BASE CAMP RESTAURANT (Fresh & Authentic Himalayan Flavors) — Restaurant in Scio Township

Good "Indian" food! Good Nepalese food! This place serves great "comfort food". Beats me why I feel that way but the meals just seem much more like home-made than any local restaurant I know about. Home-made if you had an a really good cook at home. We haven't tried a lot on the menu because we keep ordering the same things, they are just that good and always hit the spot.

Portions are generous, I never leave hungry and usually have some left over for home.

The Chai is very good though caffeinated so sadly not a dinner drink for us.

Samosas are very good and on par with Cardamom Restaurant, if not better. I actually prefer the sauces here over those at Cardamom.

Chicken biryani was well seasoned, more to my liking than the Cardamom version which is sometimes a bit heavy on the clove(?). Note that it did not have any veggies, just chicken and tasty tomatoey rice. Excellent (plain) naan as a side highly recommended, none included with meal as of this visit. Naan is also FANTASTIC dipped in the....

Shyakpu/Thukpa stew. This is (presumably) an Americanized version of the Nepalese equivalent of our comfort food: chicken noodle soup, available vegetarian, chicken, or lamb. Big pieces of veggies, dough/bread bites (Shyakpu) or noodles (Thukpa). I think the stews are the same aside from which carb is added. I haven't had the Thukpa as I really like the slightly different experience of the Shyakpu- and the wait staff has recommended it both times I have asked.

Hosting is always very friendly with an occasional slight, enjoyable for the experience, language limitation. Yes, at least some of the staff speak Nepalese. I was told one member guides trips in the Himalayas, so apparently "legit" folks working at Base Camp.

The location is slightly odd, certainly not glamorous, though nice enough. It is always clean and pleasant. The giant mural of the Himalayas, including Evereat, is neat to see and leads to a bit of daydreaming. Sufficient parking and easy handicap...

Wow!

So I work just down the road at a wellness center and I drive by Base Camp every day on my way home and kept saying, “I need to try this place…” and just never made time. My coworkers got me a gift card for Base Camp for my birthday so no more excuses I tried it before we move in a few months. First, let me say the customer service was beyond my expectations. I knew going in that they closed at 230 and my meeting ran a bit longer than expected, some construction, I was way behind. I’d guess I walked in at 228. I knew that it was my fault for being late but asked if it was ok to still place an order. The gentleman at the front smiled and took my order. (Also he had a Being Human shirt on, which says a lot to a humanist like Me) The people were friendly and the food came out fast. Just a great experience with them, you can tell they are good people who take pride in what they do… now the food…

I consider myself to be a bit of a traveler when it comes to cuisine. I’ll try any food at any restaurant and always give my honest opinion. Usually when it’s the first time I order a little bit of everything, today was no different. I ordered 2x Chicken Tikka, a 10 pc fried momo, an order of sampale, 2 different orders of Naan. This is hands down the best Himalayan/Indian food I’ve ever had. Not just saying that. The flavors were complex, prepared to perfection, and that’s after a 45 min car ride to bring it home! I imagine eating it fresh out of the kitchen would be even more special. The only complaint I had was that I ate it so fast and just wanted more!

If you are looking for a great experience with authentic flavor, prepared by people who take pride in what they do look no further. I’m sad we are moving away from Michigan because it limits how much of this food I’ll get to enjoy.

Thank you everyone at Base Camp for what you do. This meal was one of the best I’ve had in the state.

PS That green sauce is amazing! I could drink it straight from the cup!...

I have only had takeout from Base Camp (three times) but the preparation and quality of the food puts it on a whole other level from typical take out. Twice I had the Chicken Makhani and the sauce was devine, savory, rich and the smell in the kitchen could have brought you in from the cold. The chicken pieces were cooked to perfection; large pieces that were tender with no hint of dryness. I also had the steam chicken MoMo dumplings. Excellent.. My wife had the chicken chow mein which I tasted and found it to be more flavorful than any Chinese restaurant's chow mein I had tried. The seasoning spices used added so much to the flavor and taste to both the noodles and the vegetables. Nothing was overcooked.

I hope this restaurant survives for a long time because it offers so many unique taste from mild spice to full on savory dishes packing a pleasant heat. I'll admit I haven't asked for anything strong on heat but I have tried both mild and moderate spice and did not find it to be overpowering and allowed all the flavors to come through. Anxious to try the soups and so many...