Tastes from the Roof of the World: 3 Himalayan fusion restaurants

Tastes from the Roof of the World: 3 Himalayan fusion restaurantsPhoto: Spice of America/Yelp
Hoodline
Published on May 04, 2018

If you're interested in trying some new spots South of Market or in the Tenderloin serving Indian and Nepalese cuisine, we've found the freshest businesses to fill the bill.

Here are the newest places to check out the next time you're in the mood for Himalayan food.

Himalayan Pizza & Momo

288 Golden Gate Ave. (between Dale Place and Hyde Street), Tenderloin

Photo: Cherylynn M./Yelp

Himalayan Pizza & Momo, the sister restaurant of Saffron Grill, is a Himalayan/Nepalese spot offering unique pizza, dumplings, and more. Head chef Nab Raj Dhakal formerly owned and managed Kathmandu Pizza House in Nepal, as we previously reported.

Diners can expect Nepalese specialties like momos – steamed dumplings filled with meat and vegetables – and fusion food like the tandoori chicken pizza. The eatery also offers lunch combos, gluten-free, vegan options and catering.

Yelp users are excited about Himalayan Pizza & Momo, which currently holds 4.5 stars out of 19 reviews.

Nicole H. noted, "I got the jhol chicken momos (momos with tomato chutney). While the chutney is creamy, it definitely has a bit of acidity from some sort of vinegar – very reminiscent of the black vinegar used in Northern Chinese food."  

Yelper Terry L., who reviewed Himalayan Pizza & Momo on April 30, wrote of their catering, "Santosh and staff were attentive and helpful and worked with us on menu and recommendations. The next day we picked it up and the guests loved the food and the presentation. ... Highly recommended!"

Himalayan Pizza & Momo is open from 11 a.m.–10 p.m. daily.

Spice of America

1655 Market St. (between Van Ness Avenue and 12th Street), SoMa

Photo: Spice of America/Yelp

Spice of America is an Asian fusion, Indian and Nepalese restaurant. As we reported in February, it specializes in upscale, modernized versions of comfort food from Nepal and India.

Customers can expect to find classic Nepalese momos here as well, if desired, and the fusion items include options like an Indian gazpacho made with green apple, avocado, melon and tomato chutney. (You can check out the full menu here.)

Spice of America currently holds 4.5 stars out of 28 reviews on Yelp, indicating very positive reviews.

"Spice of America might be the best new SF restaurant that you haven't tried yet. No joke," wrote Yelper Kevin B. "For me, the best dish of the night was the dum biryani, chicken tikka masala with raita and mint mix and cucumber salad. Welcome to Flavor Country, my friends. It doesn't get much better than this. "  

And Ely L. said, "Shared the vegetarian and non-vegetarian tasting menus. Really delicious! Also recommended great wine pairings to go with different parts of the menus. ... The spicy eggplant may have been my favorite but everything was delicious!"

Spice of America is open from 4:30 p.m.–9:30 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday, and 4 p.m.–9:30 p.m. on Friday. (It's closed on Monday.)

Chullo Nepali Indian Cuisine

474 Third St. (between James Lick Freeway and Stillman Street), SoMa

Photo: Bentley C./Yelp

Chullo Nepali Indian Cuisine is a Nepalese, Himalayan and Indian restaurant located at 474 Third St. in SoMa. In addition to classic Nepalese and North and South Indian cuisine a la carte, it has a lunch buffet, as we reported in January. 

The wide variety of dishes on offer at Chullo include black tiger prawns in saffron-coconut sauce and black lentil pancakes with house-made mint chutney. (You can take a peek at the full menu here.)

Yelp users are excited about Chullo Nepali Indian Cuisine, which currently holds 4.5 stars out of 26 reviews on the site.

Yelper Abhishek P., who was one of the first users to visit Chullo Nepali Indian Cuisine on January 11 and has since returned several times, wrote, "Highlights are the chicken momo, [Nepalese style] chicken chow mein, mutton curry and chicken curry."

And Yelper Ed U. wrote, "Either [the lentil curry with chopped tomato or the goat curry] would have been hearty enough on their own, but both were too delicious to bypass, especially the tender, falling-off-the-bone goat meat. ... Come if you're hungry for solid South Asian food."

Chullo Nepali Indian Cuisine is open from 11 a.m.–3 p.m. and 5 p.m.–10 p.m. Monday-Saturday. (It's closed on Sunday.)