My husband thought that he didn't like Indian food. After our first course at the Himalayan Restaurant in Bloomingdale, he said, "I think I've been eating at the wrong restaurants. This is unbelievably good!"
And that was only the beginning of a truly great meal.
The Himalayan Restaurant has a new outpost in Bloomingdale.
We visited the Himalayan Restaurant on an appropriately cold and snowy evening. While the weather outside was blustery, we were instantly made to feel cozy and warm inside. The restaurant was busy with people of all ages and ethnicities but the atmosphere was peaceful and calm.
The full bar includes a number of Indian beers.
We ordered two Indian beers, Maharajah and Kingfisher and perused the large menu while munching on complimentary crisp wafers made from lentils and an assortment of dips: a lovely mild tamarind plum sauce, a delightfully spicy mint and cilantro, and an extremely complex sour and spicy mixture that included pickled mangos and limes.
Samosas, crispy turnovers stuffed with meat or vegetables, make a great appetizer or snack.
The wait staff was extremely gracious and helpful as we attempted to navigate the large menu. When one of the managers stopped by, I asked if he would take us under his wing and design a meal for us that would allow us to experience a sense of the many Indian, Nepali and Indo Chinese specialties. He was happy to do so, asking if we had any dietary restrictions and what spice level we were comfortable with.
Gobi Manchurian, an Indo Chinese vegetarian dish, was a highlight of the meal
Our meal started with Gobi Manchurian, an Indo Chinese dish of cauliflower, peppers and onion in a Manchurian sauce. Now, I am not a big cauliflower fan and my husband is a real “meat and potatoes guy” but this dish blew all of our preconceptions out of the water. Eaten with the naan, that arrived hot and brushed with a light coating of butter, it was heavenly.
Momo are a traditional Nepali snack or small meal.
Our waiter then served us a Nepali favorite, Chicken Momo, which reminded me of a Chinese bao dumpling, stuffed with minced chicken and accompanied by a slightly spicy chutney. The flavors simply exploded in my mouth. Momo is street food and is sold by vendors everywhere in Nepal. I’m trying to figure out how to convince my editor to send me to Nepal so I can study the “Momo Phenomenon” by trying each vendor’s version of momo. Honestly, if I lived closer to The Himalayan, I would stop by a couple times a week to snack on these.
Garlic naan is one of many specialty breads offered.
We moved on to our main courses: Farsi Bhaji, green beans cooked in a sweet coconut sauce; Goat Curry, a traditional Indian dish in a saffron onion sauce; Tandoori Prawn Masala; and Peas Pulav, basmati rice cooked with saffron, green peas and crispy fried onions. These dishes arrived with Garlic Naan and a complimentary salad.
The variety of curries offered include chicken, goat, fish and tandoori prawn.
The Goat Curry was wonderful. The meat was tender and the sauce flavorful. We also enjoyed the Tandoori Prawn Masala. The prawns were of high quality and delicious, roasted in a tandoor (the traditional clay oven) and then cooked in the rich, very spicy, masala sauce. The naan, rice and salad wonderfully offset the heat. I particularly enjoyed the rice, especially the crispy bits of onion throughout. The only dish we weren’t crazy about was the green beans; it was a little too sweet for our taste.
Make sure you end your meal with Gulab Jamun, a golden fried donut-like confection served hot with a sweet saffron syrup
We finished our meal with mango Kulfi, a traditional Indian ice cream dish that had an interesting “Push-Up” like texture, and Gulab Jamun – which I absolutely adored. The manager described the dish as “honey balls” and it’s as good a description as any. The “balls” are donut-like in consistency and are served in a dish of warm, sweet, saffron syrup. Heaven.
While the food is upscale, complex and interesting, the
prices are more than reasonable, with most entrees between $8-$12 dollars.
We ordered a lot of food and left with
a shopping bag full of meals took care of my lunches for rest of the week.
Fresh homemade tomato soup is offered daily.
The manager who chose our menu so well is from Nepal and his wife is from India (The two met as students at the University of Illinois Chicago) so he has a wonderful understanding of the areas cuisines. I asked if he could explain the differences in the two cuisines, as well as explain what “Indo Chinese” meant. He said that Nepal cuisine was not as spicy as Indian cuisine. It uses ginger and garlic extensively and does not use dairy, which is prevalent in Indian food. China borders Nepal on the north (it is bordered by India on the other three sides) and the Indian population was introduced to Chinese dishes when Chinese immigrants made their way to Calcutta in the late 18th Century. Over time, the spicier hybrid cuisine called Indo Chinese was created.
A variety of chutneys, salads and raitas accompany the entrees.
SPECIAL NOTE:
Sometimes it can be unnerving trying an unfamiliar
cuisine.
A variety of options are
available at
The Himalayan Restaurant to make your experience easy and
pleasant.
1. Check out the restaurant’s website at www.himalayanrestaurant.com to get an overview of the dishes and learn more about their cooking techniques.
2. Go at lunch. Both restaurants offer a lunch buffet where you’ll be able to try a variety of dishes for a very affordable price ($8.95).
3. Ask for help. That’s what we did and we were very, very pleased with the results.
Who:
The Himalayan Restaurant
What:
Upscale Nepali, Indian and Indo Chinese Food
Where:
The Himalayan Restaurant
398 W. Army Trail Road # 116
Bloomingdale, IL 60108-2398
(630) 523-5100
Niles location:
8265 Golf Road
Niles, IL 60714
Ph: (847) 324-4150
When:
Lunch Hours
* Mon - Fri: 11.30pm - 2.30pm
* Sat - Sun: 12.00pm - 3.00pm
Dinner Hours
* Mon - Fri: 5.00pm - 10.00pm
* Sat - Sun: 5.00pm - 10.00pm
For more information (and monthly coupon) go to: www.himalayanrestaurant.com
Photos courtesy of The Himalayan Restaurant and Elizabeth Gelman
