Great food and service! The staff are very helpful with their recommendations and made us feel right at home. Portions are reasonable for the price and the food was flavorful. read more

The ambiance and food was below average. I ordered an okra dish which was dripping in oil. The samosa was ver plain too. The waitress initially said rice was included with the dish but ended up charging an extra $4 for it. I won't come back read more

Do not order food from here. Not near authentic. The person taking our order was least interested in taking the order. We ordered paneer tikka, bhindi masala, vegetable pakora & garlic naan. Vegetable pakora- Full of color, no veggies, over cooked & hard Garlic naan- not fully cooked, patches of raw dough Bhindi masala- 1/5 Paneer tikka masala- 2/5 Please try other restaurants for indian food. read more

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I was missing Nepalese food and wanted some Bhantha Ra Aloo. This is an eggplant and potato dish that is common in the Himalayan region that I had practically everyday when I was in Nepal. I absolutely LOVE this dish because it reminds me of the beautiful people that made it for me when they were hosting my friends and I. Although nothing will quite beat my first experience having this dish, this is a pretty close replica of the one I had. If it doesn't conjure up your past fond memories then it isn't worth it...but it DID so for this dish alone I am a faithful fan. A+++++ for taking me back even just for a few minutes. Best served over fragrant basmati rice or wrapped in garlic naan. My 2nd favorite dish from here is Bhindi Masala (the one w/ fresh okra) it's a complex dish with all the right spices that tantalizes all your taste buds. Definitely a winner. (A+) Parking is free for 90 mins in the structure behind the restaurant. We picked up our order and it was on time. This cafe reminds me of the Himalayan restaurant in Big Bear. Both were equally tasty with kind staff. If you don't know what to order start with the Momo (dumplings) as that's a national dish and then order the two dishes above. You will NOT be disappointed! read more

I've always passed by this place in Old Town Pasadena and I'm so glad I finally tried it. I got the Chicken Vindaloo (med to spicy spice level) and the spice level was perfect for me. I can handle pretty spicy and it was flavorful and not overpowering. The chicken was super tender. I also tried my friend's Chicken Tikka Masala and it was delicious. I'd say if you prefer less sweet, get the vindaloo over the masala. I'm definitely coming back! read more

The food is consistently good. Parking available right next door. Service attentive, prices good, nice interior! It's an easy choice to make. read more

This food is good and my go to place in old town Pasadena . They have been consistently good and the service is always great . There is garage parking next to it and it's easy walk from there . read more

Average food; ordered chilli chicken which tasted ok but was not chilli chicken in any shape or form; momos were above average - hence ok.

Fantastic food and fantastic staff!! I loved the chicken korma and the samosa chat. I would pick the mild korma again over the medium spicy korma. The spice seems to get rid of some of the flavor. The mango lassi is a really great drink. read more

To make a long story short, this place serves oily, flavorless food and is not worth coming to. Go to Tibet Nepal House a few blocks away instead. We started with the vegetable momos ($10) but weren't impressed. They were way too salty and the exterior wrapper was dry. The thupka vegetable soup ($9) was ridiculously oily and bland. Don't bother with this. The bandagopi tareko ($12) is vegan by default and should be sauteed cabbage with spices. Instead, this was an oily, bland dish. Same goes for the bhanta ra aloo ($13), an eggplant dish that had no flavor. The chapati ($3) and Tibetan roti ($3) were both good, but that's cold comfort when the mains were so terrible. The service is friendly and the space nicely dive-ish. All that said, go to Tibet Nepal House instead, which serves better food. read more

