Part of what I’m calling the “Golden Oldies” series: photos I had posted on Instagram in bygone days that surely belong here as well, from restaurants that are still doing business, still relevant, and still worth a trip.

While in Ridgewood or while in Bushwick, consider a stop at While in Kathmandu, the Nepali restaurant virtually on the border of those two neighborhoods. When we visited in September 2017, they were the new kid on the block, but they’re still holding down the fort at 758 Seneca Ave, Queens and their menu has expanded significantly since the early days. Here’s what we ordered back then:

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Masala Wings, crispy fried chicken wings tossed in a homemade spice blend.

Breakfast! Fapar Ko Roti, a savory traditional buckwheat pancake, served with potato curry, soup, and a fried egg.

Chicken Choila, grilled chicken marinated in a blend of spices and served with chiura (beaten, flattened puffed rice) and aachar.

And, of course, no Nepali meal is complete without Jhol Momo. Jhol means soup; I was told that mo means steam (then momo would suggest steam-steam so let’s just make the culinary quantum leap to dumpling and not look back: I’ve definitely heard more plausible explanations), hence soup dumpling. But despite what you might be thinking, there is no soup to be found inside these dumplings: rather the hot dumplings swim in a cold tomato-y pool that lies somewhere along the sauce <-> soup continuum and the two complement each other deliciously. They’re available in five of your favorite momo flavors: chicken (shown here), pork, shrimp, plantain (kera ko momo), and vegetable, each with its own characteristic shape. I understand that you can get them fried as well, so I guess that would be fried-steam-steam; I’m not going to go there linguistically, but I’m definitely going to go there for another delicious meal!
 
 
While in Kathmandu is located at 758 Seneca Ave, Queens.
 
 

Instagram Post 3/11/2020

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It only seems like we’d been waiting forever for Gorkhali, the Nepali restaurant at 77-04 Roosevelt Ave, Jackson Heights, to open its doors. Any time I was in the neighborhood with extra time on my hands, I’d head over to see if the promise had been fulfilled, only to hear the sound of my crest falling. But not long ago as I was rushing past between pre-lunch (which had run late) and lunch-lunch (which was about to commence), wouldn’t you know it, the kitchen was truly in full swing. “How long would it take to get an order of Jhol Mo:mo to go?” I panted. “Ten minutes,” came the reply.

So totally worth the wait. Even after a microwave reheat later at home, they were excellent. Herby and spicy with a unique flavor profile, they were unlike some of the standard regulation versions I’ve had in the neighborhood. Obviously, I’m keen to return with more time and a tableful of pals to run the menu – which currently is more like a long, undifferentiated list of the usual suspects: choila, sekuwa, sandheko, thukpa, thenthuk and lots more begging to be tasted.

Stay tuned.

The inner workings.
 
 

Instagram Post 10/25/2018

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At first, basing my expectations solely on a text menu sans pix, I anticipated a plate of typical momos but with a filling of sukuti (Nepali dried meat) or perhaps some kind of chili instead of regulation beef, chicken, or veggie. A few minutes of explanation from Jyoti, the chef/owner, and a few photos later, I realized that these are not your mama’s momos. Momo Crave, 38-07 69th St in Woodside, Queens has come up with a set of fusion variations that are a must-try. The fillings are indeed the prevailing big three (all nicely seasoned, by the way) but the treatment is what sets them a world apart. The list includes unique varieties like chili, sandeko, tandoori, sukuti, chaat, and kothey (in which the bottoms are crispy fried) along with a respectable number of other items. You can order any of those adaptations in beef, chicken, or veggie although they’re happy to provide recommendations to assist with your mixing and matching fun.

Shown here are the sukuti with beef filling and the sandeko with chicken. The spicy sukuti (on the left) boasts chunks of the Nepali jerky as the accompaniment. The sandeko has a kicky mustard oil overlay reminiscent of Bangladeshi cuisine and is topped with a dry bean garnish. Both variants are fried and all are beyond clever. And yes, I intend to go back to try the rest.
 
 

Sekuwa refers to seasoned meat that’s been roasted over a wood fire and Bajeko means grandfather, so we headed off to grandpa’s Nepali grill! Bajeko Sekuwa, 43-16 Queens Boulevard in Sunnyside, Queens, is a restaurant chain that has its roots in Nepal so they clearly know their way around this hearty, meat-heavy cuisine. Here’s some of what we had:

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Bengoli Fish Curry cooked with mustard (a Bengali giveaway 😉), tomato and spices. Excellent.

Haas Ko Choila (you might see chhwela). Choila is a dish of heavily seasoned grilled meat, in this case duck enhanced with tomato, garlic, ginger, coriander, dry red chili, and lemon juice. On the side, that’s beaten rice, flattened into dry, light flakes.

Jhol Momo (you might see the word as mo:mo). These were filled with chicken but they’re available in goat and vegetable versions as well. The dumplings themselves were delicious, but the key here is jhol, the Bengali word for broth; the steamed dumplings arrive swimming in a pool that lies somewhere along the sauce-soup continuum, and the two complement each other perfectly.

Eggplant Curry. Spicy, deep-fried baby eggplant touched by ginger, garlic, and coriander, bathed in a traditional Madras style sauce – a welcome respite from this otherwise meat-heavy cuisine.

Hyakula Sekuwa. Sekuwa, from which the restaurant takes its name, refers to marinated, grilled cubes of meat, in this case hyakula (mutton); puffed rice on the side. Tasty.

Sukuti Sandheko. Sukuti is Nepal’s answer to jerky: dried, highly seasoned strips of meat; sandheko refers to the spice blend that permeates it. It’s a delicious snack, but the texture may be a challenge for some: imagine the driest, hardest jerky you’ve ever encountered, almost like chewing on softened bones, but not quite. Personally, I loved it.

Paneer Pakoda. Paneer is a fresh (unaged) cheese that doesn’t melt when subjected to high heat. Battered and deep fried for a delicious crispy coating, it was accompanied by two chutneys, cilantro and tamarind.

Chicken Chhoila (you might see chhwela, choila or other spellings). Chhoila is a dish of heavily seasoned grilled meat, in this case chicken marinated in soy sauce with onion, tomato, bell pepper, garlic and hot sauce. Flattened dried rice flakes on the side.

Sekuwa Bandel. Chunks of marinated, grilled, wild boar. Good stuff!