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Category: Himalayan/Nepalese [Edit]
1410 Solano Avewe do not deliver food any more please correct now
Mon-Thu. 5:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Sun. 5:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
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For me, the best thing about this eatery is the room itself: a cozy space festooned with Tibetan prayer flags and paintings of Tibetan(?) characters on the walls and ceiling. I love small spaces that have been converted into multi-level establishments. In the back of the room you can step up a couple of stairs into another little dining nook. A friendly hostess with a kind face made us feel at home.
I liked the vegetable momos (a soft, chewy dumpling offered in a variety of fillings), and loved the mild green sauce that came with them. Their tangy green yogurt sauce is also a winner.
The Tibetan chicken was much too salty for my taste, but the chicken was very tender and the Basmati rice was perfectly cooked.
When I return, it will be to sample the strawberry lassi, down another round of momos and savor the peaceful space and the Himalayan vibe.
I really wanted to like this place since it is family run but I wasn't too impressed by the service and the food. In essence the food reminded all of us of Indian dishes but with less flavor. Not bad. Not great. Somewhere around 3 stars. The service was friendly but definitely lacked polish.
The ambience is definitely intriguing as every square inch is decorated. After looking up at the ceiling in disbelief for the 20th time in 60 seconds I got kicked in the shin. Anyhow, if you're a neat freak or grew up in a palace you may have some issues with visual and physical density of the space.
On another note: I can't believe someone gave them 1 star because incorrect delivery information on Yelp. Because of that ridiculousness I'm giving them 4 stars.
It's true what they say that the food often tastes better accompanied by the people it's shared with. I had the pleasure of dining with a certain gentleman of the handsome type at Kathmandu in Albany.
For those of you San Francisco inbreeds, like me, who rarely venture across that big gray bridge people often mistaken for the Golden Gate, Albany is not in New York. It's a tiny city only 15 minutes away from downtown SF. And within this tiny city, you'll find a tiny family-owned Nepalese/Tibetan restaurant called Kathmandu. At Kathmandu, they serve up delicious dishes reminiscent of foods from other cultures. Here's what I had and what it reminded me of:
Chicken Momo (like a xiao lung bao or dumpling) - moist and delicious, though I expected a mouthful of hot broth to explode and burn in my mouth.
Salmon Curry (like a Thai seafood curry dish) - having never had salmon and curry together before, this dish satisfied the palette.
Chicken Curry (like a typical curry dish you find at Indian restaurants) - the chicken was a tad dry, but the sauce had a good kick to it.
I give the food at Kathmandu 3.5 stars; however, make sure you go with a handsome gentleman to make it a 5 star experience.
What a cute nice family place. As many have said, the momos are super-tasty and they also have excellent lamb dishes. This is a great place for a tasty meal that is a little bit out of the ordinary.
I absolutely love the Kathmandu. Been there several times over the past year, and the food is fantastic, ambience is awesome, family athmosphere, small and cozy. Note that the food here takes a bit longer, as they cook everything fresh and only right after it's been ordered, nothing is premade and been sitting for hours. This place is worth it ten times over.
My husband and I went to this restaurant for the first time this week. We were immediately struck by the incredibly rich and sumptuous aromas when you walk in. We were thrilled with the service and loved our meal.
I would highly recommend this and will be going back.
The smell of spices and deliciousness will hit you when you reach a block of the restaurant and your tummy will beg for food.
We had the chicken momos as an appetizer and the variety of dipping sauces were so delicious. Momos are like fat hearty xiao lung baos. For dinner we got 2 dishes - a chicken and a salmon. (chicken #4 and salmon #3). Both dishes, while very tasty, seemed identical ... with just a different type of meat. The chicken actually took up the sauce better than the salmon. Basmati rice and roti's were the carbs.
So yummy and such friendly service. Cozy ... though it could easily get cramped on a busy evening. They water was straight from the tap (which generally doesn't bother me) and tasted terrible (metalic and hard) ... I wish they'd filter it.
