Contributed by Pamela Oliveras
My area looks like a bit of a construction site lately. So, when I saw more building work going on, I sort of ignored it. Then, I saw a sign go up. Thought it said ‘Rastaman’. Hmmm, I thought, another reggae store. It’s great how the Okinawans love their little reggae shops, isn’t it? It’s one of my favorite music styles and definitely suited to relaxing island life. But, looking at the growing sign a few days later, I saw it said Kasthamandap. Every day I turned my corner and everyday there was another little clue. Until, one day, it was revealed…Nepalese Spice Kitchen. Whoooo hooooooo, I hollered.
So, I eyeballed that place until I saw the doors open for biz. Before you could say “Kasthamandap here we come”, the hubby and I were already there. The restaurant is owned by the same man who owns the little Nepalese shack on Araha Beach (which I think is still open for biz). They have some beautiful Nepalese art on the walls (you walk in to see a panoramic of a Nepalese mountain) and some beautiful brass sculptures. Bang in the middle of the restaurant is a sculpture of (I think) Ganesh, the Indian Elephant God.
Service was a little slow (I presume due to teething/first day opening!). But, the food was great. We just picked a bunch of stuff and shared it. It is very similar to Indian food. We had a vegetable curry, chicken biriani (had a fried egg on the top), Naan bread, mango lassi and coconut lassi. Prices were reasonable. The mixed vegetable curry was 980 Yen and the Tandoori chicken tikka was 780 Yen. Of course, they have a set too!
Apparently, the main difference between Indian and Nepalese cooking is the spicing technique: Nepalese sauces are lighter and the spices are simmered with the food rather than the spices being flash fried first then the main ingredients added. Nepalese food appears to be a mixture of both North and South Indian Cuisine with some distinctive dishes of it’s own like, momo and Choula. That’s the most I know. If anyone knows more, please share!
INFORMATION:
Opening hours are: 1130am-11pm (last order) everyday
Phone: 098 936 6355 Money: Yen and dollars accepted. No credit card (yet)
DIRECTIONS:
Come out of Foster Commissary gate, take a right, and take the first left by cowcow. Kasthamandap is directly opposite. There is parking right in front and to side of restaurant. See you there!
I’ve been to the place by Araha beach… loved the food. Hadn’t heard of the new place until now, so we’ll have to check it out!
I have heard rave reviews about the food but not about the service. Be prepared to be patient and enjoy the Naan – I hear it’s fabulous. We’re going to try it in May!!!
Great ingredient descriptions – I always wonder what the difference is between certain foods and now I know!!!!! I love to learn something new everyday!!!!
my hubby, 1 y/o daughter and i went here last weekend and we all loved it! the food was excellent and they must be working out the service issue b/c there were 3 other tables and we didn’t wait long for our food (which, when you have a 1 year old is almost as important as the food itself!)
We split the 2 curry lunch set and the “plate o’ meat” as my husband called it, with all the different types of meat…all three of us left satisfied and can’t wait to go back to try the garlic naan.
Really good!!!
I had lunch there last week….YUUUUUMMMMMM! The Naan is best I’ve had on island.
After hearing great reviews about this place, I tried it last Sunday. I thought the food was really good. My husband and I got the 2 person set to share: 4 curries, soup for both, naan, rice, tandoori chicken and another type of meat, 2 drinks, and dessert. The set was a little more than 3,000 yen, and was more than enough to share. We also ordered the special naan, which was stuffed w/ cheese and garlic and some other spices.
Sounds salivatingly spectacular. And I also appreciated the description of spice methods. Sounds like my next lunch date location is set!
So is the old location on the beach closed? I couldn’t tell by the pictures or directions if it was a new building?
Help! I want to go one more time before we PCS.
I picked up one of their flyers when I went and it has a map to the old location as well as the new location, so I believe the old one is still open.
Yay! This place is right near my house, I was just waiting for a review of it to appear somewhere first
Anyone know if they do take out? Are there any vegetarian curries?
Jenn, this is a new location
Kate, they do take out and they have a vegetarian curry, right near my house too, lucky us!!!
It is really yummy! The beach location is still open according to the owner, but only for dinner…the new one is open for lunch and dinner! Service was also very quick, which had been a problem for us in the past at the beach location.
I went there last night for dinner with my husband, baby, and a friend. It was so good, we all ate too much! I love that the set comes with lassi, chai, or cola. I do wish that I had asked for a mango lassi, instead of plain, and 2 servings of naan instead of bread. We ended up ordering extra naan and not eating the rice.
I definitely recommend it to people that like Indian food.
the coconut lassi was a treat!!!
We saw this on our bike ride the other day – what a COOL restaurant! The funky exterior alone would have drawn me in – what a bonus to know the food will be excellent, too! Thanks, Pamela!
FYI there are NO high chairs here -we just brought in our stroller which was OK since it was quiet but we couldnt have done that on a busy night. The food was DELISH especially the Special Nan…oh wow my mouth is watering just thinking of it!!
Friends live around the corner from here so we walked over last night and checked it out. We were not disappointed. The katmando set was wonderful. We also enjoyed the steamed momo, the sizzler, and the tandoori chicken. Very flavorful. The choices for the different naan was also great and we watched them make it to order. The service was good and so was their english. Would definitely go again.
I know this resturent very well and tried this several times, it is good. Being an Indian, I must correct the writer that there is absolutely no difference between north indian and nepalese cooking. difference is between the cooks and how they want to make the taste. also perfect indians dont use sauces. the resturent doesnt have any south indian dishes. momo is a nepalese food. chola is popular vegeterian dish all over india…
This restaurant wasn’t too bad… It was empty when we went… We tried the lunch sets… They were okay. The naan wasn’t my husbands fav… We have had better naans, in alibaba’s…
No high chairs available.
There is difference between north indian and Nepalese cuisine. Just being an indian,you wouldn’t know the difference..you have to understand both cuisine..A little bit of chinese cuisine and a little bit of indian cuisine and a little bit of Nepaliness makes Nepalese cuisine.. Indian curry its thick and they use tomato puree for curry.. where as the gravy of Nepali curry is because of onion and ginger garlic paste..use of spices is comparatively low!!
Just went here today- they now accept Amex, Diner’s Club, and Visa/MC.
We visited this restaurant last night with our kids. The food was very good and our kids stuffed themselves until they couldn’t eat anymore. The one downside to this restaurant is that they don’t offer any kind of a children’s menu.