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We were hoping to find a nice buffet spot around the area, but unfortunately, we were not so lucky. Let's review what was offered: Naan: There were a few pieces lying sadly in the tray like a bunch of non-athletes sitting bored on the sidelines while their teammates are playing. Weak, limp, and fairly pale...nope, not very good. Chicken tikka masala: This was very tomato-y, which made it more like tomato soup than Indian food. Also, the chicken was incredibly dry, to the point where it didn't even quite save itself doused in the tomato soup. Rice: It wasn't exceedingly fluffy, but it was borderline dry, even for basmati. Tandoori chicken: This was probably the best of the bunch. Nothing spectacular, but I was able to mix the tikka masala sauce with this chicken instead to make some semblance of one chicken tikka masala rather than the dry sponges in the actual dish. Aloo (fries): Herbed fries were actually not bad, though they weren't crispy. I dipped them in the curries. Curry chicken: Another all right dish--this chicken was thigh meat, so it was much more tender. Kheer: The worst kheer I've ever tasted in all the Indian/Himalayan spots I've been to. It was literally stale basmati rice in almost unsweetened milk. Yuck! I took one water sip and decided I'd had enough. There was another veggie dish or two as well, but clearly not memorable enough. I was very disappointed at the buffet--perhaps dinner service is better? Either way, we won't be back. read more

Just had a very peaceful and enjoyable meal with two other friends this afternoon. The vegan dishes were superb!!! I loved the eggplant and the Chana masala the best. But the veggie momo dumplings were my favorite appetizer, it's refreshing to order an appetizer where everyone can actually eat 2-3 pieces. 5/5 for ambience, cleanliness, great service, wonderful food. Thanks for a great casual birthday meal! read more

I have only had Indian food once before but the food and tea here was the best so far. I had the Himalayan chicken chow mein. So good and so fresh. I had the mild spice and that was perfect for me. There are three levels of spice for the meals so if you are wanting more spicy they can accommodate. The spice tea and milk was so good. The waiter was very helpful in picking out our choices. The location is In beautiful downtown pasadena and the restaurant is very open. read more

Amazing food! Service was prompt. Highly recommend! I let them know my ETA, which is close to their closing time and they were kind enough to still accommodate my online order. read more

Had a fantastic lunch at today. We tried the momos and Nepali thali with goat curry. We also had the lamb chili which was phenomenal. Highly recommend! We'll be back. read more

Himalayan Cafe - Mixed MOMO - Himalayan/Nepalese Near Me - Pasadena, California

The samosas here are big and packed with flavor. It was hard to stop eating the entrees, especially with how fresh their naan was. A delight~ read more

The food is amazing but the portions are small. You need to get more for what you're paying and there's 2 other Indian restaurants in the area with more affordable choices. read more

Their lunch specials come in big portions. Cheap and flavorful as well. Servers have excellent customer service. Highly recommended!

We used to enjoy Himalayan Cafe. It was one of the few consistently great restaurants in Pasadena throughout the worst of the pandemic (our favorite). Unfortunately, the quality of the food has been hugely variable and disappointing over the past few orders, typically worse on Friday and Saturday evenings (oddly) compared to the rest of the week. We ordered pickup on Friday night on Nov. 19 and were excited to get two old favorites, their tikka masala and eggplant side dish. Both were surprisingly bland. The tikka masala was thin and soupy and the eggplant was unseasoned and virtually inedible. Even the naan was bad. I'm sad to say, I don't think we'll be back. As locals who live in Pasadena and who have been consistent customers supporting this business throughout the pandemic, we hope the owner will convince us otherwise. read more

They close earlier than their website states. That won't stop them from taking your order and money and giving you a pick up time of after 9pm. Not very fun to drive out and park and find you've been swindled. Not a huge loss considering this is the definition of mediocre food. Tibet Nepal House nearby is MUCH better. read more

