Over the Easter weekend we tried Nepalese food.

Wanted to give a short overview on the history and cuisine of Nepal.

Nepal, originally known as the Kathmandu Valley, derives its name from the Hindu sage Ne Muni and Pa meaning ‘foot of the mountain’.

The cuisine of Nepal is influenced by it’s unique geographical position and cultural influences.

Nepal is a landlocked country in the Himalayas.

Bordered by Tibet, India, China it is also narrowly separated from Bangladesh by the Siliguri Corridor and Bhutan by the Indian State of Sikkim.

Some of the food of Nepal:

Momos

Influenced by the flavours and spices of China, India and Tibet, Momos are Pan-Asian dumplings.

Wo or Bara

Patties made from dal and vegetables and chicken. Made by the Indigenous Newari people of the Kathmandu Valley.

Sel Roti

Rice Flour Doughnut

Yomari

Sweet Rice Cake filled with Coconut and Molasses

Didho

Nepalese Porridge

Gundruk

Accompaniment to Didho. It is considered to be Nepal’s national food. It is actually fermented or pickled green and leafy vegetables. It is made by storing mustard, radish, and cauliflower in an earthen pot. It is then left to be pickled until the veggies inside release acidic juices and have undergone fermentation

Thukpa

Noodle Soup. Made with tomatoes, mixed vegetables, fish, meat and even yak.

Tonga

 Better known as ‘Tibetan Hot Beer’, this is a very famous local beer that you’ll find people sipping from a cast like vessels through bamboo straws. It is millet-based alcohol and is also a traditional drink in Nepal. It is a warm beverage and is normally consumed in large quantities.

Wen to Chulhos Harris Park and Momozz to try Nepalese Food.

On the night we went, Chulhos was playing live music. While it was a great experience, it was quite loud and we didn’t enjoy it. However having been to the restaurant once before I wanted to give a review.

Chulhos is located at 61 Wigram St Harris Park. It serves authentic Nepalese and Indian dishes, and features live music every Friday and Saturday night.

The restaurant is always busy, so recommend getting there early on a Friday or Saturday.  

We ordered momos, soup and noodles.

The momos were served with a peanut serve which was really good. Rate this 9/10

Soup was light and very tasty. Rice noodles and vegetables in a chicken broth. Rate this 8/10

Noodles were good. We ordered the vegetarian option. Would rate this a 6/10.

Next we visited Momozz Harris Park

Similarly, Momozz specialises in authentic Nepalese and Indian food.

We ordered

Combination fried rice

Keema Noodles

Steamed momos

Naan

Mint lime mocktail

Momos were served first with the peanut sauce. Momos were excellent, however sauce was quite spicy.  Would rate 8/10

Fried rice was good, quite flavourful with lots of shallots. Charged 3-4 dollars extra for added meat, fish or eggs. Quantity was slightly limited.  Would rate 7/10

Noodles were personally too spicy for me, however if you enjoy spice this is this a great option. Made with lamb mince (keema) and carrots. Rate this 4/10

Naan was my favourite dish. Buttery, soft and hot. Staple every time. 9/10

Mocktail was also excellent. Not too sweet and a generous portion. Great to have with spicy food. 9/10

Overall the food was good, however the portion sizes in both instances were quite small.

Facilities were reasonably clean and services was quick. Location is very easy to get to from the train station.

Would recommend eating beforehand, or visiting each place for nibbles or after dinner for supper. Momos are a great accompaniment with the cocktails or beer.

Have you tried Nepalese food?

With love

Luna