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Categories: Indian, Himalayan/Nepalese, Pakistani [Edit]
Neighborhoods: North Berkeley, Gourmet GhettoMon-Sun. 11:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Mon-Sun. 5:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
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Yes, once again yelpers got it right: Taste's four star rating average is well deserved. I've now had two meals here and feel very comfortable recommending it.
We were brought our bowls of dal first. They cook the yellow variety, thick and salty. For our appetizer we had chicken momos. These come with sauce - a creamy tomato sauce we think. If you haven't tried a momo yet you need to come here. They are similar to potstickers in shape, but momos are larger, the 'wrapper' is tasty in its own right, and the filling is rich and has recognizable ingredients. There is no oiliness. They serve them with a filling of pork or chicken.
For entrees we had Tandoori chicken, Chicken Vindaloo, garlic herb naan, plain naan, basmati rice, and raita. I'm not saying this was a dietetic meal, but I have to say that the cooks here are so good with spices and flavors that they don't have to mask their food with extra butter, cream or oil.
The vindaloo came in a little bubbling copper pot with some good-sized chunks of chicken and potato in the tomato curry. It has a nice heat to it. Scoop this up into a piece of their naan and dip into a little raita. Perfection.
The chicken tandoori beats every other one I've had in the Bay Area. It comes on a cast iron plate, sizzling on its bed of onion, red and green pepper and cabbage. When I say the chicken was moist, I mean there wasn't even a hint of dryness. The tandoori spice rub was...perfect. I keep having to use that word.
Garlic herb naan didn''t sound particularly appealing to me. But when I tasted it I had a where-have-you-been-all-my-life moment. Very, very good. I don't know why I keep trying to like Indian beer. The Taj Mahal and Karma beer tasted authentically weak. I need to give that up and order a heineken next time.
Useful things: the portions are very generous -- we ended up with a substantial amount of food to take home. If you're a light eater half an entree would satisfy. Also, it does take some time to get the momo's, but that they are worth the wait.
People thought this was:
Went tonight for dinner and had the Pumpkin Kofta and the Palak Paneer and both were excellent. With an order of garlic naan on the side and the rice and lentil soup that came with the dishes, I left with a full belly and a meal for tomorrow.
Taste-wise, everything was excellent. I kept eating past the point of being full because it was just that good. When we came in at 6, the restaurant was pretty empty, but by the time we left, we were surrounded by people and all of the dishes our neighbors were eating looked equally delicious.
Service was good. My water glass never came anywhere near to empty and we were questioned sincerely about whether we'd enjoyed our meal. For a hearty dinner at less than $20 per person (including tip), I was satisfied and would gladly go back.
We love this place. I (Dana) live nearby so the owners know me by sight, and now that I've brought my boyfriend Derek all the time, they always welcome both of us. They are so incredibly friendly and it's worth it to go here just for the smiles. We love the food though too.. The naan is always, always, always EXCELLENT. Derek loves super spicy chicken tikka masala. I've tried a lot of things on the vegetarian menu, including the dish with okra and malai kofta. I wish they had pumpkin kofta all year around.
Wonderful place, highly recommended.
People thought this was:
Tasteless!
I'd give "Taste" 3-stars for looks. It's a pretty restaurant, it's location is convenient, there is parking available on the street . . . I enjoyed the comp soup and the Veg Momo, the garlic nan was GREAT, but where's the spice? The Vindaloo tasted like ketchup and the Masala didn't have any flavor at all.
Sorry, but I won't be back :(
People thought this was:
I really wanted to love this restaurant because as a Buddhist, I always have a special fondness for Tibet and the vicinity. I love the culture, the warm, friendly people, but more importantly, I love the food.
Unfortunately, I was not so impressed with ToTH.
The flavor was either really weak or really salty. The lentil soup was good but a bit watered down. I am not a big fan of goat meat, but the curry was surprisingly tasty although there was as much fat as meat in the curry. The butter chicken was creamy but there was hardly any meat. I would have liked the mixed meat tandoori more if it was less salty. I'd skip the biryani rice, unless you like bland, mushy, poorly seasoned rice.