This wasn't quite as good as I remembered it. Nonetheless, I think it's a special, homey restaurant with the best Tibetan/Nepalese food I've ever had. I've most enjoyed the meals here when I've ordered them as spicy as possible. I don't know whether it's authentic, but sometimes this cuisine can seem a bit bland without the peppers. Ordered as such, this is one of my great food memories of Berkeley (especially the potatoes with asparagus in dry mustard sauce).
On this trip, chicken momos were excellent. The shrimp pilau was really tasty. The 19 mixed beans didn't seem sprouted like they used to be and weren't as flavorful--was not so impressed. The potatoes with asparagus was good but again, not up to my memory--needed to be spicier. The salmon in tomato curry was a disappointment--just wasn't flavorful enough.
This is a good restaurant overall--I'd say essential to the wide world of East Bay exotic cultural dining.
Like I said in the Cheeseboard Pizza thread, I live in Cambridge, MA now, and only review what I… Read more »
Tasty food, attentive service, and a cozy little dining room decorated with Nepalese flair. The endearing waitstaff will delight you with their earnestness and genuine smiles, and the food is pure comfort. The portions aren't gargantuan, but then again, we come from the land of small stomachs and ended up with a box of leftovers to take home.
I kept eyeing the cinnamon lassi but got the strawberry instead, thinking it might offer a better balance against the tastiness of the main dishes. Next time, Gadget...next time.
Kathmandu wasn't as great as Yelp led me to believe.
I went on a Friday night (which I would assume would mean they would be properly staffed), but the service was terribly slow! Even though the restaurant wasn't even half full. Food was way too salty too...
And I had wanted so badly to like it.
We drove pass this place many times and finally decided to give it a try. Why? It was almost 7:30pm, we were very hungry and Cafe Raj was too crowded. As we walked towards the restaurant, we could literally breathe in the smell of aromatic spices from the kitchen. Yeh, we thought we made the right choice. Luckily, it wasn't too busy and we got seated right away. I've only tried Tibetan food once at this restaurant in Berkeley but hubby never. After a short 5-minute discussion, we settled with:
Appetizer #7 - Chatamari (soft rice flour bread stuffed with lightly spice chicken, potatoes and nine varieties of beans served with tomato achar) The texture of the rice flour bread was similar to the steam rice noodle ("ju cheong fun") at most dim sum places except this was thicker and nothing special without any stuffing/sauce. Nonetheless, it was appetizing when we ate them together. Too bad the garbanzo beans in the tomato achar were undercooked. Otherwise, it would be a pleasing side dish. Of course, hubby devoured the last bite of chatamari prior to the real deal.
We picked one lamb entree - Luksha Shamdeh (Tibetan style lamb curry marinated in yogurt and spices cooked with potatoes and herbs) The dish was savory but not the best lamb curry I've ever had. Without the sauce, I think I could taste the gaminess. The waiter brought us the pickle onions and mint yogurt sauce as condiments. The pickle onions were too sour to my taste bud whereas the yogurt sauce was lack of flavor as if something was missing.
The chicken entree - Kukhura Poleko (chicken marinated in spices for hours and charcoal-grilled) was da bomb. The grilled chicken pieces were tender crisp and well seasoned. All dinner entrees are served with saffron rice and roti (hand rolled bread) and dishes can be ordered a la carte for $3 less.
To sum it all, the restaurant has a friendly and warm atmosphere nicely decorated with Himalayan pictures and scrolls. If you have a chance to try cinnamon, banana or strawberry lassi, do let me know how it tastes. It is definitely not a good place for a group of more than 4 people. The good news is they cater for private parties and free delivery with a minimum order. I was surprised to read the highly rated reviews but would probably come back to try the momo (steam dumplings) since most Yelpers raved about it so much.
If you know me at all, you know I average (AVERAGE!) a 70-hour week--what with my full time job in California, my part time job in Utah and my volunteer (read: "collecting good karma") gig.
