Review of Himalayan Cuisine in Santa Fe, New Mexico

Spicy paper-thin lentil-flour papadams with mint and tamarind sauces are brought to the table as you sit down. The menu lists dishes from India, Tibet, and Nepal. Skipping over Indian standbys like kebabs and tandoori, I opted for Tibetan meat momo: steamed dumplings, heartier and heavier than the Chinese variety - better suited, I suppose, to the colder altitudes of the Himalayas. They're filled with ground buffalo, correctly described on the takeout menu, though the table menu mislabels it ground turkey. I found the dumplings dry. The next day, I learned I was supposed to dip them in a spicy tomato sauce - which should have been brought to the table but wasn't. At a dozen dumplings a serving, I'd suggest ordering these with friends unless you want an entire meal of buffalo dumplings.

Entrees come with heaping plates of basmati rice. Portions are large; nearly everyone leaves with a plastic take-home container. Entree menu headings are Vegetarian, Poultry, Lamb, and Seafood. There's no beef. The Hindu faith of most of the employees prohibits it. I was enchanted with the chicken thukpa. A big bowl holds a quart of deeply flavored chicken broth full of chicken, thick noodles, cilantro, lots of carrots, and other vegetables. I preferred the chicken to a somewhat greasy, less full-flavored lamb version I tried, and there's also a vegetarian variation. Among Indian dishes, I enjoyed two naans - soft flat breads baked in the tandoor oven, one stuffed with nearly raw onion, the other with savory shredded lamb. Both were soft, brown-speckled, and blistering hot. An entree portion of creamy, tiny, tender lentils was delicately spiced, but the kitchen forgot the salt. Someone in there needs to focus.

The restaurant opened late in 2005. There are sister eateries in Durango, Colorado, and Las Vegas. It is spacious, light, and clean. Language is a bit of a problem for some servers, but all, as well as the managers (whose English is fine), are friendly and efficient. Red tablecloths, good cloth napkins, and red and yellow artificial bouquets brighten each table. A photomural of the Himalayas along one wall seems the only change in decor from the room's previous Hunan Chinese incarnation. It was very quiet both evenings I visited. Lunchtimes are busier, with a $7.95 all-you-can-eat buffet bringing people in. Like most tired lunchtime steam tables, though, it's a sad ad for the much better evening meal. One order of chicken thukpa, preceded by naan - and/ or perhaps a vegetable (salted this time) - would make a great dinner for two. Himalayan Cuisine is located at 2440 Cerrillos Road, 471-6688. They are opened for lunch from 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. and dinner 5-9 p.m. daily