The only redeeming dish were the garlic and potato naans. The chai was good but there was no offer to refill.
Decent service. Poor ventilation. Expensive food considering the quality.
2.5 stars.
People thought this was:
My friend and I came here for dinner on a Tuesday, so the place was pretty empty although the service was attentive and friendly. We paid $19/person, including tax and tip but for that price, it wasn't worth it. I was kicking myself for spending that much.
It was because we were thrown off by the flavors of the dishes, which were a little too salty. We ordered samosas, chicken tikka masala and goat curry, which came with an order of rice and naan.
The samosas were pretty good and hefty at 2 for $3.50. The goat curry was the best dish. I've only had goat meat in this really great Korean stew, but the meat was very tender albeit a little fatty.
The chicken tikka masala's flavors were off--either too salty or even a little sweet strange enough. The white meat chicken was a bit dry. As for the naan, I don't see how it's any different from other places. It was slathered with melted butter, and with the combo of that and chicken tikka masala, the salt content was too much for me. We also were scraping the rice bowl clean in efforts to neutralize flavors and avoid eating the naan with curry. But since it's a pretty small bowl, we finished it quickly, and an extra would cost $2.50. $2.50?! Wow.
While I think the restaurant is lovely, and the staff is nice, this is not the kind of quality food I was expecting for its price.
People thought this was:
We ordered food from this place via a delivery service tonight. First time having their food. Overall for the price I was not impressed. The only dish I found outstanding was the chicken nauni, described as a himalayan style makhani. Now that was better than most I've had.
We ordered all our dishes "Indian spicy". The chicken did have a slight spice. But our vindaloo was hardly spicy. Maybe a 3 out of 10 where I would expect a 7-10.
The onion naan was good; the paratha not at all how I like it.
Will try another place next time!
As others have noted, the portions were on the small side given the price.
People thought this was:
Best Safrron Chicken of my life. Lentil soup was amazing. We also had the pumpkin curry which was good but needed a few more pieces fo pumpkin present. Naan was out of this world - plenty of ghee on it and not greasy. The dining room is beautiful as well - gorgeous artwork, dining furniture beautifully carved. Wait staff very attentive and professional. Parking was not a problem. We were there with a small number of people in the resturant but I can imagine it feeling a bit cramped at full service times. We will be taking out of town guests here for sure.
They've got this beer called Karma. Say you drank a lot of it and did some dumb stuff, right? Well, then that's baaaaad Karma, to you.
Okay, enough of me being juvenile.
Let's start with a little trivia: how many countries does the Himalayas span? Wikipedia doesn't have its shit together. The caption says one thing, the copy another. Either way, the answer is more fingers than a stumpy armed pirate's got on two hands.
So what does that mean for the food? Here it translates to a whole lot of Indian spiced curries (though some have mushrooms which are never seen in proper Indian food), thin-skinned momos wrapped like Chinese dumplings (not the doughy little buns I'm so fond of), flavorful dahl (lentil soup), all high in salt content.
Sure you can get equally as tasty pabulum for almost half the price, but not with the same charm and comfort. The sweet though sometimes elusive servers don cheongsam looking garb, but are far too doe eyed to be far eastern. The colorful decor portrays Buddhist deities with pagoda style architecture. The beautiful, carved chairs and ornaments look decidedly Tibetan.
It's a cultural hodgepodge really. So don't try to fit it in any checkbox other than "yummy" and you'll be just fine.
People thought this was:
I really wanted to like this place, but it's just too damn expensive for mediocre food. We decided to give it a try after getting a gift certificate from http://Restaurant.com. The food was nothing spectacular, and way overpriced. We were there for dinner, and our bill was $90 for two people. The average price of the curry dishes were $14. I don't mind paying that much for a dish, but their portions are way too small for that price. There are many other Indian/Pakistani restaurants out there that serve similar, but more delicious dishes out there, for half the price.
