Indian food lovers looking for a little variety might want to try the Kathmandu Kitchen, a Towson eatery offering a best of both worlds for the taste buds ? subtle and satisfying Indian food combined with an interesting variety of authentic Nepalese dishes.
As a bonus, they?re served by a knowledgeable and friendly staff.
For starters, papad ? a lentil-based, wafer-thin crispy bread ? whets the appetite without filling the stomach. It comes with three interesting dipping sauces in tamarind, cilantro and mint, plus an onion relish.
Momo, a very popular traditional Nepalese dumpling stuffed with either meat or vegetables, is noteworthy for its fresh mint seasoning that?s combined with zesty garlic. Served with a healthy dose of cilantro and sesame sauce, the dumplings are filling but still light enough to eat as a second entree.
Also worth trying is gorkhali, a spicy Nepalese dish served with chicken, lamb or shrimp. With a tangy combination of ginger and garlic spice in a creamy sauce, the dish has enough bite to make the shrimp succulent and tasty.
On the Indian side of the menu, we sampled the shahi paneer, sliced almonds, cashews and raisins swimming in a creamy tomato sauce and cooked with ample flavor and not a lot of grease.
Desserts ranged from the sweet, honey-dipped donut-like dumplings called gulab jamun, a traditional Nepalese dessert, to khee, a traditional Indian rice pudding, which is rich but not overwhelmingly sweet.
Kathmandu Kitchen is reasonably priced, with entrees ranging from $9 to $13 and appetizers from $2 to $6.
For lunch, the eatery offers a buffet-style sampling of many house specialties. The buffet is $7.95 Monday through Thursday and $8.95 Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
If you go
Kathmandu Kitchen
22 W. Allegheny Ave., Towson
» Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday
» More info: 410-847-9595
