Jewel of the Himalaya, Yorktown Heights, NY

Greetings from Shadow.  Recently opened, this restaurant is a great find.  They can get crowded pretty quickly, so best to get there before or after prime dining hours.  The place is very, very clean.  The decor is modern and simple.  They have some interesting artifacts on display and  pictures of various scenes from the Himalayas.  A flat screen TV above the counter also plays historical/travel programs on the region.  Music is gentle and relaxing.  Chairs are comfortable leather backed.  I am not really familiar with Nepalese Cuisine, however the menu was pretty extensive with lots of interesting things to chose from.  Service was very friendly and attentive.  The complementary wafer thin bread was well spiced (tasted of fennel seed) and the sauce that accompanied it was nice and spicy and complimented it well.  If you want a variety, the Nepali Thali is a good choice.  It is a set that comes with a main curry dish, several side dishes and a desert.  Chicken curry tasted very fresh and flavorful, meat was tender and juicy, I could taste the coriander,  I would have liked it better if the curry was spicy (though I do not know if the dish is traditionally made like this).  Seafood curry was not bad, again very fresh flavors, I would have like it more if it was not too sweet, though the lobster tail in it was cooked well.  The nan bread was nice, warm and fluffy.  Finally, we couldn't resist the curiosity to try their Pad Thai, it is on their menu after all.  A worthy attempt for a non-Thai place, noodles were cooked dry which is a good thing (something a lot of Thai restaurants cannot get right).  They did use broader noodles than the traditional Pad Thai noodles.  Taste, not quite there, not sure what they used for the sauce (traditional sauce should be palm sugar, tamarind juice and fish sauce).  I think it would taste better if they served it with crushed dried chili's.  Finally they garnished the Pad Thai with sliced ginger, must be a Nepalese twist.  Overall all great place, great service, freshly made food.  Definitely check it out if you are in the area.  Happy eating!

                                                   Jewel of the Himalaya
                                                   34 Triangle Ctr
                                                   Yorktown Heights, NY 10598
                                                   (914) 302-2886

Nepali Thali - Veg Thali

Chicken Curry

Seafood Curry

Nan

Pad Thai Chicken

Asia Fest 2012, Tampa (April 28, 2012)

Welcome to the go-gin-chow restaurant reviews from Ninja. Lets discuss Tampa Asia Fest 2012. I enjoyed it completely. It had great entertainment with traditional dances  from different Asian countries, very nice and the food was delicious.  Still think they needed more vendors, but very good food again at great prices  and affordable. They also had dragon boat races in the channel that got  part of the crowd excited and energized. The other part was engulfed and intrigued by the entertainment being heartfully performed by the people on stage while they nourished themselves with some great food and cold beverages. Here is a helpful hint get there early and bring your own lawn chair so you  can find a good place to park and you always have a place to sit. So this is Ninja try to make the next Asia Fest,  you won't regret it. Enjoy!