Quite disappointed with the food here. I had wanted to surprise my wife with some authentic Nepali/Indian food to give her a taste of home. Seeing the interior decor, it gave me the same vibes as the restaurants we visited in Nepal so it gave me a little confidence booster. Unfortunately, the food did not live up to expectations. We ordered Chicken Chow Mein, Chicken Thukpa(a noodle soup), Garlic Naan, Samosas and Momos(Nepali dumplings). Reviews below: Chow Mein - Not enough toppings (one piece of broccoli, few pieces of cabbages, etc.), Sauce wasn't fresh and mixed well leading to chunks in some areas and not enough in other areas. Thukpa - As a huge noodle fan, I was seriously looking forward to some thukpa. In Nepal, there are different types - a Nepali version with stronge meat based broth(chicken, pork, buff) vs a Tibetan version that has a cleaner, mainly buff(alo) based broth. The thukpa here wasn't either. The soup was some sort of tomato soup that was thickened artificially (with either the noodles or actual flour though this is just my opinion.) The meat was added in as an afterthought. Veggies were overcooked and bland. Honestly, this was more like a soupier spaghetti than anything. Speaking of spaghetti, I had to cook my own spaghetti because there were only a few strands in there. I've attached a photo of the thukpa for reference - plate used so that all the contents can be seen. Garlic Naan - Okay? Taste wasn't particularly great though and it was a bit tough. To be fair, I drove back 25 min with the food which may have contributed to the toughness. Momos - Momos were fine, on par with the momos from Nepal. The sauce wasn't too great though and tasted watered down. Speaking of sauces... Tamarind Chutney - We liked it and felt that it was pretty authentic. Mint Chutney - Pretty bad. Tasted completely watered down. My wife makes better mint chutney and it was her first try. Masala Tea - Pretty good but adding some extra clove and cardamom may help. Wasn't sweet enough for me but my wife always calls me a sweet tooth so ‍. I appreciated their packing on the tea, wrapped well with Saran wrap. Gulab Jamun - Seriously? Two cheese balls in syrup for 4.95 plus tax? Me and my wife made these ourselves in Nepal. A liter of milk is enough to make around 20 of these little balls. Sure, time, labor and other ingredients are needed but the approx $5.45 for two is just way overboard. Didn't taste too bad though but my wife didn't like them. Samosa - Not too bad in my opinion but the flour skin was a bit thick in some places. On the side, cashier gave $1 less when returning change. Likely a mistake but please be careful in the future. All in all, we likely would not return in the future. Not worth $70, $40 after using Groupon. Still not worth it. read more

Himalayan Cafe - Chicken Thukpa. Flat bowl used as can be seen by the fork sitting nearly flat. Nearly no noodles. - Himalayan/Nepalese Near Me - Pasadena, California

Had a really nice experience here thanks to a friend suggesting we stop by! Firstly, parking is a bit of a challenge but based on previous reviews here, there IS a parking garage on the same city block that offers free, 90 minute parking. I went about 30 minutes over and still paid only $2 which for SoCal, is a deal. I came early evening on a Thursday with no reservation and got seated immediately. As I waited for my friend, the service was still attentive, offering me water and asking if I wanted to order a starter. The restaurant is a bit small, but cozy which wooden chairs and tables, native decor and cool, blue walls giving you a calming feeling. There are clean, one room bathrooms for men and women which can be found behind the curtains at the south end of the cafe. My eyes were bigger than my stomach looking at all the options! Options of naan, chicken dishes, veggie dishes and so on. If you like Indian food, you'll enjoy Himalayan Cafe. On average, plates are $10, give it take a few dollars. Very fair! It took me longer than usual to decide since everything looks so tasty! With a side of steamed rice and plain naan to share, My friend got the classic, Chicken Tikka Masala which she thoroughly enjoyed. I opted for the Chicken roll under the appropriately titled, "Roll" section and wasn't sure what to expect other than a burrito? And a burrito was basically what I got! It was chicken in an egg based pita (delicious) with mountain spices and grilled veggies inside with a side of sweet, mango chutney which I also used for my naan. I inhaled everything and came out satisfied. I'm curious about their lunch buffet which I would love to check out. I definitely recommend! read more

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My boyfriend and I enjoyed every dish we ordered and I would definitely come back again

I can't believe we just discovered this restaurant! It is absolutely delicious. Fresh ingredients prepared to order. Great for vegetarian and meat lovers. We used Reese a Groupon but I would've happily paid in full because it was very very good. The prices were reasonable, considering what costs are today. I am looking forward to leftovers from there tonight. read more

