Ailaa Himalayan Bar and Grill — Restaurant in Stoneham

We went to Ailaa Himalayan Bar and Grill excited to celebrate my awesome girlfriend. We got there around 7 45 on a Sunday night and they had just finished up their new years celebration. Seems like it was very festive and a lot of fun. They were cleaning up the dining area in order for us to get seated which took only a couple minutes. Then we were sat and greeted and we were looking through the menu and there were a lot of great options so it took us a little while to decide what we wanted to try first from Ailaa as it was our first time. We started off by ordering pork jhol dumplings, a coffee and a masala tea. It took a while for this to come out and we were hungry so we were anxious to get our food. When one of the servers comes back they brought us the wrong dumplings, what seemed to be chicken chilli dumplings, my girlfriend corrected the server saying that it should have been the pork Jhol dumplings and the server went back to the kitchen to correct the order. In that time we enjoyed the masala tea and the coffee which were both flavorful and a nice starter for the meal. Our original server came back saying there was a mistake and if we'd like they will correct it, but it would take a little while, but we were so hungry we decided we might as well eat what we had and order our meal. The dumplings were pretty good, a sweet and spicy sauce with onions and peppers and chicken dumplings, but I would imagine we would have enjoyed the pork jhol dumplings more. We decided on a goat thali for my girlfriend and chicken chilli and chicken bara for me. Soon after a new server came by to inform me that they were out of chicken bara, but they would recommend the chicken chatmari, I agreed because that was originally my second option. Now we had plenty to talk about and we enjoyed the scenery of the restaurant (the stage and the music choice from Nepali music switched to modern country to early 2000s pop,) but time did start to weigh on us and there were only about 3 tables so it kind of confused us on what was taking so long but eventually we get the thali and the chatamari and we decided to dig in. I didn't ask about the chicken chilli because I imagined it would be out soon and if not I had the chicken chatamari to hold me over. The Goat Thali, I must say was really good the goat was tender, the lentils and veggies were really nice, we liked the yogurt, and there was a good amount there was a good assortment of food and we left with the leftovers of this. The chatamari was pretty good, I don't know if I'd order it again but it was like a flatbread with spiced ground chicken and veggies with lentils on the side, and it could be eaten as a single meal. Once I had finished that, our new server (our original server must have been finishing her shift as our meal was going on) had come to inform me that they had mistakenly made a chicken Thali instead of a chicken chilli and they were correcting their mistake. I told them it was alright, but I'll have to take it to go. By the time I got the chicken chilli (which was really good, we had it for leftovers it was like fried chicken pieces in a sweet and spicy sauce with onions and peppers) it was past 9 o'clock so in total the meal was about 1 hour and 15 minutes which may not be that long, but it felt like it. The total was a little north of 80 dollars which seems like a fair price. I'm not sure if it was a bad time for them or since it was new years there was a lot of mistakes, but the whole experience left me a little disappointed and unsure if I'd be willing to give Ailaa another chance. The food was good, but it was a little rough on the stomach the next day, but nothing we couldn't handle. It just seemed like we were moved to get foods we weren't ordering and we had to wait a little longer than we feel is expected to...

Decided to come here on a Monday evening to celebrate a win on a whim.

I am so glad we decided on this spot cause it genuinely was an amazing meal. I’ve never had Nepali food, and although it’s similar to other cuisines in the Indian subcontinent it’s very unique. The ambiance and service is very relaxed and but still upscale. I saw they had space for live music, and I’m excited to come on a night they have music.

As for the service, the staff were friendly and attentive but not overwhelming. They made sure to check in with us at the end.

The food here is top notch. I don’t know if it can get better than this. Flavorful, spicy, so many textures, and satisfying.

We ordered the buffalo (water buffalo) chilli momo. I never have water buffalo meat before, it was a little gamey but the dumpling was so tasty. I loved the sauce and veggies it came in.

We also ordered goat taas, and goat thaali. The taas was a grilled goat, with achaar, puffed riced, and veggies. The goat was a little tough for my taste, but seasoned perfectly. The thaali was sooo good. I loved the flavor in the goat salan and the lentils. If you’ve had Indian cuisine it’s a similar set up, in terms of rice, lentils, achaar, yogurt, and meat. While it may look the same, the flavors are definitely distinct. The yogurt in particular was sweet, almost like a dessert.

Despite the sweet yogurt we indulged in dessert and tried the yomari. I will have to say this was not my favorite, the dumpling was quite plain. We also ordered masala chai…honestly the BEST masala chai I’ve ever had. I would come back just for the chai TBH.

They have a lot more on their menu, and I can’t wait to try...

Let me begin by saying that the service at Ailaa is absolutely exceptional. From the moment I walked in, I was warmly greeted by the hostess and promptly seated at my table. Throughout my meal, the waitstaff were attentive, friendly, and knowledgeable about the menu offerings. They were quick to offer recommendations and were happy to accommodate any special requests I had. But the service wasn't the only highlight of my meal at Ailaa - the drinks were also incredible. I started with a cocktail named “Lastai Piro” that was expertly crafted and perfectly balanced. The drink menu had a great variety of options, ranging from classic cocktails to innovative creations, and the bar staff clearly knew what they were doing. Moving on to the food, everything I ordered was delicious, but what stood out most was the fresh, flavorful ingredients and the careful attention to detail in the preparation. I loved their buff choila and the Chicken Nanglo set. Overall, I highly recommend Ailaa restaurant for anyone looking for an exceptional dining experience. The service is top-notch, the drinks are expertly crafted, and the food is delicious. Ailaa is a true gem, and I look forward to...