This winter, Mary Jane Café unveils a new dining experience with a name that carries deep meaning: Tashi’s Kitchen. More than just a name, it’s a tribute to friendship, shared mountain values, and the global connections that make Winter Park special.  

A Sisterhood of Mountains  

In 2020, Winter Park officially became a sister city to Khumjung, Nepal, a traditional Sherpa village nestled in the Himalayas near Mount Everest. Though separated by continents, both communities share a reverence for high-altitude living, alpine adventure, and preserving the beauty of mountain environments.  

The connection began in 1998 when Lhakpa Sherpa, a Khumjung native and revered summit guide to Mt Everest and Ama Dablam, visited Winter Park and was struck by the warmth of its people. He returned the following year with his wife, Tashi, and together they began a tradition of spending summers in Winter Park, selling handmade Nepali jewelry and hosting benefit dinners to support education in their home village.   

Honoring Tashi  

Tashi’s Kitchen is named in honor of Tashi Sherpa. The lodge run by her and Lhakpa on the route to Everest Base Camp has been a base of hospitality for treks and expeditions for decades and provides the inspiration for recipes for Tashi’s Kitchen. Whether in the lodge or at Winter Park, raising funds and awareness for Khumjung’s students is a top priority.  

Now, her legacy lives on in the Mary Jane Café, where guests can enjoy Nepalese-inspired meals alongside classic ski-day fare. Each dish is crafted to warm you up after a powder day and connect you to a story that spans from the Rockies to the Himalayas.  

To support education in Khumjung, please visit: https://himalayantrust.org/what-we-do/education