Himalayan Kitchen – 1526 Queen St W, Toronto, ON M6R 1A4
Country: Himalayan Region (Northern India, Tibet, Nepal)
Seating: Decent sized indoor space
Must-try Dish: Beef Momos
Dinner Guest: Darth-Sid

As we really enjoyed ourselves at Songtsen Cafe, Mandrea Bike, joined by our Regional Expert Darth-Sid returned to Little Tibet to dine at Himalayen Kitchen. As the Himalayan region spans over several countries, the food at this popular dining destination draws inspiration from the whole area, with its main influence from Northern India, Tibet and Nepal. As our brand is to eat the world one country at a time, we strive to eat at some of Toronto’s most authentic restaurants, and this is a famous one for Himalayan cuisine.

It must be noted that we sometimes have to bend our own rules and eat from a region, instead of an entire country, and this is one of these instances. But more importantly, we don’t want our quest for international food and our restaurant choices to reflect our opinions in the realm of politics. 

Now, let’s get to the food! 

As it’s starting to become a weekly trend to identify the discovery of our new favourite restaurant in the city, I will simply say that Himalayan Kitchen is yet another front-runner. Be prepared to wait, as it seemed to have a steady lineup throughout the evening of hungry diners waiting to experience this regional treasure. Although the restaurant is small, fear not as the queue seemed longer than our actual wait – they’re efficient baby! 

Please note: In order to lock down a spot in line, you must put your name and contact information into an iPad inside the restaurant. 

We were joined by one of our regular dinner guests, who also happens to be an expert on international foods, Mandrea Bike gave the full reigns to Darth-Sid, who ordered quite the spread in Hindi. We started the night off with a Cheetah, an Indian beer specifically brewed to accompany spicy Indian meals. With a large Indian population in the Toronto-area, this beer’s demand has allowed its brewing to take place locally. 

The dishes seemed to have been ordered specifically to create a proper meal, so much so that Darth-Sid got upset when the dishes weren’t brought out in a specific order. But to our pleasant surprise, the food was perfectly spiced, despite hearing the word “spicy” often used in the ordering process. 

The term “gravy” refers to sauces, so don’t go thinking you’re getting a Sunday roast fusioned with tastes from the Himalayas.

Our meal consisted of:

• Wai-wai sandeko
  • wai wai Tibetan noodles
  • with Indian spices
  • moderately spicy
• Pork chilli
  • gravy not spicy
• Chicken lollipops
  • Hakka Chinese meets Indian
• Steamed momo (beef)
  • dry , spicy
• Crispy chilli momo (chicken)
  • dry, spicy 
• Thukpa (soup)
  • Gyathuk (beef) – Tibetan
• Masala coke
  • black salt
  • pepper
  • chat masala

If you rally up a group of three or four, this lineup is a great blend of food with good variety, spice and hearty dishes. What we have discovered through many amazing restaurants is that there are often debates as to what is the must eat dish of the night, and Himalyen kitchen was no exception. If you’re looking for a nice, flavourful soup with hearty noodles the Gythuk Thukpa is a great blend of both. Though as a group we came to one consensus, the momos were all of our favourite. The steamed classic beef momos got two votes, while Mat favoured the crispy chili momos. 

Whether you live close by, or find yourself traveling through Little Tibet (Parkdale), PLEASE stop by Himalayen Kitchen – you won’t regret it.

Eat with you soon,

Mandrea Bike

(Mat & Andrea)