Kathmandu Restaurant

LOCATION
A stroll from the South Parklands and five minutes away from Rundle mall.

PROFILED BY DE GROOTS MEDIA
Nepalese eateries fly beneath the radar, but once tried chances are you will seek them out over and over again. In fact your usual Indian haunts may get bumped down the list as you discover the flavoursome influences (Indian included) of this style of cuisine. If you swing by Kathmandu Restaurant make sure to also seek out its owners Palden and Dharma Lama. These trained chefs join another, Tham Badahur Roka, in the Kathmandu kitchen to prepare a regional selection of dishes that offers a true taste of the country and all of its amazing spice combinations. Ingredients such as mustard oil, roasted cumin, bahra masala, fenugreek and homemade fennel seed paste spike the menu with exotic flavours. Adding to this array are the curious “timbur” and lovage seeds, the latter of which is the cousin of celery. The result is an excuisite menu that starts with entrees like the traditional sherpa momo (steamed dumplings) and a contemporary barramundi which is chargrilled over hot coals. The succulence of this fish is continued in smoky butter chicken and goat curry with whole spices. Lamb cutlets are marinated in fresh ginger, garlic paste and mint, with lentils employed to sauce them. Fabulous sides include Nepalese spinach pan-fried with turmeric and dried whole chilli.

Like the food, the decor is welcoming. Warm earthy mandarin and magenta colours complement wooden chairs and floors while traditional wall hangings and prints accentuate the restaurant's cosy feel. The entrance is set with intimate tables and has window views of the Hutt Street dining strip. A skylight tries to let the sun into the (larger) rear dining room, but perhaps a dessert of locally-sourced honeycomb is better employed to bring a golden glow to your table.

Roz Taylor