And, then, you might also know that many of my social engagements seem somehow to be connected to work lately as well. Tonight, for example... instead of going out to dinner with my (much-missed) friends, I took my employees out. The experience was so fantastic and pleasant, I almost forgot that I was at a thinly-veiled work thing masquerading as a social outing.
On our table: lamb curry, chicken momos, a dish with 19 different varieties of beans and salmon with tomato achar. Every bite was fantastic! The curries were the proper blend of spicy, savory and bitter, the basmati rice was fluffy and filling, and the naan was warm and house-made! Delicious!
The proprietor is also the host and server.... and somehow involved in the goings-on in the kitchen. He is wonderfully attentive and nice, with a great sense of humor. At some point, he found out that a few of us at the table like really spicy food and brought out a dish on the house. *SO* spicy and yummy! And since my favorite flavor is "free," I was, of course, completely won over.
A great meal at a great price--totally worth a visit to snooty, entitled, white, Berkeley-hippified Solano Ave.
Sometimes when I don't want to feel so white I go out for some good ethnic food and try to feel a little more cultured. But what's a girl to do when there's no Chevy's nearby? Actually, Chevy's was too crowded and we were really hungry so the ever accommodating Scott A. and I looked to yelp for some restaurant recommendations.
We ended up at Kathmandu-a quaint restaurant with the cutest little napkins folded into the shape of crowns. Started out with the vegetable momos which were delicious. Steamed dumplings stuffed with mashed potatoes and other veggies served with a light tomato sauce. I also ordered the Kathmandu Specialty-NINETEEN varieties of beans cooked in a thick curry sauce made from fresh tomato, cilantro, and lemon juice. So filling I took the rest for lunch the following day. The dish also comes with basmati rice and roti.
The owner was so sweet and chatted with us about the real Kathmandu. She assured me that there are most definitely 19 different beans sometimes more. This includes 7 different types of lentils, 3 different types of garbanzo beans, and many different kinds of split peas. Very veg/vegan friendly, great atmosphere-I'll definitely be back to try the soups and other veggie dishes.
This is the best Nepalese restaurant in the bay area. Thukpa soup and chicken momo (dumpling) is my favorite. Besides this I also like chicken curry. This is a family owned business and they are very nice. Service is very good.
The food at Kathmandu Restaurant is the best i'v ever tasted!!!!
I'm still going to keep this place at 5*, but in reaction to a recent review, I want to mention that:
--yes, service can be slow, even when not all that busy. I usually accept this as fact of life in a small, family run restaurant where the waiter might be doing his school homework.
--food can somewhat more salty than typical Indian food. You can mention that you like the salt moderated when ordering.
Summary, based on several dinners:
--very good food
--friendly and helpful service
--many vegetarian…
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The food was good, the service was good, but it was pretty hot in there.
They offered a free bamboo soup, but too bad i HATE bamboo. My gf enjoyed it though.
I asked some friends if they wanted to go out for some Indian food and they suggested something similar but also a bit different--Nepalese and Tibetan food at Kathmandu Restaurant on Solano. I'm so glad I followed their suggestion.
I stuck to veggie items: momo dumplings as an appetizer and the Kathmandu Specialty: a delicious curry stew with 19 types of beans and garlic, tomatoes, cilantro and lemon juice. Fabulous.
My friends had two chicken dishes: Emu Khaya La, chicken with jwanu seed, garlic, ginger and herbs, and Jhasha Shamdeh, where the chicken is marinated in yogurt and cooked with onion, tomatoes, potatoes in ginger, garlic, and spices. They said their dishes were excellent.
We also had strawberry and cinnamon lassis to drink, which were fabulous.
I loved this place. I am getting hungry again just writing this. I'll be back soon.
I really LOVED this place. I enjoyed the ambiance and the service was attentive. There was only one couple in the restaurant when we arrived around 5:30pm on a Saturday, but four more arrived shortly after. It's a small place, but there were plenty of tables open. I was particularly glad to see it was family owned and operated since 1994.
