What is open on a rainy Monday night in Vic Park? A quick search on Urbanspoon, cross referenced with recommendations from friends lead us to the Himalayan Nepalese Restaurant.

Chicken Momos ($14)

On recommendation we ordered momos for entree, and they were really really good! You get 10 in a serve. A little like the south asian version of xiao long bao, the dumplings have chicken and soup inside them, giving you a nice burst of flavour and texture when you bite into them. They are all warm, soupy, with a hint of spicy flavours, and a really great dipping sauce.

Butter Chicken ($20.50)

My dining partner chose butter chicken as her standard dish to test the quality of the restaurant. The chicken had a really smokey flavour which I had not tasted before, or at least anywhere near as strong before. It gave a real foil to the sauce which can sometimes be really sweet and too much for me. But it could have done with a bit of added spice in my opinion.

Saag ra Panner ($16.50)

I chose the saag. When I travelled to India last, my most memorable dish was fresh saag made in the village I was staying at (I watched them grind the spinach all day to make it up). It was quite honestly one of the most spicy things I have ever tasted, I think there was as much chilli as spinach! 

This saag is not at all like the one I had in India (maybe this is the fundamental difference between Indian and Nepalese cuisine). This was sweet, not sugary, but the sauce was fruity sweet. Don’t get me wrong, it was a great dish, and the paneer cheese was a great texture, but it was not at all what I was expecting.

Garlic Naan ($5)

Aloo Paratha ($5)

We chose two breads instead of rice. The waitress seemed to think that was an odd choice, but for real, I could eat JUST south asian breads, forever. Naan, paratha, dosa, puri, chapati, they all hold a very special place in my heart. The garlic naan was really nice, but the aloo paratha was lacking a bit of oomph in the filling and was a bit too oily.

We ate our meal slowly seeing as it was the beginning of the week and we did not anticipate much of a demand on the seats, but as we were finishing up (we ate quite early, arriving at about 6) the place suddenly filled up with a few large groups. And we were strongly encouraged to leave (with takeaway containers being offered to us while we were still eating). So I would recommend booking a table just in case there is a similar demand.

The Good: MOMOS!!!

The Bad: Being pushed out of the restaurant, lack of heat.

The Money: Fair, large servings are great for lunch tomorrow! 

Contact:

419 Albany Hwy
Victoria Park

(08) 6161 8645 

http://www.himalayanrestaurant.com.au/