Nepali cuisine bears the strong influence of both its neighbors, China and India, and although Suman Basnet’s small restaurant, Masala, advertises Nepali and Indian cuisine, it’s the Indian influences that dominate.
Six years ago, when Basnet opened Himalayan Kitchen, I wrote, “It would be sad if, to be liked, it were to become more Indian and less Nepalese,” referring hypothetically to the loss of a culinary experience rare in Hawaii. But personally, I love Indian cuisine and am elated to find that this time, he’s focused on a full menu of craving-inducing curries. One of the few nods to this cuisine’s Chinese/Tibetan heritage is an offering of a chow chow noodle stir-fry, but every time I’ve tried to order it, it’s been unavailable.
Oh well. It’s no hardship to replace that with the rice dish biryani ($12.95 to $15.95) or orders of plain ($2.95), garlic ($3.50), onion ($4.95) or cheese-filled ($3.95) naan, or roti.
The restaurant is in the former Chutney space on Keeaumoku Street near Samsung Plaza. It’s small, and the food compensates for what it lacks in ambience.
Traditional appetizers of papadams ($2,95), veggie samosas (two pieces for $5.95), ground turkey samosas ($6.95) and veggie or chicken pakoras (fritters, $6.50) are offered. I love the potato and pea samosas served with spicy raita but find them very filling. Those with small appetites might want to forgo the appetizers in favor of trying more curries, each one so distinct and delicious I can’t pick a favorite.
One likely to be popular with the most diners is the korma with lamb ($15.95), chicken ($13.95) or veggies ($13.95) because of our local familiarity with coconut-based curries. It also tends to be one of the milder curries (although you can specify your preferred heat level) but is saturated with satisfying flavors of garam masala, cardamom, onions and cashews.
I’ve always wondered why I love Indian food so much, and was intrigued when the Washington Post reported in March that scientists have figured out what makes Indian food so delicious. After analyzing 2,000 recipes, scientists found that while Western chefs favor dishes with ingredients that have overlapping, or similar flavor compounds, Indian cuisine mixes ingredients with flavors that don’t overlap at all, resulting in intriguing complexity. A dish with seven ingredients would reflect flavor profiles of 200 ingredients.
It makes it hard to pinpoint what you like about a dish, but the Nepali curry also won me over with its tomato, cream and onion combination that can be enjoyed with shrimp, fish or both ($15.95).
Zalfrezzi is a more Pakistani-style curry of diced onion, tomatoes and bell pepper, reminiscent of a Mediterranean kitchen.
The pots of curry look small, but if you’re enjoying them with the naan bread, you’ll find yourself filling up quickly.
Fans of tandoor cooking will find local fish of the day ($15.95), black tiger shrimp ($15.95) and chicken ($14.95) prepared in this style, marinated in yogurt and mild spices. The cubed chicken tikka plate offers a break from curries, but the chicken is also great when simmered in masala curry ($13.95).
You can get your fill of vegetables in a most pleasant way via dishes of dals, or lentils ($11.95), or saag paneer ($13.95), spinach stirred with ginger, garlic, spices and light cream with cubes of house-made cheese.
When I’ve been there, dessert has been limited to kheer, a coconut rice pudding, but by that time I usually don’t need the extra carbs. Try a drink of strawberry or mango lassi instead.
Nadine Kam’s restaurant reviews are conducted anonymously and paid for by the Star-Advertiser. Reach her at nkam@staradvertiser.com.
Owner is helping to raise money for Nepal earthquake survivors
Masala and Himalayan owner Suman Basnet is one of the driving forces behind the Society of Nepalese in Hawai‘i fundraising drive to help recovery efforts in Nepal, which was struck by a 7.8-magnitude earthquake April 25, followed by aftershocks and more earthquakes; the most recent, magnitude 7.3, took place yesterday.
As of Monday, $40,758 had been raised, going toward supplying tents and food to people in Kathmandu and supporting medical relief in the Sindhupalchowk district and area hospitals.
If you would like to contribute to the group’s effort, you can write a check to the Society of Nepalese in Hawaii, with the notation “Nepal Earthquake Relief Fund,” and mail it to Minu Lee, Bank of Hawaii, 3600 Waialae Ave., Honolulu, HI 96816.
A fundraising lunch will take place 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Agricultural Science Building at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, 1955 East-West Road. The international plate lunch will feature Kashmiri chicken pulao, kidney bean dal, American macaroni and cheese, Greek salad, French pan au lait and more, for a suggested donation of $10.
Email Rajesh Jha at rjha@hawaii.edu. For updates, follow NepaleseInHawaii on Facebook, or esneha.org.
BITE SIZE
Japanese comic’s pop-up shave ice makes last stand
There have been lines out the door at Sam’s Kitchen in Waikiki in recent weeks. While Sam Monaghan is known for his ono garlic steak and shrimp plates (the caveat is it’s best when Monaghan is doing the cooking), the lines were for the pop-up shave ice stand started by Japanese comedian Takanori Takeyama, known as Cunning Takeyama.
A television station challenged him to open the stand, and the comedian said he thought about it for 15 minutes before agreeing to the stunt, even though it meant putting up $65,000 of his own money.
Takeyama was in town last week to greet fans and sign autographs as part of Japan’s Golden Week celebrations.
Wednesday is the last day the stand will be open. In business for just a month, it has been bringing in about 600 customers a day since Day One, and at $5 per shave ice order and $30 for T-shirts, I’d say he’s made his money back and had the last laugh.
If you want to peek in, Sam’s Kitchen is in an alleyway at 353 Royal Hawaiian Ave., across from T Galleria by DFS.
Visit my Take a Bite blog at honolulupulse.com/takeabite for my interview with the comedian.
Bite Size documents the small, the new, the unsung.
