The Tibet Nepal House Restaurant Offers Pasadena's Most Exotic Ethnic Food

The feeling of peaceful serenity embraces you as you waft into the only Tibetan restaurant in Pasadena, The Tibet Nepal House. The sound of mantras and sacred meditation music softly playing is meant to soothe you, as you are surrounded in the atmosphere of a Himalayan monastery complete with the huge statue of the sitting Buddha, flowing fountains, Tibetan prayer wheels (that are spun in a clockwise motion while you pray for the good of all people) and pictures of Himalayan mountain scenes.

The restaurant, which has been in business since 2001, is family run. The owners, Yishu Ghare and Karma Bhotia, have made sure that their staff is both respectful and kind to each customer; the gracious manager, Bikram Ghale, and head waiter Karma Ghote, often welcome many of their regulars by name.

Their all-you-can-eat buffet has been voted best in Pasadena for two years running (2005 and again in 2008) by the readers of the Pasadena weekly. The buffet is open on Tuesday through Friday from 11:30 AM 2:30 PM and offers your choice of many exotic dishes like; Himalayan clay-oven roasted chicken, gaunle khasi (goat curry), chanaa tarkaari (chickpeas and spicy sauce), vegetable pakora (tempura style fried vegetables) and hariyo simi (lightly sautéed fresh green beans), as well as the more familiar favorites from Indian cuisine such as; daal (lentil curry soup), plain basmati rice, mixed green salad, naan (flatbread used for eating with your hands, similar to tortillas, but thicker) and phal-phul (pieces of seasonal cut up fruit). For dessert they offer with the buffet is a personal favorite, the deliciously sweet rice pudding called kheer. This sumptuous feast is available for only $8.99.

When asked what makes Himalayan food different from Indian food, Bikram Ghale (who has been the Tibet Nepal House manager for 5 years) said it is their choice of spices, the fact that they use less cream than in Indian food, and that the food has milder flavoring (the spices are flavorful but not as hot as in Indian food). The exotic spices they use are: black and white cardamom, jimbu, garlic, ginger, cumin, coriander, nutmeg, cinnamon, ajwain, star anise, timboor, chili, turmeric, saffron, sesame seed and mustard seed. Their chef, Karma Tenzing Bhotia, is a Nepali of Tibetan descent from the Mt. Makalu area of northeast Nepal, and was an avid photographer and mountain guide while living in Nepal. He worked as a chef in Austria for a few years to learn how to prepare European cuisine, combining contemporary flavors with traditional Himalayan cuisine to bring to the patrons of The Tibet Nepal House a unique dining experience.

The Tibet Nepal House's menu is quite extensive, offering several types of mo-mo (Tibetan dumplings), phaley (meat or vegetables marinated with herbs and spices, rolled in flour dough and fried), suruwa (soup of the day), daal-bhaat (lentils and rice with vegetable curry), kukhura (chicken prepared seven different ways), bheda khasi (lamb prepared with either creamed spinach, sautéed vegetables or cooked in a creamy sauce), yak meat dishes served with a variety of vegetables and spices, laangsha (ground beef served as meatballs cooked in a creamy sauce or beef sautéed with green chili, bell pepper, onions and spices), clay-oven roasted meats known as sekuwa (your choice of chicken, lamb, tenderloin beef, or shrimp) or you can order vegetable sekuwa. They also serve a variety of fish including pan grilled salmon, shrimp or catfish; fried rice, with or without meat; a hearty noodle soup called thukpa; phing noodles and both Tibetan (roti) and Indian style bread (naan).

They have a variety of unusual beverages including; imported Lhasa Beer (Lhasa means "place of the gods"), which is a pale gold European lager made with malt and all natural Himalayan spring water. The company that produces Lhasa Beer donates 10% of the profit from sales to Tibetan schools to further the education of their youth, for health care and for cultural preservation activities. They also serve a Himalayan mashala teapot simmered with herbs and milk; sho jhaa, which is a beverage made with tea leaves that are steeped with salt and butter (takes some getting used to), Darjeeling tea and herbal teas.

Their guliyo (desserts) include kheer (rice pudding with almonds, walnuts and raisins), Mt. Everest in a blanket (ice cream rolled in crepes and topped with chocolate sauce), and orange or vanilla ice cream.

The Tibet Nepal House restaurant is located at 36 E. Holly Street, Pasadena (between Fair Oaks and Raymond), telephone #626-585-0955. Their hours are Tuesday-Friday 11:30am-2:30pm for lunch, Fri-Saturday dinner is served from 5pm-10:30pm. Saturday and Sunday Champagne brunch ($9.99) is served from 11:30am -2:30pm, Dinner from 5pm-10:00pm, and they are closed on Mondays.

The street parking in front of the restaurant is scarce but you can park at 171 N. Raymond Avenue, the first 90 minutes is free, then you are charged after that, or you can use the free valet parking at the Parsons parking lot located at 100 W. Walnut Street.