My girlfriend had been there once before and was suggesting it, but I really wanted to try a Northern Chinese place up the street. My GF convinced me to check out the menu for Kathmandu first. I was immediately sold as I walked up and started smelling the spices and food. Wow! I said to myself, "I just have to try this, it smells too good to pass up!"
I had never had Nepalese food before and assumed it would be nearly identical to Indian food I've eaten. Based on this experience, I say that Nepalese is MUCH better. It's similar, but different enough to be unique in my mind. After just one visit to Kathmandu, I've changed my mind as to what my favorite kind of food is...it was THAT good!
My girlfriend and I started with the Lamb Momo (meat dumplings) and the traditional lentil soup. Both were really good, but I particularly enjoyed the Momo with their "picked" relish-like condiment.
We then were served two different Lamb dishes (#2 and #4 on the Lamb section of the menu, if I remember correctly). The first thing I noticed was how good the cuts of meat they used were. The lamb was very lean and tender. Definitely, the best lamb I've had in a long time. I had the #4, which was the lamb cooked with green peppers in a spicy sauce. Oh yea, SPICY indeed! I loved it!
We also had the "chia" tea (not chai). OMG! To DIE for! I had to order a second pot. And the banana lassi! Absolutely delectable! It was the best lassi I've ever had; light, flavorful, FANTASTIC!
I might have given four stars instead of five because the desert was a bit bland and seemed like it should have been warm and not cold (just thawed from being frozen cold). It was the #1 on the desert menu (honey soaked fried dough), but I can't remember the name. I'm not familiar with this cuisine, so maybe that is the intended way to serve it. The rest of the food was so exceptional, however, I decided to overlook this and give them five stars anyway.
I would highly recommend this restaurant to anyone. It's worth driving some distance to try.
ohhh, so we stopped in walking down Solano. The outside was cute so we figured why not. I really enjoyed the food, the waiter was very attentive and nice. I had the cinnamon lassi and veggie dishes, both very good.Check it out if your on Solano.
I went to Kathmandu last night for the first time and I was very satisfied with the food and the service.
When I looked at the menu, I was overwhelmed by the number of tasty vegetarian dishes. So, I ordered the vegetarian combination plate! The combination plate was around $12, which is a little pricey for vegetarian food. However, the food is made to order (as opposed to simply reheated) and you can request how spicy you want your food.
The restaurant is very small and cozy and the atmosphere is very warm. The staff is friendly and attentive. And most importantly, everything I ate was delicious.
My vegan friend and her husband love this place, and I really really wanted to like it, too., but I couldn't muster up the love. We paid a return visit with them a few years later hoping to find some gems on the menu.
My boyfriend and I avoided the chicken entrees which we had tried before and ordered several appetizers. They tasted the same! Both had very similar spicing and similar ingredients. Some other friends had ordered the entrees (and barely touched them) which we didn't like on a previous visit and I discovered that the taste was again, very similar to my appetizers. I would be OK with this if I liked the spicing and flavors, but I really didn't. Granted, I haven't had a lot of Nepalese or Tibetan food, so perhaps my palate isn't as sophisticated to appreciate or differentiate between dishes. However, I did enjoy a past visit to Cafe Tibet more (and it was significantly cheaper), though it didn't blow me away either.
The one bright spot in our meal were our vegetarian momos (sort of like dumplings or potstickers to the uninitated) which we thought were just OK and are sort of overrated in general. My friends that love the place simply ordered a couple plates of momos and the lentil soup, and I think if I end up here in the future (hopefully not though) I will take this route.
However, we did call ahead of time for a table for 6 (it's a very small place and decorated very nicely by the way). They took our reservation (for 15 minutes later) and assured us a table would be ready. We arrived to find that no table was ready and they seated us at a long table where we only had chairs at the ends and along one side because another table's occupied chairs were almost butting up to our table. It was a very uncomfortable seating arrangement to say the least.
Food was was great. Try the momos to start. Service and recommendations will bring me back, soon! Worth a trip to Solano Ave.
