Thukpa, the hearty, spicy noodle soup of the Himalayas, is popular through Nepal, Tibet and Bhutan. It's rich, steaming, and very filling, just the thing for a chilly day.
Kathmandu: Even the sound of the name of Nepal’s historic capital, gateway to the Himalayas, evokes feelings of romance and exotic travel. The bustling, noisy city of 850,000 lies in a green valley at 4,500 feet above sea level. It’s not even as high as Denver, but on a clear day you can see Mount Everest from historic Durbar Square in the old city, home to seven Unesco World Heritage sites.
Want to go? It will take you maybe 26 hours including layover time to get to Kathmandu from here. The price? Don’t even ask.
But here’s an easy workaround: Head to Kathmandu Kitchen on Old Bardstown Road in Buechel, and you can enjoy a fantastic Nepalese meal without all the hassle of international travel.
If you love Indian food – I certainly do – you won’t find Nepalese fare entirely unfamiliar. Nepal lies along the southern flank of the Himalayas sandwiched between India and Tibet, and its food and culture draw from both countries in a spicy blend.
Kathmandu Kitchen has been in business for seven years, our friendly servers told us. A smallish storefront in a strip of shops around the corner from the main drag, it’s bright and pretty, with bold colors, photos of Kathmandu and the Himalayas, and colorful Buddhist prayer flags.
The menu offers a mix of Nepalese and Northern Indian dishes, and they’ll gladly honor your level-of-spice request from mild up to blow-off-the-top-of-your-head hot. (Our helpful server did gently hint that I probably didn’t want extra-hot, and I’m sure she was right.)
The menu includes more than 100 Nepalese and Indian dishes, and it comes with a sweet promise: “You can have faith in the quality and taste to your food as it is hand-crafted everyday by two culinary experts. They have mastered their cooking skills using the ancient secret family recipes that have been created and passed on from generations before them to provide you with an authentic Nepali and Indian experience.”
I agree: Kathmandu Kitchen ranks near the top of local Indian or Nepalese eateries for food quality and taste.
Kathmandu Kitchen’s menu reflects the country’s Hindu and Buddhist traditions. There are plenty of chicken, lamb and goat options (all halal) and shrimp, plus an extensive array of vegetarian choices. Just about every main dish on the menu falls into a tight price range from $12.99 to $16.99.
Everything we tried was excellent and came out from the kitchen quickly, perhaps thanks to the fact that we were the only diners in the room for a late Saturday lunch. ...
Read my full review on LouisvilleHotBytes:
https://www.louisvillehotbytes.com/tast ... du-kitchen
You'll also find this review in LEO Weekly's Food & Drink section this week:
http://www.leoweekly.com/category/food-drink/
Kathmandu Kitchen
3825 Bardstown Road
202-1481
https://kathmandukitchenandbar.com
https://facebook.com/LouisevilleKathmandu.Restureant
https://instagram.com/kathmandu_kitchen_bar
Noise Level: The restaurant wasn't very busy on a Saturday afternoon, and conversation was never an issue.
Accessibility: The dining room and restrooms appear to be accessible to wheelchair users.