After reading a quick blurb about the new Nepalanese restaurant in South Minneapolis, I knew I had to try it. So even though I had plans to make dinner and have a low-key night at home on Friday, I quickly changed the plans and convinced Kyle that we had to go. And off we went to Himalayan Restaurant.
Driving up to the small building with a simple red awning stating “Himalayan Restaurant” I was a little skeptical. I was skeptical until I walked and experienced the fantastic aroma of the food. Then I knew I was in the right place. We placed our order quickly - vegetarian momos, chicken tikka masala, bhanta aaloo (eggplant and potatoes), and naan.
While we waited for our order, we had a chance to look around the restaurant. There are several booths along one wall and then 10 or so tables in the main area. We sat and watched as every table quickly filled and then a small line formed to wait for tables. I was impressed, as it was fairly early on a Friday evening. And I was really glad that I was hungry early on a Friday night, otherwise I would have had to wait for a table with the tempting smell surrounding me. That would have been really tough!
Our food arrived a short time later and we dug in. To sum up Himalayan’s food in one word, it would be “fresh”. From the veggies inside our momos to the cilantro that topped the eggplant, everything tasted just so light and simple. I loved the veggie momos; they were filled with sauteed greens and served with a tangy tomato cilantro sauce. Besides the momos, the star of our meal was the bhanta aaloo. I just loved the way the eggplant and potatoes blended with the spices.
It was definitely a great meal - I will only do two things differently next time I go. First, I would definitely go for the 3-rated spice level (note that the spice levels were Minnesota-spiciness). And second, I will definitely get the full order of veggie momos. Three momos were just not enough for me!
Himalyan Restaurant
2401 E. Franklin Ave.
Minneapolis, MN
612.332.0880
Posted on September 8th, 2008 by katiejocannon
Filed under: Food
That looks awesome. I was skeptical of that place due to the high turnover of restaurants at that location in the time I’ve lived nearby. It sounds like they have a winner here.