If you want to spend the night with your finger down your throat- this is your place! Vegetarians- Steer Clear! $65 down the drain. We thought we'd give this place a try, based on reviews by fellow vegetarians. We ordered the "ALL VEGETRAIAN PLATTER" , bit into the first bite, and sure enough it was a meat dumpling. The hand- writing on the outside the package even stated "Veggie." We called the restaurant to find out what was in the dumpling, thinking perhaps it wasn't meat. The restaurant stated that they "ran out of the vegetarian" option, so they decided to throw in some meat items. Um, they had so many options to avoid this scenario. . . . .(A)- Why didn't they cancel the item? (B) Why didn't they call us to state they ran out? Or (C) Why didn't they label the box as "Veggie and MEAT? If people order vegetarian, it is for a reason. And the fact that they just in slid meat because they ran out is completely unacceptable. Now no one wants to eat this order- including meat eaters. We have a bunch of food sitting on a table and are completely disappointed by the restaurant. The person who answered the phone claimed that they are also vegetarian. If this is true, they would be disgusted and want to rectify the situation immediately. Instead, they said that they'd "put in a note for next time." Well, there certainly won't be a next time. Bottom line: This is NOT a safe place for vegetarians, despite being an Indian restaurant. They might substitute meat for your food if they run out- AND NOT TELL YOU ABOUT IT. There are so many small businesses struggling during COVID. I recommend finding another local spot to support. read more

Absolutely horrible. Do not waste your money. Worst Indian food I've ever had and I ended up throwing up everything hours later. Avoid this place! read more

Came here on a Saturday @12.45pm with a friend. My friend and I were the only 2 people besides another group of 2. We ordered the Himalayan platter as an appetizer just to try the taste of the food. The batter on the chicken and vegetables was salty. The starter had a potato samosa on it, a few vegetable Pakoras and some chicken pieces. The shell on the samosa was so hard I struggled to cut it in half. The pakoras were hard too. The dish was served with Tamarind sauce which wasn't the best and there was no mint sauce(always served together at an Indian restaurant). I might give this place another try and get an entree and see if it gets any better, but for now wasn't the slightest impressed with the food. read more

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I'm getting the impression that this establishment is struggling due to the pandemic.. it's reflecting in the quality of food, portion sizes, and pricing. I was content with the tikka salmon (though some parts were dry & the grilled onions and bell peppers were way too crisp for my liking), but what got me was how unpleasant the vegetable korma is. It tasted exactly like tomato soup with added frozen vegetables...Flavourless and not fresh. I was so bummed since I figured the groupon deal afforded me the chance to try a different Indian cuisine without feeling cheated.. however the overall experience with the portion sizes being small & a la carte- you have to purchase either the naan or rice separately- and quality of food is disappointing. The only take away was the galub jamun tasting warm & spongy as it should.. Freshly made. read more

The food was absolutely delicious! Very flavorful and more than enough to share with all. Our server was very sweet and attentive! If you have not tried this gem, you are really missing out! read more

For buffet here. The taste is good, the service also good. My picky friend satisfied the curry and services. I came here several times, the curry is wonderful. I love havey taste food; therefore, I love there's curry. But something I would like to say, I usually eat there on weekdays. Every time, the only meat I eat that is chicken. Even the curry sauce is wonderful, the chicken is breast part that taste hard. The only chicken is juicy that is grill chicken. If you are crazy in juicy chicken, I suggest you pick grill chicken with wonderful curry sauce/masala curry sauce/veggie curry. That taste is awesome when you eat chicken like this in here. read more

