Taste of the Himalayas — Restaurant in San Diego

The best Indian food you can buy in San Diego is found at this unassuming Nepalese restaurant that imbues creative tweaks into traditional Indian dishes.

After dining from over a dozen Indian menus in San Diego County over the past three years, Taste of the Himalayas is my go-to spot for Indian take-out, and occasional dine-in.

Menu items I've tried more than once include the "Lamb Vindaloo," a spicy "meat and potato" curry dish, essentially a stew containing chunks of boneless lamb and potatoes. The "Lamb Tarkari" is a variant of the vindaloo dish served here, which may be a bit unfair to say, as it possesses its own charm and character. The tarkari removes the sour element of the vindaloo dish, and replaces it with the brightness of cilantro. The usage of cloves is also dialed back significantly in the tarkari compared to the vindaloo. Either dish is a winner in my opinion, and I recommend both.

Taste of the Himalayas' "Chicken Tikka Masala" features boneless white chicken chunks, and has the traditional flavor notes of this classic British take on Indian tomato sauce, but I've found the sauce to be a bit too rich and thick for my liking. I suspect that the yogurt marinade, which is typically used to marinate the chicken in this dish, is not discarded as it is with other Chicken Tikka Masala recipes, but rather it is added to the sauce. Nonetheless, it is not bad -- but you should be more adventurous than this!

The "Garlic Naan" is, of course, an oven-baked leavened flatbread that is slathered with ghee, coated with garlic, and separated into quarters. There are two varieties served at Taste of the Himalayas: Garlic Cilantro Naan and Garlic Herbal Naan. The latter features fenugreek and oregano. I prefer the herbal version, which is more traditional -- though the cilantro variant is also nice. Either is perfect for scraping the remnants of sauce from your plate.

The "Lukshya Ko Momos" are 8 steamed dumplings with wheat starch wrappers featuring minced lamb, onions, and Himalayan spices served with a Nepalese hot sauce. This is dim sum fare, which is great when you're in the mood for it. I can't do more than a few pieces as an appetizer, but it's an interesting contrast to much of the other food served here.

Each entree comes with the "Dahl Soup," a lentil-based dahl that is delicious, addictive, and (best of all) free. It is thinner than most dahls, but this is a good thing. With so many other interesting menu selections, last thing I'd want to do is fill up on free soup.

The Point Loma location is small and located in a strip mall next to a laundromat. Not prime real-estate, but it is forgotten once you enter the restaurant, which is dark, has a wall length mirror, and is comfortable, but not ornate. Service is courteous and polite. Taste of the Himalayas does not have a bar, but they do serve beer and wine.

Taste of the Himalayas is San Diego's best Indian restaurant. I give this place 5 stars because it is in San Diego, and our Indian food is generally abominable, so it'd be closer to 3 stars in NYC, Chicago, the Bay Area, or Boston. Still, I would have entirely given up on Indian in San Diego had I not discovered Taste of...

A vegan taste treat! What a nice find for authentic and spicy Tibet and Indian food. The dinner started with a bowl of yellow Dahl soup that was exquisite. The lentils were done just right and the soup was tasty but not overpowering.

The next appetizer was the Samosa and it was fresh and hot and healthy. It was was baked to perfection, much better than fried. The shell was crunchy and the inside potato, onion and pea filling was rich and tasty. We asked for the spicy mint chutney which was excellent and the tamarind sauce was really great too.

My wife had Vegetable Byriani and it was a huge portion. The flavor and texture was great although she thought it was too hot and liked it mixed about 50/50 with my steamed white rice.

My dish was the Sag Aaloo and I got it a spicy level 5. That was perfect for me, really quite a bite to it but with an incredible richness due to the spinach and potato. Over the white rice the combination was super good.

We ordered Raita bread and specifically asked for no butter. They brought us it just right, plain and crunchy and healthy. Great for dipping in the curry or chutneys.

I liked the server and although expensive the portions are very large. They're setup for take out leftovers and I know I'll enjoy the them tomorrow. All in all I'd return to have this exact meal but there were 3 or 4 other vegan dishes that looked great too. I think a large bowl of the Dahl might...

Disappointing Experience- at Taste of Himalayas - located at 3185 Midway Dr, San Diego, CA 92110

Rating: 2/5

Unfortunately, my experience with Taste of Himalayas was underwhelming. The food failed to impress in both authenticity and taste plus it was overpriced.

Food Quality

Non-Authentic: The dishes didn't resemble traditional cuisine flavors or ingredients as I have been to Nepal Kathmandu so I can related it to. Lackluster Taste: Blended and uninspired flavors throughout.

Specific Issues

Not well cooked on high flame which is the actual way - double tossed [Vegetable Chowmein noodles- Nepali styles]

2.Overpriced: Excessive prices for small portions

3.Extra Charges- Condiments and basics (e.g., Mint chutney) incur additional fees which is surprising as Paneer tikka comes with green mint chutney.

Bad taste of Desserts- ordered Gulab jamun and it taste horrible.

Service

Friendly staff, but understaffed Slow service

Recommendations

Improve recipe authenticity Enhance flavor profiles Freshen ingredients Reassess pricing strategy Include essentials in meal prices

Final Thoughts

For an authentic and delicious Nepali experience, consider alternative options.

Rating Breakdown

Food Quality: 2/5 Service: 3/5 Value :...