmandu, the gas shortage is changing what is available on the menu.

At a restaurant in Thapathali, owner Krishna Pandey has removed nearly half the menu because many items require prolonged cooking or frying.

"We have stopped making dishes that require a lot of gas for cooking or frying," Pandey said. "When customers come, we cannot always give them what they want."

The restaurant's tandoor, a large oven usually made of clay, is no longer in use, while fried items such as french fries and chicken are also unavailable.

Pandey said he could not find enough gas in Kathmandu and, along with other restaurant operators, traveled to nearby regions to bring back supplies. But making such long trips repeatedly is impractical.

"We managed to bring gas from Hetauda (a city nearby) once, but we cannot travel every time," he said.

With sales declining and regular expenses continuing, Pandey said the business was now operating at a loss.

"Our income is falling, and we cannot provide customers with the dishes they want, but the expenses have not stopped," he said. "We are incurring losses daily. How can a business survive like this?"

At another restaurant in Buddhanagar, the gas shortage has forced owner Raj Luitel to shut his tandoor for several weeks.

Tandoori roti was the restaurant's biggest seller, generating about 7,000 rupee ($45) in daily income, according to Luitel.

"We have had to shut down the tandoor for the past few weeks," he said. "Now we can only sell other food."

"We have to pull strings just to get a cylinder full of gas," he said. "The business is making gross losses."

Beyond meals

The shortage is affecting businesses beyond restaurants selling full meals.

At Irani Chiya, a cafe in Tinkune, customers come for its signature Iranian tea. But these days, they are not always getting what they came for. Some are choosing other varieties, while others leave without being served.

Subas Bhandari, manager of the outlet, said the business has been unable to meet demand for Iranian tea for more than 15 days.

The tea needs to simmer for at least 15 minutes, he said. Before the shortage, the outlet sold 50 to 60 cups of Iranian tea a day. Sales have now fallen to around 40 cups.

"Iranian tea has to be boiled for at least 15 minutes and thus consumes a lot of gas," Bhandari said. "Because of the shortage, we have not been able to serve customers the tea they order."

There are 22 Irani Chiya outlets in Kathmandu, and the shortage has affected all of them, according to Bhandari. Some outlets have begun selling other varieties of tea that do not need so intensive boiling.

Restaurants elsewhere in the Kathmandu Valley are making similar adjustments.

Raj Aryal, operator of Marsi Thakali Chicken & Bar in Jhamsikhel, said the restaurant has had to cut its menu because of the cooking gas shortage.

It has temporarily removed gas-intensive dishes such as steamed momo, sizzlers and chop suey. Preparing and heating these items requires more gas, Aryal said, so the restaurant is currently serving a limited selection.

"This is normally a good time for business," Aryal said. "But because of the severe gas shortage, we cannot serve customers the dishes they ask for."

The restaurant, known for its Thakali meals, currently offers a trimmed-down menu. "If the gas shortage lasts for a long time, we will have to keep the business going even by cooking with firewood," he said.

The search for alternatives is not always straightforward.

Restaurant operators say electric cooking equipment can help reduce their dependence on gas, but unreliable electricity supplies create another constraint. Switching fuels can also increase operating costs.

At View 360 Degree Resort in Chandragiri, owner Shankar Datta Panta has cut several items from the menu and is operating with limited gas supplies.

The shortage has affected not only food served to guests but also meals for the resort's employees.

"We are managing with a limited supply of gas," Panta said. "It is difficult even to provide meals for the six staff members working in the resort's restaurant."

The shortage has also come as restaurants face continuing fixed costs. Rent, salaries, electricity and water bills have not fallen even as businesses sell fewer items.

Restaurant operators say they are particularly concerned about how long the disruption will last.

Cutting menus allows them to conserve fuel, but it also means losing customers looking for specific dishes.