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Wow! I would've never thought to step foot into this little gem of a restauran just by staring in from the outside. This goes to show that you should never judge a book by it's cover. Located on Fair Oaks right across the street from Little Sheep Hot Pot, with plenty of structure parking or metered parking. During busy days, expect parking to be difficult like Pasadena usually is. =FOOD= 1) Lamb Vindaloo - Delicious! I'm no vindaloo connoisseur, so I can't compare this with others, but if this is what vindaloo is, it's pretty darn good! They'll ask for how spicy you want it, so we asked for it to be SPICY. Although it's not mouth numbing or sweat inducing spicy, it's got a nice kick to it! Along with the sweetness of the sauce (which is kind of stew consistency), this is definitely a winning dish! The lamb meat and the potatoes and carrots were great! Drizzle this stuff over the basmati rice and you'll be glad you ordered it! 2) Mixed Plate - Absolutely amazing!!! My reaction with each meat on this plate was pretty speechless. All I could do was dramatically point to the meat while making "MMMMM!!!!!!!!" noises at my friend! It was SO good! The seasoning and the garnish plus garlic made this a solid winner!! I'm not a chicken lover, but the pieces of chicken were so flavorful! Each meat on there was moist, tender and packed with savory taste! Your mouth, and tummy will thank you! =SERVICE= The service here is great. Although it takes a little while for the food to come out, you can expect it to be fresh and piping hot! The waiters here were very polite and very friendly. The restaurant is small so they won't miss you if you need them. Food is a little pricey, but it's worth it! =FINAL VERDICT= Never judge a book by it's cover. You get what you pay for, the food is amazing! I'm definitely a huge fan of this place, and when you try it, I'm hoping you'll feel the same! read more

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It's been a while since my last visit to the Himalayan Cafe so it was nice to be back. We were enticed by the delicious smells of spices blowing down the sidewalk from this place. Our server was Malik and our chef was Parvin (I think). Pros: + We ordered the $15 meat appetizer plate which sounded from the menu language it would be a sampler platter of all the meat appetizers but in reality was a "chef's choice" appetizer; the menu could have been clearer. Still, the chef's choice appetizer chicken pakoras were juicy and delicious and the cheese pakoras were firm and savory. All paired with a rich tamarind chutney with nice depth of flavor. + Chicken rolls are from what I can tell a Nepalese version of the Indian Kathi roll, which is sort of like a Nepalese fajita wrap. Strips of chicken, bell pepper, onion, peas, corn all wrapped with a rich spiced sauce in an egg-washed flatbread naan/paratha, served in a foil wrapper to keep everything piping hot. This was delicious and we want to try it again soon. + Chicken Tikka Masala was delicious, rich and spicy with just the right amount of sweetness. Chicken pieces showed a great marinade line of where the spices had soaked into the meat before being grilled. One of the best we have had. + Garlic Naan was delicious, fresh and garlic-forward with perfect texture. It is small, but only $3.50 so order a couple if you like naan. + Mango chutney was rich and flavorful with lots of mango chunks. Cons: - Front of the house seemed a little understaffed and frazzled. They handled a lot of delivery/take out orders while also trying to serve the dining room. Place settings were not made at the table we were seated at and we had to specifically request forks, etc. - Lights in the dining room are a strange combination of yellow and blue lights which makes it feel sort of like a clinic. It could use some warmer lighting for sure. - Mint chutney tasted fresh but was very one-note like mint and water in a blender. Needed something, maybe salt and less water. - I liked our server Malik's enthusiasm but he was a little much, like a bartender who had four espressos. - The servers were using water pitchers that kept jamming ice in the spout and spilling water everywhere. Water cups are too small especially when you're having spicy food. They should switch to better pitchers and bigger water glasses. read more

First timer! Boyfriend: Let's change our taste for tonight, let's try something exotic. *types in 'exotic food' in Pasadena "Himalayan Cafe" Boyfriend: Okay, lets go! As we got to the front, I swear we walked pass this place a few times but never thought we would walk in and try it out until today, Monday dinner. Seems like Mondays are not their busy days because we ended up being the only ones. But that's okay, quiet time for us :) Sat down and the waiter already had this chip thing with a green dip as our starter http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/khEWaCDBR09fIrKPB1bZYg?select=stZkfPN1HBGm-fnFKUie8g which tasted light and good. Had a hint of cilantro. Food ordered - +shrimp pakauda as appettizer $8.99 - light and yums! Not much batter, but had a great crunch to it when you dip into their tamarid sauce. Not oily! That's a PLUS! http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/khEWaCDBR09fIrKPB1bZYg?select=6Pitj7pKXCEeGvB5_fqy-A + Lamb Curry $13.99 (sauce made with onion, tomato, ginger) The lamb was a bit chewy but the spice of the sauce was amazing! Went very well with the balsamic rice. +Chicken Sag $11.99 (garden fresh spinach with himalayan spices) - Thick sauce, but so damn good. + order of rice (balsamic) $2.99 - yeah, they charge for rice. :( one is enough to serve 2 By the way, you can pick your choice of how spicy you like for you dishes, so don't hesitate with that if you can take spice. definitely coming back here again to try their other dishes. OH! They serve lunch buffet... check out their website http://www.himalayancafe.net/ for more details! And they do take out with ordering online ;) read more