The service however, was worthy of a five star review. The owner kept coming by our table to ask how we were doing and to explain how some of their dishes were prepared. A waitress came by every five minutes or so to fill our water. I would love to come back to this restaurant, I just wish it were a bit cheaper.
The best part of this meal was my company. Close second was my diet coke.
Our samosas were served in a puddle of oil. The insides were still frozen. Frozen. I'm not sure how that is acceptable. The food was mediocre. Decent sauce but the meat -- lamb and chicken -- both disappointing and dry. The naan was ok but really inconsistent. Areas of burnt crispyness and areas of all dough. Yuk
Worst part was the $40 bill, I don't mind spending money on quality food, but I don't know how they can justify that kind of bill for such terrible food. The service was ok, even though we felt rushed out. Will never return.
People thought this was:
The Himalayas taste good; too bad the service isn't up to par.
The table favorite was the a house special, a goat plate in a delicious spinach and curry sauce. I've had goat before, and usually it's way too chewy to enjoy. This goat was either younger or tenderized somehow.
The vegetarian dumplings were also a favorite, too. We ordered eight for a crew of five; we'd do better to order more next time.
Service was just okay. We crossed wires a few times while ordering, and our waiter jumped out as the restaurant was winding down, so we had to wait an extremely long time to pick up our check.
If the service wasn't a downer I'd give this place four stars.
I thought the food was very decent. The garlic/herb nan was one of the best nans I have ever had. Delicious and flavorful, not at all dry. I had the squash curry on the lunch menu and it was fine - lots of well cooked vegetables but a little bland for my taste. It came with rice and a particularly tasty lentil soup. I also tried the raita (very good) and the mango chutney (OK but likely not homemade).
I LOVE IT.
Their curry is very tasteful. They know how to mix their masalas well.
I had lamb (or goat?) curry.
Their paan bread is nice buttery soft, and warm too. Sometimes I sprinkle some rice and spread the curry onto the paan and eat it. Sometimes I love to take my paan and dip it in my curry bowel.
Excellent presentation and service.
A fine place to dine in private, or with a small crowd in the heart of Berkeley.
People thought this was:
Better quality of food than most other Indian places in Berkeley, but the price reflects it.
Excellent naan....love the naan.
People thought this was:
Excellent!! The food was excellent, service was excellent... LOVE IT!
Better if you call and make reservations... we had to wait an hour.. but it was worth it!...
For sure i'll be back ....!!
People thought this was:
I'll keep it short and sweet.
Great food: fresh, healthy, and delicious seasoning. Be sure to specify if you want hot, medium, or mild. I love the mismas tarkari and my boyfriend is hopelessly devoted to the chicken tikka masala.
Great service: it seems that the people who run the place are genuinely living their dream. We are always greeted with warm smiles and can rely on attentive (but not annoying) service throughout the meal.
Great prices: not cheap, not expensive -- right what you'd expect for an Indian meal in Berkeley. Plus, the meal comes with soup and rice as part of the package.
People thought this was:
Nice go-to place for casual dinner w/a friend. Chicken tikka masala is exceptional!
Wow, thank god I had a http://restaurant.com coupon... this place is EXPENSIVE! We reached the minimum of $35 and blew right past it with the few dishes we got. They also charged an arm and a leg for naan. We got some ok lamb momos, which are like Chinese xiao long bao but with lamb. Luckily, we didn't get non-lamb momos, or else they'd be like getting a small dish of xiao long bao for $10. Their naan is truly awesome, but a bit overpriced. The dinners also came with soup and rice, which pushed the amount of food way over the top. The soup was really good, and the rice was pretty ordinary. I would rather have paid less and just had the naan. My boy and I split an awesome chicken tikka masala, with tender chicken pieces and perfectly balanced curry sauce. We also got an ok pea and mushroom curry, which was not very flavorful. We each had a watery but flavorful mango lassi. Good food, but not worth the high price tag.
We had a out of town guest and wanted a little nicer place than our usual haunt, so on the recommendation of my daughter this is where we landed. And it was a lovely experience from the moment we walked in the door! Greeted by who I assume who was the owners??? we were seated with our waiting party.
