Friday, November 2, 2012

The Himalayan-Nepalese Cuisine


My dinner club choice for October was The Himalayan on 17th Ave. To be honest about this selection, I probably would have never found this hidden gem, although it did fit the exterior image of my mission to find a "divey" restaurant that serves great food. This tasty treat was recommended to me by several patients (while cleaning teeth) after I spoke of living in MardaLoop.

Although it fit the "divey" appearance from the outside, I did not find that was the case on the inside. First impression was the food must be good with the restaurant being nearly a full house on a Thursday evening with a couple reserved tables (including our own) and as expected it sold all of us!

The food is as it is described in the menu as "unique", being significantly influenced by Nepal's neighbouring countries Indian and China. The food at the Himalayan was absolutely something different and delicious! If you're looking for a restaurant that serves up a plate of flavour look no further! 


Our order:

Appetizer: Chicken Momo, Vegetable Chatamari
Entrees: Himalayan Grill (with chicken) and Chili Stir-Fry (with chicken)

As we do at most restaurants, we shared everything that was ordered. To begin this taste bud journey, a complimentary crispy pita/chip dish and dipping sauces was served which got my stomach talking and excited for the next dishes to come! All four of us loved the chicken momo's, aka dumplings, as well as the vegetable chatamari (the dipping sauces really made these dishes!). Although we did enjoy the himalayan grill, the chili stir-fry was definitely the dish leaving you wanting more. The spices in the entrees really got the taste buds going and the naan bread served along side is always a nice treat. And lastly, whatever dressing they served on the salad with the himalayan grill was to die for! 

On a final note, the service was very good at this restaurant. The server went above and beyond splitting up the salad and rice evenly amongst the four of us to share along with the entrees. Very friendly and always smiling :) We would love to come back and try some more delicious items on this menu!

-S


 overall ratings:

Food8.25Service9
Presentation7.75Value7.75
Ambiance 6.25Will you go back?Solid 4 Yeses!

final score - 7.8

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