Kathmandu, Sept. 18 -- For restaurant customers in Kathmandu, the gas shortage is changing what is available on the menu.

Tandoori roti has disappeared from some restaurants. Fried dishes are no longer being prepared at others. Steamed momo, sizzlers and other gas-intensive items have also been cut as restaurants struggle to secure liquefied petroleum gas.

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

At Palpali Bhojanalaya in Thapathali, owner Krishna Pandey has removed nearly half the i...