Sherpa Kitchen — Restaurant in Burlington

My initial impression of the place when passing by the restaurant from the outside a few times, was of a place, where I could experience some serenity, enjoy some Nepali/Himalayan ambience or music, I don’t know, maybe I had higher expectations. When we arrived, the man there asked us to wait and that the woman was going to seat us. We waited maybe 5 minutes before she shows up. She stares at us, no words spoken as we wait for her to tell us to follow her, few ppl who had just arrived are standing behind us..then suddenly she says after about 15 secs..do any of you have reservations? We say no, the ppl, behind us say yes, she disappears when clearly we are standing ahead of them, she doesn’t ask them what time was their reservation for, nothing, obviously reservations mean more than people who have been waiting for more than 5 mins in the restaurant. We wait again for 3-4 mins, before the male returns and seats us at a table that looks recently put together between two doors, one marked "for employees only" and the other a plain white door. There were two perfectly good tables empty that we passed. One right in front of the host’s area and one 5 feet from where they say us. We get our menus on time waiting patiently for someone to take our order, by now we are getting a feel of the speed of the service. food arrives, looks and tastes good. During all of this, we are one foot away from the door that says employees only, right after we get our drinks..one of the servers starts carrying tables, dishes, etc from the storage room to the front of the restaurant. Looks like he is carrying the set up for a buffet table and the employees only door is a storage room. So, I and my wife have to endure the constant movement of the server and the stuff he carries barely missing us few times. I lost count after a while but it was maybe 20-25 times back and forth, back and forth, back and forth while we try to sit and enjoy our meal. the food was good, I did not like the ambiance or the service..Would I go back..maybe after I have completely forgotten about this incident, maybe one day..in the 22nd century **Update..Wow, I just want to get my leftover food in the fridge that we had brought back from the restaurant. I had ordered chicken dumplings and few other items, I was full by the time I got the to the dumplings. I maybe had 2-3 dumplings out of the portion of 12 dumplings, the one thing I had gone to this restaurant for most... So in all I had brought back leftover aloo chat and the dumplings..What do I see when I open the container just now that was supposed to have my 9 or 10 dumplings in it.. rice with peas!! In the first container I had aloo chat and that looks perfect in its container, the second larger container was supposed to have my 9-10 dumplings in there..lol..just rice..seems hard for me to believe its a mistake. This has not happened to me with a restaurant ever..its just hilarious, the service we received..dropping to 2 stars..I had given 3...

TLDR: Sherpa Kitchen is on the more pricey side but I was paying for quality. Sherpa Kitchen has incredible flavor, a fun atmosphere, and a down home vibe. It is worth a visit. Or 10.

The results at Sherpa, from my experience, are always consistent. The momo was made to order and was soft with an elegant roll. They were generously filled and seasoned. Sometimes momo wrappers can get slimy or the wrapper is too thick but not so with these. The wrapper is just the right width and presents the perfect stage to the let the filling and the chutney shine. There is a great crunch with the pakora. The sour and savory notes play nicely.

Combination Momo $14.99 Pakora $6.50 Soda: $2.00 Grand total: $23.49 $23.49 seems steep for one person but here’s why I’m convinced it is worth every penny: 1.) Sherpa Kitchen is one of the few places in Burlington with these dishes and flavors. Going is a unique experience, 2.) The food is great and there are many leftovers, 3.) Sometimes they run specials that make the food less expensive. They also sometimes have a buffet that can lower the cost.

I also liked the welcoming vibe, as if I was walking into an Auntie’s kitchen. They were sweet and helpful but one of the elder ladies joked about why I needed 3 orders of dumplings. I thought it was funny. It’s one of those special places where you know the employees and the owner are genuine people who truly treat dining in as an experience to be had not just food to serve.

The food alone is worth a visit. I was fine paying for quality and I enjoyed dining in. If you like a fun, laid back dining experience with quality food, and great flavor Sherpa Kitchen is a...

Upon walking into this place, the bare yellow walls, rundown booth cushions, and generic Nepali decorations made me question my expectations. DO NOT let that sway you though. I quickly learned from the friendly staff, quick service, and delicious food that people come here for the food. We ordered mixed momos (steamed dumplings) and veggie pakora (veggie fritters) to share. And for my main dish, I ordered lamb Thukpa (noodle soup). Starting with the pakoras, these were by far the highlight of my meal. Fried to a crispy perfection, they held up in the pool of yummy chutney sauces that were drizzled on top. The momos are a must have if you never tried Nepali food before. From my visit to Nepal a few years back, I can confirm that this place does their momos right and does not skimp on the filling. My favorite was the veggie Momo. My main dish, the lamb Thukpa, was a beautiful mixture of noodles, finely spiced broth, tender lamb, and crunchy veggies that all came in a giant bowl similar to Vietnamese Pho. Along with all this great food, I ordered a Mango Lassi (sweet mango yogurt shake) to drink. And, while the flavor and consistency were on par for a cold refreshment, I wished the portion had been slightly larger. Overall, this place serves up great Nepali food, a cuisine similar in flavors to that of India (they are neighboring countries). So, if you’re looking to try a new ethnic cuisine outside the realm of your common Asian, Indian, French, or Mexican restaurants or, you simply want to continue perusing the flavors of Nepal, this place...