Like most University students, food is a fairly important part of my day. I always run, sometimes too literally, into people I know at the dining hall, and it’s a frequently exciting experience.
But recently, the invigoration was wearing off, and I was growing tired of the same chow day-in, day-out. It was time for a new and enlivening culinary escapade. Several people had mentioned Himalayan Fusion on the Downtown Mall to me, and I thought perhaps I might stretch myself and go a little further than my usual tactic of settling for the first place on the Corner I find that has a spare table.
Himalayan Fusion offers a variety of Indian, Nepalese and Tibetan dishes at student-friendly prices. Appetizers are $5 or $6, and most entrees are about $12. It seemed like my friend and I were not the only ones that found these prices attractive; the restaurant boasted a respectable crowd for a Thursday evening last week. We arrived around 7 p.m. and were seated promptly.
When we received our menus, we found that the majority of the dishes served are Indian. The dishes that are not Indian were labeled “Nepali style,” “Tibetan Specialty” and so forth. Because it is such variety that sets Himalayan Fusion apart from other restaurants, we decided to try Nepalese and Tibetan entrees, but we also indulged on Indian appetizers.
While waiting for our food to arrive, I could not help but look around and think that the space could be better organized. The furniture was not especially comfortable and the décor was somewhat unimaginative. Given the potential for Himalayan Fusion to integrate artwork from three different Asian nations, I was a little disappointed to see a plain brick wall with very little adornment. The candles and the background music were nice touches, though.
Our appetizers, the vegetable samosas (two for $4) and Papri Chat ($5) came out very quickly and were pretty tasty. The samosas were nothing exceptional, although they were very hot. Nothing could hold a candle, however, to the Papri Chat, which was our favorite food of the evening. And it was the only dish I had to take home! Best described as a chickpea salad with onions, tomatoes and corn wafers, the dish was tossed in a spicy dressing and topped with yogurt and tamarind sauce. It was served cold and in a generous portion.
Our entrees took slightly longer to arrive but nothing worth complaining about. We ordered the Nepali-style chicken curry and Tibetan Momos dumplings. The chicken ($13) was served with rice and a mild curry made of tomatoes, onions ginger and garlic. The chicken pieces were a little dry, and the spices of the curry were subtle but good, especially with the rice. The serving was not large, but the curry was satisfying. We certainly did not leave hungry.
The Tibetan vegetable dumplings (eight for $10) were served with a vegetable soup and dipping sauce. The dumplings were fairly large and steamed, but not too heavy. Ginger, the main spice, was clearly discernible and proved an excellent addition to the dish. The soup was a little bland, but we were not entirely sure how the dish was supposed to be eaten. The soup and dumplings were separate and the bowl was too small to put everything into.
Although our entrees were delicious, I can’t help but wonder if the Indian dishes would have been a better choice, given their dominance of the menu. I expected the dishes we chose to have stronger flavors than they did.
Service toward the end of the meal also became increasingly slower. The waitress only came by once during our entrees, compared to several visits during appetizers. We had finished eating for 20 minutes before I finally called a waitress to ask for our bill: $33 before tip. It is conceivable that because we hadn’t managed to finish all of the food, the waitress thought we were still eating, but by the time she returned, we had not touched our plates for several minutes and there were only a few people left in the restaurant.
We decided not to order desert, although we were intrigued by the carrot pudding flavored with rose water ($4) and the cottage cheese dumplings ($5).
Overall, the meal was enjoyable. Despite its flaws, Himalayan Fusion is a place I will return to in the future to try some of the other Indian options, including the Birayani — seasoned rice served with chicken, vegetables and lamb. The menu also featured a number of vegetarian dishes. But even if these prove disappointing, I will stick around, if only for more Papri Chat.
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