Indian-Nepali Kitchen — Restaurant in Seattle

Packed on Saturday night after a recent review of the top 25 Seattle restaurants. Portions are solid size: each serves 4 and the food came out very slowly WHICH because it was a busy saturday night and ACTUALLY this served us so that we could savor and not speed gorge. I ate slowly with small bites once I realized how salty everything was.

Our party of 4 over ordered: chicken combo momo (yummy and fat dumplings) garlic basil naan (roasted just right) nicked pickles (too salty to eat- crazy sodium levels can’t recommend unless you grew up on this ) raita yogurt (salty yogurt-what?!) I prefer my own homemade tomato achar (like a salsa but saltier) mint sauce (fresh! and salty) sadeko chicken (tasty and juicy with a delicious dry curry rub flavor!) chicken curry nepali (looked great smelled yummy! but by the time we got this we had ingested so much salt that we couldn’t even taste the flavor and were afraid to ingest more because this too was a sodium bomb) chicken tikka (buttery and juicy. came out on a steaming platter! very appealing! And we could taste the flavors because of the dairy cut the sodium) okra masala (crispy flavorful veggies- not saucy and a nice pairing with the chicken tikka) eggplant bharta (super puréed- more like a soupy dip and it had peas in it. just ok but next time I will order the saag chana)

I must add that the basmati rice was absolutely the most delicious basmati rice all of us had ever had!

We would all eat there again- BUT order less (and come back again for something new) eat no naan till entree arrives! no condiments except the minty sauce and ask for...

I've been to this location before when it was Indo Cafe, but for some reason the space feels cozier now as Indian-Nepali Kitchen. Maybe it has to do with the red and black colors of the walls and carpet, but I can't remember how those were before. Service was great, as multiple different workers checked on us the right amount. Water was refilled when needed, and everyone working was very nice. Everything on the menu sounded good. We ended up getting the combo momo chicken and chicken house curry. I'll have to come back again and try more items.

The chicken house curry was served in a metal bowl and came with a separate packed bowl of rice. It was a thin and soupy kind of curry. The combo momo were decent sized and had 4 different kinds (3 each) plus some sauce. The sandheko ones are the yellow/orange color, while the chili ones are red. My favorites were the sandheko and chili ones, but the other 2 (fried and steamed) were good as well. I think I might like momos better than Chinese dumplings now after trying these. The dumplings I've tried from Kathmandu MoMoCha's food truck were much smaller and more expensive than the ones here.

The only reason I can't give all 5 stars is because I have a hard time justifying paying over $18 for chicken curry, even though that's probably standard for the area. There wasn't enough meat in the curry, but the momos were definitely worth it. I would give the momos alone 5 stars, so this place is closer to 4.5...

Had a carry out order. Was told it would be five minutes - 25 minutes later I am still waiting. Don’t appreciate them disrespecting my time…

UPDATE: I appreciate the owner’s responsiveness to my post from which I gather that they have a reputational sensitivity. I also want to clarify that no one was overtly rude. With regard to the issue, I would encourage that you expend that energy towards streamlining operations. Here are a few suggestions: When a time estimate is given, the staff member actually checks with the kitchen - right now they seem to randomly say 5-10 minutes where the focus is on deferring the conversation, rather than giving information. The owner should not appease with “I am packing” your order and not hand over food for another 15 minutes. Again focus on accuracy and execution, instead of appeasement. Eliminate the situations where appeasement may be needed. Operationally, your staff seems to have several things they are involved with, but no one seems responsible for the whole experience. Get focused, avoid distractions, and make it easier for your staff.

As to your offer to come back, it is my judgment that respect for my time is simply something you do not care about. - the concern is really about the reputational impact of the review. And so I will not be returning to your restaurant.

Should you take time to reflect and adjust, I am sure it would help you in the future. I hope you have success with...