I have been a couple of times and had a great experience and a great meal both times. The second, the host/server was especially attentive. he found out I like spicey food so brought out two additional very hot dishes to try. They were amazingly good. To clear the burn he also brought us the fermented rice drink which was the perfect complement.
There are so many choices for us vegetarians it is really hard to choose. My first time in I had the zillion bean dish and loved it. The second time I ordered the vegetarian combo (after mommos for appetizer course, of course) and it was soooo good. I have no idea what I will order the next time!
The best part of the night is the host/server. He is so warm, charming and natural - I love spending time with him.
Thanks Yelpers for finding another great gem! Although I wanted to travel to Tibet, the Himalayas, and Nepal, my altitude sickness makes it physically too uncomfortable. So, the next best thing is to experience the culture and cuisine at Kathmandu Restaurant, a tiny 10 seat restaurant that only serves dinner now.
To start, I had the chicken momos (steamed homemade dumplings filled with curry chicken with a spicy and highly addictive tomato serving sauce) Absolutely delicious. I'm ordering a full order of 12 momos to eat by myself next time. Also had the traditional Tibetian soup with garlic noodles and vegetables. Very spicy and delicious. The rice flour wrap with chicken, potatoes, and beans was comparatively bland.
My entree was the Tibetian spiced marinated grilled lamb chops which was excellent. I could taste ginger, curry, cumin, and a myriad of spices on three tender pieces of lamb chops. The roti (or naan) was on the small side like a small tortilla but dense and chewy. By the end of the meal, I was too stuffed to try anything else. Next time I promise.
Went here on Valentine's Day with my husband.
The service and atmosphere were great. He got a banana lassi and it was delicious.
But we got the veggie momos and they were a bit gritty, as if not all the dirt had been washed off the vegetables.
For my main dish I got the veggie dal baat. The rice was fine and the lentil soup was super yummy (I love lentils!) but the veggie curry was too salty (and I generally like things pretty salty!). My roti was burned to a crisp. And the mustard greens were just ridiculous. They were so salty they were completely inedible. I seriously almost spit them out. As soon as I put them in my mouth I was reminded of swimming in the ocean and swallowing the ocean water. Yuck!
We got some rice pudding to go. It was good except there were some chopped cloves or cardomom or something in it that should have been filtered out but were not. It's pretty easy to pick out a whole clove, but when they're chopped into the size of pinheads, the task becomes nearly impossible. Then you end up eating it, biting down on it, and it ruins the whole bite.
: (
Kathmandu will always have a special place in my h3art...(fade out to blurry memory scene) It was nearly three years ago and since i'm so awesomely lololicious i know all the best places to eat.... (fade back into story teller)
So, Solano Ave - all those lazy summer days of the Solano Ave festival or something like that led me to Kathmandu.
anyway, so i discovered this place during one of those walks along the Ave.
Every time I've been it's always been pleasant. The food is Tibetan = kindof indian & chinese-y hard to explain but gosh darn good.
(Pan to table with food, focus in on dumplings, soup, and rice, next, pan to happy couple rubbing stomach with painfully happy grins....) cut!
Anyway, so to finish the story, i brought the bf here on one of our first dates, maybe it was the second date... yummy food = good impression = "this girl's hot!"
we ordered the chicken momos, a curry dish w/ rice, the lentil soup and a strawberry lassi to wash it all down. We ordered far too much, couldn't even leave the last two bites, we had to take it... so we're walking down Solano Ave and all of a sudden i get a whiff of the curry from dinner.. "ew" you think, but actually, my date is suffering from slight food coma that he spilled onto this shirt while holding the take out box so close to him! Very Very funny! (but maybe it was one of those you had to be there moments...)
At any rate, the food is great, parking can be a b*tch, but it's darn well worth it! I always find the service to be "normal", meaning not fantastic (but i like that, it's a low key kind of place) but not horrible - since i think the people who serve actually own the place....
(not only is the food good, Kathmandu is fun to say!....no?)
