Restaurant Nepal Himalayan Cuisine @ Plaza Damas, Sri Hartamas

My sister decided to celebrate a much delayed father’s day by trying something different. So while browsing through Groupon site, she came across a Nepal cuisine. Since neither of us tried this type of cuisine before, we thought it would be a great father’s day gift.

Here is the deal: http://www.groupon.my/deals/klang/restaurant-nepal-himalayan-cuisine/718405239

Now if you are a very adventurous and not easily disappointed with the outcome, I dare say just walk in and go ahead with your eating adventure. But if you are trying to involve people who are not so keen with trying new cuisine, be sure to do some research or take a safer deals like such offered in groupon, because usually these deal are already pre-set and you can view and do some research about the selected dish and see if your guest are ok with it. No need to head scratch when you get there……….

Ok let’s begin ……..

Ambiance: 4/10

Now the reason I gave such a low rating is because I don’t feel like I could relate anything to Nepal or Nepalese theme. I felt quite disappointed with the ambiance of the restaurant because it lacked creativity and if I were to accidentally walk into the restaurant I could not have guessed anything about this place or what they offered.

Maybe it’s just me but the moment I walked in I could smell pressure cooked meat,while it was not unpleasant but it was not something you want to smell when you walk in. I wish they had some spices aroma or smell of burning incense. It could help accelerate the Nepal feel or something.  

The waiter allows you to choose your level of spiciness, ranging from spicy, moderately spicy or mild. We asked for mild since none of us could handle spicy food (I know we are weird bunch of Indians)

 Signature snack platter (RM24)

Visual Observation: 8/10

It’s neatly presented and not sloppy. It gives you a eyes full of the variety of snack size dishes. It also looks appetizing. Very convenient if you like to try more than one dish in a small portion.

Taste evaluation: 8/10

Chilli chicken (the red one with green capsicum)

The chicken was quite tough and it was not very spicy. It’s more like a Chinese style sweet and sour dish. 

Bhuteko bhatmas (Roasted soybean)

This is my favorite, it is really crunchy and it is a good combination with the other dishes. Soybeans are marinated in Nepalese spice. This could be awesome munchies while having a drink.

Nepali salad

This salad was very asian salad. It had lime taste and it also had some sweetness to it.

Aloo silam  (Boiled potatoes)

Potatoes were boiled and cooked in some Nepalese spices. It’s not spicy more like cumin and non spicy masala.

Momo dumplings

We got the steamed dumplings,which is like Chinese dumplings. I guess since Nepal is surrounded by China and India, their influence is absorbed into their food as well. The dumpling was a bit thick skinned and it was stuffed with mixture of some veggies and meat. It was quite yummy.

Mushroom peas

Again these are not spicy but more like cumin and non spicy masala.

Farsi ko daal ra khasi ko nail  (RM18)

Visual Observation: 7/10

It’s neatly presented and not sloppy. Looks appetizing. You can smell the thick pumpkin gravy.

Taste evaluation: 9/10

The thick pumpkin gravy is absolutely delicious. It goes well with white rice and it taste good on its own without the meat. The gravy is not spicy rather it’s sweet and savory. It blends well with the tender mutton. I love how the meat just falls off the bone.  It comes with big chunks of meat that suits 4 person.

My sister enjoyed this dish. She also loves bone marrow and she actually used a straw and sucked out the marrow. 

Useful tip, please do not attempt to bang or knock the marrow out of the bone. It makes a lot of noise and you can break or chip the plate.

Chatamari (RM 12)

Visual Observation: 5/10

It’s neat and looks yummy. Nothing to brag about.

Taste evaluation: 7/10

This is actually thin-crust battered rice crepes topped with minced chicken, spring onions, tomatoes, and egg. Basically it’s a omelet pizza LOL. It is not bad, I liked the thickness of the caked egg and crispy crepes. Perfect for a pleasant tea time snack.

Beverages

We had to order the drinks separately as it does not come with the Groupon deal. Honestly I felt like the drinks were rather expensive.

Mango Lassi (RM12) and Sweet Lassi (RM10)

Visual and taste evaluation: 10/10

OMG I love a good lassi anytime. They nailed it. The mango lassi was amazing. It was thick and the real blended sweet mango was exquisite. I love how it looked, so delicious and so OMG.

My dad had the sweet lassi, like its name it was sweet. He said it was a touch bit too sweet for his liking. But I guess that is how it was meant to be.  But it is delicious never the less.

Masala Tea

Visual and taste evaluation: 6/10

My mom had some hot masala tea, she said it did not have the strong Indian masala taste but rather it was quite pleasant and different kind of masala tea. I guess traditional Nepal spices are not very strong but rather unique on its own. 

Overall conclusion: Something different, will try again if they have new dishes.

While the food was delicious, I as an Indian (no matter how weird I am), For me i felt like the Nepal spices does not have a strong KAW or satisfying aftermeal feeling. It felt very unruffled and it does not quite hit my taste buds. It maybe different for other people. This is just my opinion after all. I do feel like the price for the food is rather steep. I can’t blame them considering the location of this place and its exotic flavors. The best way to try these dishes is to get a good deal in groupon.

Additional: 10% service charge RM3.90 + Service RM3.90 (ouch)