“It was service with a smile on our arrival, but matters soon got confusing,” writes dining reviewer WENDY JOHNSON about an otherwise “darn tasty” Nepalese meal.
Kathmandu Momo House on Northbourne Avenue, Civic, specialises in Nepalese and Indian cuisines.
A lovely water feature graces the front of the restaurant, and the décor is colourful and tasteful, including the wood carvings.
We sat at the front window and, while the views of buses moving through the Jolimont area aren’t exactly pretty, the food makes up for the lack of scenery.
Nepalese food is darn tasty and features a long list of aromatic spices and chilli for kick.
Our lunch began with crunchy papadums ($8), which got our taste buds dancing.
Big fans of momos (Nepalese dumplings), we ordered the steamed chicken version, which didn’t disappoint ($20.90). They were carefully plated to form a perfect circle, and we dipped them into a bowl of spicy, tomato-based sauce placed in the middle, enjoying each bite with a lovely, crisp rose we bought from a nearby bottle shop.
For a change, we gave the Newark chatamari a go. This traditional Nepalese rice crepe is said to emerge from the celebrated Newa cuisine of Kathmandu Valley.
It looked very much like a frittata to us and was a pleasant enough dish, although slightly burnt around part of the edge. The egg mixture was topped with slices of shallots and red onion.
Wanting a heavier boost of flavour, we selected the prawn tikka masala, vibrant orange in colour and loaded with plump prawns ($25.90). Kathmandu Momo House also offers this dish with chicken or lamb and mild to medium heat. It’s cooked in a special house-made masala sauce and finished off with a swirl of cream.
For a vegetable curry hit, we headed for the palak aloo, created with potatoes and spinach and simmered in a fragrant blend of spices ($21.90), which we soaked up with freshly made naan bread ($5).
It was service with a smile on our arrival, but matters soon got confusing. Our Newark chatamari didn’t arrive after the momos as we asked. Instead, we were served our other dishes and had to inquire as to the whereabouts of the crepe.
Despite the more elegant décor, Kathmandu Momo House doesn’t set tables. Cutlery and serviettes are found in wooden boxes on the table.
We were ignored after our two mains arrived. No one popped by to ask how we were doing or if we wanted anything else, including dessert (we had our eye on a mango sweet, but lost the motivation).
After waiting patiently for the bill, we gave up waiting. One of our party got up and went to pay. It made for a flat and frustrating ending.
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