Delicious but a bit pricey (hey, I'm cheap). My wife had a lamb curry sort of thing that was pretty good. I had the "chicken #1" (first item under the chiken section of the menu). It was basically grilled chicken that had been marinated in spices.
The waiter hooked us up with a little garbanzo bean salad on the side which was also tasty.
We also had this large mung bean pancake thing and lentil soup as an appetizer. Both were alright, but I wouldn't rave about the lentil soup like others have. But then again this is the best tasting lentils I've had in a while.
Overall a nice solid restaurant that we would add to our list of regular joints except for the price....everything was in the $13 range which I consider too pricey to be an everyday sort of place. If they would have some entrees in the $9 range then they'd have something. I suspect this is what keeps their patronage low.
This is one of my favorite restaurants in the area. The quality of the food and the friendly service make me feel at home.
I always start with momos for an appetizer and then order a few dishes to share with my friends. One of their specialties is a dish made with many kinds of pulses. It's like a very complex and flavorful dhal. They sometimes run out of it late in the day. Prices are a bit high, but it is well worth it (especially since they often bring out free side dishes). I always leave feeling satisfied.
I've been to Kathmandu a couple times and I really like the place. I still haven't figured out which menu items I like the most, but there's one appetizer that I particularly enjoy; unfortunately, I don't know how to pronounce its name -- actually, i can barely pronounce any of the menu items.
Pronunciation aside, most of the food is pretty good. The place is small and cozy and the service quite good. It's one of the gems on Solano that people should check out... especially if you haven't tried nepalese/tibetan food.
I have been going to the laundramat next to this place for a couple of years and somehow didn't eat here. I didn't know what I was missing. The food here was great. The vegetarian momos appetizers were so delicious with a nice size portion, enough for two or one greedy monkey (who could be me if tempted).
I ate here with my great friend, "Super Vegan" Bontastic M. and it was a quiet night. We got to speak with the owner who was very sweet. The atmosphere was cozy and quaint. I will definately bring friends here.
It is just nice to find an ethnic restaurant that just make good simple dishes without going overboard. The foods tempting subtleness will bring you back.
We stumbled upon Kathmandu when we were in Berkeley to see the Bone Room and the East Bay Vivarium. We were looking for a place to eat lunch, looked at a few menus, and decided on Kathmandu. And what a pleasant surprise it was!
To describe the deliciousness of their momos (I had the vegetarian ones) would be...impossible. They came with a sauce and we tried them along with the lentil soup and -- holy moly were they good. Next time we're in Berkeley, it's Kathmandu for lunch for momos and lentil soup. Interestingly, when we were there, the same individual seated us, took our orders, cooked and served the food and then bused the tables!
Good place. First of all, I think the waitress was Nepali, which is cool. The place is cute, but there's a huge a/c device jutting out of the ceiling. There's "Mondavi" wine for $3.50, but it's like Manishevitz. The food was pretty decent. The best part being the "momos", which are like Indian pierogies. (This is where I convinced, for a second, my dinner partner that Nepal was a Polish colony.) As waitress indicated, the cuisine s different from Indian. I got the salmon combo, which was comprised of lots of mushy stuff and onions that all tasted fine. They sort of shooed us out passive aggressively -- it was the end of the night. Maybe one day I'll have a cinnamon lassi.
This may be my most favorite restaurant I've ever been to. My girlfriend and I happened upon this place after a long walk one day.
The place is rather small, though it is probably never seated to capacity. The decor is indicitative of Nepal/Tibet. It's a very intimate environment.
The service is wonderful. On the occasions I've been there, there were only the one server and the cook. This, however, does not lend to slow service. Another person working there would probably crowd the small kitchen.
If you've never experienced Nepalese/Tibetan food I would say it is similar to Indian food but a lot less pungent. The best part of the menu is that it's very accommodating to carnivores and vegetarians.
I can't remember what I've ordered there other than a main dish of lamb but all my food has been delicious as was my vegetarian girlfriend's dishes. The server gave me a free bowl of lentil soup as he recognized I was a new patron and wanted to impress me. I was impressed. You must factor in that I generally avoid lentils.
