Himalayan Cafe

What exactly is Himalayan food?

I had no idea until my more cultured coworker simply (and accurately) explained that it's like Indian food, but with different spices and flavors.  To any lay person (or perhaps non-Nepali or non-Indian), the two cuisines are similar.  And for me, both equally delicious.

Feeling rather adventurous and curious, my coworkers and I took a pleasant walk down Green St. to Himalayan Cafe.  Every day they have a good lunch buffet deal for $9.99, but we decided to go family-style with the other, less traditional items on their lunch menu.

Fish (Salmon) Masala

Fish Masala - $15.99

The Fish Masala was well-baked in various spices without being too overpowering or underwhelming.  It was served nice and hot on a hot-plate platter and atop fresh sliced onions.

Saag Aaloo (medium spicy) - $8.99

For our vegetarian dish, we opted for the Saag Aaloo, which is fresh spinach and potato pieces sauteed with garlic, onion, ginger, and green chili.  You can dictate the spiciness of the dish from mild to very spicy.  It was very good.

Garlic Naan

Complimentary naan and papadum with your meal!

Papadum - crispy lentil wafer served with dipping sauce

As a fan of trying new foods, I was pleased with our lunch at Himalayan Cafe.  While I thought our service was good, it could have been better.  Otherwise, the food was fantastic, and I will be going back again.


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cuisine: Himalayan
location: Pasadena

website: { HC | yelp }

attire: Casual 

parking: Street parking or public parking lot (free 60 min.)

notes: BYOB w/ $5 corkage fee.