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This was our first time trying Himalayan food and Himalayan Cafe was good choice in Old Town Pasadena because most of the patrons that come through probably have never tried this type of food either. SERVICE It wasn't spectacular and they weren't as personable like most American restaurants, but they checked on you occasionally. Taking your order was speedy, the delivery of appetizers and food was far from speedy. FOOD Chicken Momo (dumplings) - 3.5/5 I have an unending love for dumplings, so we just had to try them. The texture of the outside of these steamed creations was really good; the actual meat portion was ground to a soft texture that I don't really prefer. The dipping sauce tasted like a curry dipping sauce, I probably would have preferred a simple sauce like vinegar or something with hot sauce in it. Saag Aaloo (spinach & potato curry) - 4/5 My boyfriend picked this dish and it was really good. It reminds me of an Indian dish that I like (spinach and cheese), but executed better. Fish Curry - 3/5 There wasn't anything special about the fish (salmon) or the curry. Garlic Naan - 3/5 I wish it had more garlic; there was nothing special about it. OVERALL Himalayan Cafe is not a large restaurant and it looks like it would be hard to accommodate a party larger than 4-6 comfortably. With the expensive price point and slowness of the food orders coming out, I don't know if I would come back for a sit down meal. The lunch buffet sounds like a great deal and hopefully the food is ample enough to not worry about items coming out of the kitchen. Yelp 100 Challenge 2013 - 79 of 100 read more

Himalayan Cafe - Spinach and potato & fish curry - Himalayan/Nepalese Near Me - Pasadena, California

TL;DR: The service was good and the flavor was there, but the lamb wasn't that great. Stopped in on Friday night and while there was plenty of room when I arrived, it filled up quickly. I placed an order for a Nepalese beer that I'd never had before. Mustang. Good. I had an order of samosas to start (oddly spelled "singada" on the menu). Very hot from the fryer, they were nicely stuffed with potato and pea and such. It took a while for them too cool down enough to enjoy. My main course arrived, looking excellent. The lamb curry had an excellent flavor and there was plenty of sauce to go with the huge pile of white rice. Big pieces of lamb in there, but they were rather gristly. The garlic naan was excellent. Thin, with plenty of garlic and cilantro. Service was great, the meal was great (other than the lamb), the price was pretty good. It was A-OK. Next time, I'd go with a tandoori. read more

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If you love Indian food, then you'll most likely fall in love with Himalayan/Nepalese food. Indian food can be found in most Socal cities but finding a good Himalayan restaurant requires a little more of searching. The two of us decided to split the the Chicken Momo, Chicken Tikka Masala and a garlic naan. Most cultures have their own versions of dumplings and momos happen to be of Nepalese origin. Although they look like any other steamed dumpling, they're actually a lot more flavorful and are full of delicious Nepali spices! Eating the chicken momo here was like feasting on tender, curry-spiced chicken dumplings. Accompanying the momo was a creamy sauce for dipping, which served as a nice cooling contrast in flavor and texture. While the momo was the highlight of our meal, I'm afraid the same couldn't be said for the chicken tikka masala. I'm sorry to say but this was one of the blandest, one dimensional chicken tikka masalas I've ever had. And Nepalese/Indian food isn't exactly known for lacking in flavor. It tasted as though someone had decided to mix tomato sauce with cream, throw in a few spices to add heat and leave it at that. Think more Italian style tomato cream sauce rather than curry. It didn't help that the chicken was incredibly dry and the garlic naan flimsy and tasteless. Although I'm not too far from this restaurant, I'm afraid the search for a good Himalayan restaurant continues. read more