There is a fermented rice beverage that my girlfriend had spied him serving to friends of his one day. The next time we went we got some. It's not on the menu. It's definitely interesting and packs quite a wallop. Vinegar is what wine will turn into so think of this beverage as the stage prior to rice vinegar.
Overall, this place is a must. I would love to go to this place once a month.
This is how all restaraunts should be. Cozy, cool decorations, delicious food, and a waiter who I could hang out with for hours.
Ordered the momos for an appetizer, was just gonna get a half order but decided to get a full one so we could share it. I was thinking a half order would be like 2, and a full maybe 4. The full was like 15 momos! As delicious as it was I managed to not eat it all and fill up before my main course. I had the 19 (or whatever) bean curry, and it was great. I really love beans and the curry didn't drown out their natural flavors; really delicous.
Had a banana lassi also which was perfection. I am always scared when I order a lassi that it will be over sweetened, but this one wasn't at all.
We also got several freebies from the host/waiter (owner?). Brought us the fermented rice drink and some mustard green salad. The drink was very unique and cool, can't say I've ever tried anything like it before.
2 appetizers and 4 main courses for 4 people and we didn't even come close to finishing, which in my book is a good thing! Oh, and the spicy here is really really spicy, so be warned!
Hiiiighly recommend this place.
Very nice atmosphere.
Good service.
Above average food.
I thought it was good and will likely bring friends there, but wasn't blown away by the food. I'll mainly be going back because of the good service, cozy atmosphere and the uniqueness of the restaurant. I found the food a little bland for my taste, and felt the texture of most of my dishes could have been a bit more inspiring.
Although I love spicey food and when I asked for it spicey they made it spicey! Portions are generous.
Had dinner here tonight with Rahul T. and it was pretty good. We had the chef's special which was lamb with veggies. We also had chicken with veggies and a 19 bean variety dish. Each dish also comes with one of rice (white or brown) or 2 rotis. Anyway, the food was a little bland. You could add the spicy stuff, the ground pickle or the yogurt to change things up. Anyway, the lassi's taste pretty good and fatty. The restaurant is decorated nicely with lots of colour and items from Nepal. My friend said that the prices have gone up a lot, so I'm not too fond of that. Anyway, there are a lot of newspaper articles on the wall talking about the restaurant, but the articles are old.
This place is HOT. And I'm not just talking about the spice level of the food, but about the temperature inside the place.We sat down as close to the door as we could to try to catch a breeze. While the breeze wasn't forthcoming, a cool and frosty banana lassi did the trick. Other favorite items on the menu were the vegetarian momos--- just the right ratio of dough to filling, and the bharta tarkari- a spicy delicately seasoned eggplant dish. I wasn't so happy with the roti- I found it a bit too dry, so we asked for some dahi and acchar (pickle), which did the trick nicely.
So I don't usually like weird food, but this place was awesome! We started with the Chatamari (the best food of the evening) and then eached ordered a shamdeh (I ordered chicken, he ordered lamb). I also indulged with the banana lassi (the other best item of the night!). I can't take spicey food well, but the hot sauce adds tons of flavor and the yogurt side cooled it off well. We left the seasoned pickle to the side.
The service was super fast and curteous. The waiter even offered to bring a new beer when the one he brought very slightly bubbled over. Not necessary, but it was still nice to offer.
The place is quiet and cozy - we'll be going back soon!
I would drive to Berkeley just to go to Kathmandu; we make it a point to eat there whenever we are in town. The entrees aren't all spectacular, and sometimes the service/ambience is less than perfect, but the momos (dumplings) and lentil soup are to die for. My husband and I will both make a meal of dumplings and soup, foregoing the entrees altogether. A sign in the restaurant proclaims that they now deliver. If only they had offered delivery when I lived there. It is difficult to find Tibetan/Nepalese restaurants, and this one is worth exploring.
Neighborhood: Downtown Berkeley
Category: Himalayan/Nepalese
Neighborhood: North Berkeley
Category: Indian
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