The inside of this cozy restaurant was clean and had a beautiful mural on the wall. We found parking off on Virginia, just a stones throw from the restaurant.
We started with Samosa's and they also served us this wonderful lentil soup that came with the dinner menu. The Samosa's were one of the best that I've had and very filling.
For our dinner we ordered Butter Chicken, Chicken Tikka Masala, Vindaloo with Prawns and Basmati rice.We also ordered two kinds of Naan. Garlic and plain, both equally buttery and delicious.
The atmosphere is relaxed and perfect for a nice dinner with family or friends. and the servers were very attentive and friendly. The food was served promptly and when my daughter asked for extra soup (she really loved the lentil soup) they were happy to bring her more.
Our whole dining experience was really wonderful and the leftovers were even better the next day at work! I will definitely go back now that I've found this little gem.
People thought this was:
This place is good! Def on the more pricier side, but you get really decent service! Nice decor & setting.
We tried the following:
-Garlic Naan - Yummy!
-Mixed Tandoor -Lamb was pretty tender. Chicken was slightly dry. We're not used to the spices they use though. Not sure what it is, but we've had chicken tikka and kababs at other places, but they weren't marinated this way. The platter has much more chicken then lamb or shrimp! Comes sizzling hot. Doesn't have many veggies at all, which I actually was looking forward to.
-Chicken Tikka Masala-Very tasty! Went well with the rice & naan. I had leftovers and this was still soo darn good!
They give you lentil soup, which is also good on a nice, cold day. Also, give you tons of rice. The mango lassi was also creamy and good.
Overall, this place is pretty great! Try it for some good indian food :)
People thought this was:
i only had "to go" items kindly brought home to me, but i still wanted to review this place because the food i had was amazing. the naan was probably the best i've ever had. it was so buttery and soft and literally melted in my mouth. the tandoori chicken was one of the tastiest chicken dishes i've ever had. it just had the perfect blend of spices and was a match made in heaven with the naan. apparently, the portions here are huge. huge portions + fabulous food means i will definitely actually come here in the near future.
People thought this was:
After surveying my roommates (one LOVES it, one is "eh") and eating it myself, I think whether or not you'll like this place comes down to your taste buds. If you like fiery hot hit home spiced til you sneeze and sweat gulp your lassi for dear life Indian food (like I do), well then this is not for you. But if you like mild, balanced (bland?) flavors, then this is for you.
For me, curries were okay, mango lassi was okay. Lentil soup was yummy, and naan was FANTASTIC. Probably best I've ever head. As a carb-loving gal, I might be back when the naan calls to me. But otherwise, it's not worth the high price point.
If you're like me, and like gritty spiced up Indian food, try Kabana.
If you're into nice atmosphere and milder flavors, I'd highly recommend this place. Don't forget your http://restaurant.com coupon
People thought this was:
OK, so this place is nice. The ambiance is very good, much better than say Naan 'n Curry or House of Curries. And the food is good... the naan is great, nice and light and buttery. The coconut chicken and the chicken tikka masala are both pretty good.
That said, is it 3 times better than House of Curries? CTM and naan at House of Curries will run you $8.50 incl. tax. CTM and naan at Taste of the Himalayas will run you $15.50 plus tax and tip - almost $20. If you're not on a budget, go to Taste of the Himalayas for sure. If you're a student like me, best save Taste of the Himalayas for a special occasion.
A side note - when we were there a pack of foul-smelling hippies came in to eat. They all had beards and long hair and were wearing some kind of tunics. We were seated across the room but we could smell them as soon as they came in. Luckily, our food came soon and overpowered the stench. Not sure if this was a one time thing or if its a regular occurrence.
People thought this was:
Excellent food. Excellent service.
This is now my favorite indian/pakistani place to eat. By far.