Himalayan Cafe - Chicken Momo - Himalayan/Nepalese Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Overall impression of Himalayan cuisine - Indian cuisine, but with less intense flavors. Parking: 90 minutes free public parking (http://www.oldpasadena.org/info.asp) Free starter - chip with green chutney dip: It was okay, but the dipping sauce has a hint of cilantro. Chicken Tikka Masala ($12.99): You can choose your spiciness level (mild to very spicy - I had spicy). Sauce was definitely flavorful and I personally preferred this dish over chicken mo-mo. Chicken Mo-Mo (steamed dumpling stuffed with ground chicken, $10.99): Honestly, I still prefer the regular Chinese steam dumplings. Yes, this is probably the most popular dish. However, they tasted a bit bland. 3.5-star on food, at least the service was excellent. It's somewhat pricey to eat here, but I think it's an interesting experience for anyone who never had Himalayan food before. read more

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Nice Himalayan place, with a few delicious dishes! Loved the Lamb Vindaloo was amazing!!! Dipped with the Garlic naan bread, the dishes were both amazing together. Saw a couple with a sizzling dish that smelled good, and will want to try that next time. Parking is conveniently on the same block- free for 90min. Will come back for the lamb again! read more

Himalayan Cafe - Garlic Naan (left), Lamb Masala (top), and Lamb Vindaloo (bottom). Go for the Vindaloo!!! - Himalayan/Nepalese Near Me - Pasadena, California

Amazing food, amazing service! Great flavors, unique, rich and layered. Our server was very accommodating, someone from our party was allergic to potatoes, so they removed them from the vegetable wrap ingredients. One of the best meals we've had lately! read more

Been waiting to come here for ages, so finally plucked up the courage to commit to a lunch here with a friend. The place was dead, but weekday post-lunch hour isn't a good indicator of popularity. Either way, excited. Parked in a nearby lot and walked over; that seems to be the way to do things around here. We sat down at a window table and got some waters and menus right away. I was eyeing the boka ko masu (goat with bone dish), but as I've never had goat, I felt hesitant to order it at a place I wasn't familiar with. Our server, who doubled as the host, recommended that we split an entree, a rice dish, and a bread between the two of us. That sounded reasonable, so we settled on saag paneer, Himalayan rice with vegetables, garlic naan, and Himalayan iced tea. Food: you can pass on the Himalayan iced tea, unless you're really feeling like iced tea. I couldn't tell what made this unique from other iced teas; there was no distinct "Himalayan" flavor to it. The garlic naan was just okay; I honestly prefer the one in the freezer at Trader Joe's. We ordered the curry medium-spiced, and I think that was a good reflection of the level of spice we received. The saag was good, but the rice was A+. I don't even normally eat rice, and I was ready to lick the plate. The portion sizes were decent; enough to make both of us satiated, but not stuffed or bloated. For $25 for two people, I would say that's pretty successful for this kind of kitchen. Service: weird. Just weird. A warm vibe when we walked in turned to an obvious "when will these people leave?" with the busboy singing aloud and fiddling with his phone while the server watched me chew every bite of food I took. It was so uncomfortable. I know we were the only people in there, but it was really a buzzkill. I find this happens a lot with Indian restaurants, so I wonder if it's a cultural thing? Either way, I know he was watching when we finished our meal, but instead chose to spend ten minutes hovering at the other side of the restaurant "fixing" tables. I stacked our plates and had to finally ask for the check. Way to ruin the ambiance, dude. I wouldn't mind another bite of that rice dish, but I'm definitely not dining in-house again. read more

Himalayan Cafe - Saag paneer. - Himalayan/Nepalese Near Me - Pasadena, California

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