Review
Kathmandu Kitchen restaurant in Dame Street has become a bit of a favourite with us. The food is excellent, the value is superb and the staff is very friendly. The food scientist goes here a lot with her friends, and I often pop in for a quick curry on the way home.
Kathmandu Kitchen, as the name suggests, is a Nepalese restaurant, and a sister restaurant to Diwali around the corner on George's Street. Inside it is painted in a vibrant orange, broken up by lots of picture and hangings. The tables are smartly decked out with white cloths and the cutlery and glassware sparkles.
Our latest visit was for an early Saturday dinner, so we arrived as three at about six o'clock when it was just filling up. I was glad we had booked; every table had a reserved sign on it and over the next half hour or so it became very busy.
As I said we have eaten here many times, so after a brief chat with manager Navin, he suggested choosing for us, which sounded like a good idea. Drinks brought two glasses of Sauvignon Blanc for the better, prettier half and the food scientist, while I started on my first bottle of sparkling water.
Shared poppadoms got us going with a choice of mint, spiced onion or sweet dip, and we happily munched them until the starters arrived. We had asked for MOMO's to be included. If you haven't tried these, don't delay. They are a Nepalese favourite; little steamed dumplings stuffed with spiced chicken and served with a medium hot dipping sauce, they are fabulous. Think dim sum with a twist and you are in the right neighbourhood. Alongside these was a dish of tempura battered prawns served in a poppadom bowl with a sweet sauce.
Main courses brought us some Nepalese specialities; Aduwa Mass is a traditional curry made with lots of ginger and black pepper and is light, tangy and refreshing, the finger being especially delicious. Lamb Gorkhali is one of my favourites, tender lamb in a spicy sauce of green chilli and coriander, it is made up with yoghurt and is a beautiful green colour that looks spectacular and tastes the same.
Alongside these two was a stinking sizzler dish of giant Tandoori prawns standing proud on a base of sizzling onions and peppers. They were perfectly cooked, sill succulent and juicy and a dipping sauce of fish curry sauce was delicious. A side dish of vegetable and d cottage cheese was a light diversion.
Fluffy rice and a very tasty garlic and coriander naan accompanied, and we managed to fairly demolish the lot, before finishes with a traditional pistachio kulfi and some good coffee.
When it came time to leave, the restaurant was packed, and the buzz of conversation and laughter followed us out to the street. Kathmandu Kitchen is always consistent; the quality of the food is exceptional, especially in light of the prices, which offer great value for money. Perfect for a mid week treat or with a group of friends at the weekend.