The lentil soup starter was so delicious and the flavors were perfectly balanced. I was excited to see what else was in store for my palate. Next, the Veggie momo...amazing flavors wrapped in this pretty little pot-sticker-esque dough thing, but not greasy or fried at all. So yummy. At this point I'd already declared this restaurant a winner....and this is before our entrees came out! The garlic herbal naan is to die for. I'm craving it just thinking about it. My chicken tikka masala was fabulous...and really enough for two meals, but being the glutton that I am and it was so so good...I ate it ALL. This was all topped off with the mango lassi and I literally could barely make it out the front door.
Go. You won't be disappointed!
People thought this was:
LUNCH BUFFET!!! I loved this because I got to try a buuuunchhh of things (most of which I've forgotten the names) but from what I remember, it was really good. Normally, I don't like buffets as much because everything is prepared so homogeneously and it's not made to order but... surprisingly it was really good as is. Tried a few lamb dishes, vegetarian dishes, and samosas as well as other finger-food type things.
Definitely recommend the lunch buffet if it is still available.
People thought this was:
This place seriously has the best naan I have ever had in my life. If I lived in Berkeley I would probably just live off of their naan.
After visiting the city for a hike in Tilden Park I wanted to eat some good ethnic food. I read the reviews on yelp and decided to give this place a try.
The portions are perfect and the price is decent. They offer brown rice which is a nice healthy option. I think one of the best things this place has going for it (Besides the naan of course) is the atmosphere. Upon entering the restaurant we were greeting by the owner (who ended up being our server). He was so friendly and genuine. He offered us suggestions and provided conversation at the perfect moments. He told us the meaning of the names behind all of his dishes. And he seemed to really care about using lots of greens and being health conscious. Before we left he told us that he loves to give good karma to the world so every Sunday he serves lunch for free at his restaurant. He made me feel good about humanity and about giving his family run place business. If I was in Berk. on sunday I would always be first in line at this place.
Now onto the food...
There is a large vegetarian section in the menu and there were vegetarian specials. I chose the Veggie Korma. I was so excited to try it, because my friend who loves Indian food always told me the korma is best, but I could never find a veggie option. My parents chose lamb dishes.
First they brought out a veggie lentil soup. It had ok flavor and was probably the low-light of the meal. For me a little too watery. Which is one of the reasons why i give this place four stars.
The veggie korma was perfect. Everyone at the table agreed it was the best selection. There was even tofu in it. And the cream sauce, mmmm...DELISH. I wish I could buy jars of their korma sauce it was so flavorful and tasty.
My parents enjoyed their lamb, except my mom did find a piece of chicken that must have landed in her lamb dish by accident. This sort of grossed her out since she doesn't eat chicken unless it is free-range.
Other than that this place is wonderful and charming. The house red wine was good and paired with the food nicely. Overall I felt nice after the meal and was happy with my choice to stop by and give it a try.
People thought this was:
I have mixed feelings about this place. I liked the dish I ordered - a chicken-mango-curry concoction that was sweet with a small kick. The problem though, is that it was a special item not listed on the normal menu; I'm not sure if it would be served on a regular basis. I went with a group of friends and tried a good chunk of what everyone else ordered. I probably ended up with the best dish: everyone else's food wasn't that great, and definitely not worth the price of admission. All things considered, I'm glad I tried this place and enjoyed my experience, but I'm rather hesitant about ever going back.
People thought this was:
Great service! The food was good especially the samosas. The tika masala was nice too but just a tad on the salty side and the nan was great . I will def go back and try out more form the menu.
People thought this was:
One of the best Himalayan/Indian restaurants in the area. It is a little on the pricey side, but definitely worth it. My fiancé and I like to come here on dates occasionally. Only complaint is sometimes the waitresses aren't the warmest personalities.
People thought this was:
Namaste, for this is a wonderful, mouthwatering experience.
From the moment we opened the door, we were greeted to tasteful decor, soothing Tabla-laden music, and a deep menu with unique North Indian/Nepalese selections. The Naan and chili Paratha were delicious, and the Chickan Tikka Masala and Malai Kofta were masterfully prepared and pleasingly presented. The individual bowls of basmati rice were a nice touch, and the attentive service kept everything flowing along. I ordered a chai at the beginning of the meal, and they graciously refilled me at the end for a nice finale.
I love Taste of the Himalayas, and along with Breads of India, this is a North Indian East Bay winner. My only small gripe was our request to bring uneaten food home was answered by the waitress handing us some containers for us to pack it up ourselves - it would have been nice for them to prepare a take-home pack for us, as is usually the custom at this level. Other than that, I was thoroughly pleased - and look forward to going back.
People thought this was:
The taste of the himalayas is damn good, and damn cheap for lunch. We split a plate of juicy lamb momos, and then got delicious lunch entrees. There is just so much tasty goodness in a lunch special! Take a bite of this and that...
We left absolutely stuffed for $13 a person after tax and tip. Sweet deal! The service is very nice and very fast -- especially at refilling your water, which they did like 5 times during lunch. I am one thirsty bear.
People thought this was:
I found this place on http://restaurant.com and decided to give it a whirl. Normally most indian food places are fairly similar and slightly distinguishable. This was the first indian food i've had in berkeley that has stood out.
The meat wasn't dry and overcooked like most places. The curry wasn't dripping of oil like most places. And the naan wasn't plain like most places.
It is a little more pricey than you will find on telegraph but well worth it if you're not a poor college student who loves DC food.
Best Indian Restaurant in Berkeley by far
Maybe it's cuz I just had the best Saag Paneer elsewhere, the Saag Paneer here fell wayyyyy short in terms of tastiness. The Naan was definitely good, though. Atmosphere was good as well, but unless someone must come here I wouldn't come on my own.
People thought this was:
Good average Indian Fare. Liked the atmosphere.
For reasonable prices, I enjoyed the following tasty treats:
- momo (dumpling appetizer)
-lentil soup that my mom kept saying "wow this is good" that I also thought was creamy, if that is an appropriate adjective for lentils
-flavorful curries with brown or jasmine rice ( I like anything featuring peas)
-excellent buttery naan
-yummy mango lassi
service was prompt and gracious.
Good pakoras and vegetable momos (which tasted a lot like chinese dumplings!). The mango lassi was pretty good, not as good as Shalimar's, though! The tandoor dishes were a bit dry, but not bad. The shrimp vindaloo was good, but has a very strong tomato flavor to it. The palak paneer is good, but I'm definitely partial to this dish! The service was very good.
It really is a 3.5 star, but since it's not a restaurant that I imagine myself craving to go to and there are better options, it drops down to a 3.
We've been here now two more times for dinner because we got a few coupons from http://www.restaurant.com (Spend $35 and get $25 off--somehow we always end up spending more than $20 even on top of the coupon with tax and tip). Anyway...this joint is definitely a solid 3.5 stars. I really enjoy the lamb chop dish, and I also like the okra dish. Well-seasoned, decent service, and the prices are not too bad either. Glad this is in the Gourmet Ghetto for some variety in food.
People thought this was:
My father-in-law wanted to eat her for lunch on Saturday. So we obliged because 1. it's close to… Read more »
I was here a few weeks ago with my parents and I must say, some of the most fantastic service and food I have ever had!
We ordered the Vegetarian Momo to start which was so delicious it makes my mouth water just thinking about it now. They gave a us each a bowl of lentil soup which was ate straight by most. I preferred to pour it on rice like a dahl, absolutely delicious
I am big fan of paneer dishes in general, but some are good while others are out of this world. A Taste of the HImilaya's Kerau Paneer is as good as it gets.
I remember having a lamb and shrimp dish as well, but unfortunately can't recall the name. I knew they were fantastic and with the garlic naan all I could do was concentrate on eating!
My favorite indian place in Berkeley. Try everything. Very friendly service. Food does not come out super fast but definitely worth the wait.
Neighborhood: Downtown Berkeley
Category: Himalayan/Nepalese
Albany, CA
Category: Himalayan/Nepalese
Berkeley, CA
Category: Indian
Neighborhood: UC Campus Area
Category: Indian
Neighborhood: UC Campus Area
Category: Indian
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