Gorkhali Kitchen Takes You on a Culinary Trip to Nepal.
Bhanta Ko Tarua (fried eggplant)-sliced eggplant coated with chickpea flour, deep fried to a golden brown served with the house tomato cilantro sauce.
We visited Nepal a few years back and loved the variety of food there, especially from street vendors. When I heard about Gorkhali Kitchen, I was anxious to sample Nepali cuisine again. It’s a hike. Located in Cross Creek, New Tampa, the temptation was enough to break me and a crew out of our typical bubble. And a thirty-minute drive is much better than a 24-hour plane ride to Nepal!
The restaurant is in an unassuming strip center tucked behind a Shell gas station. From the outside, it looks like hundreds of other small storefront eateries in the Bay Area. But this one is different. It has received a nod from Michelin, with a Bib Gourmand recognition two years in a row. When I think of Michelin, I think of Michelin stars and highfalutin, sometimes snobby places that are hard to get into and cost a week's salary. Bib gourmand (named after Bibendum, the rotund Michelin Man and the official company mascot for the Michelin Group) is just as esteemed a rating, but recognizes friendly establishments that serve good food at moderate prices. The food must be delicious and cost less than a set amount for three courses in a specific area. The amount is unpublished and varies by region. The recognition is quite an honor for a place that has only been open since 2022.
Gorkhali Kitchen exterior is in an unassuming strip center
The dining room is simple, with a touch of Buddhist and Tibetan decor
Gorkhali’s interior is minimalist. The dining room is simple, with booths lining the walls and tables in the middle, all topped with patterned tablecloths. The walls are adorned with Tibetan and Buddhist icons and masks, and a wi-fi speaker near the kitchen door plays a traditional Buddhist chant.
The menu is extensive and packed with traditional Himalayan and Indian-inspired dishes. It includes some street food appetizers, small Nepalese plates, and Tandoor delicacies. They have a wide selection of vegetarian and gluten-free dishes along with chicken and fish entrees. Beef dishes are not typical in Nepal, as many Hindus hold cows sacred, and none are offered here. Nepalis also typically abstain from alcohol, which explains the very short beverage list. A small selection of red and white wines and six beer varieties are offered. The beverage list also includes more traditional beverages like Mango Lassi, a creamy yogurt-based drink, and Nepalese Chiya, a hot tea.
When we visited the Lumbini province in southern Nepal, we came across a town market where a man was preparing fried bites of food in a large, wok-looking pot of oil. Through my broken English, I determined that it was Pakora, an Indian vegetable fritter. To this day, it is the best street food I’ve ever eaten, so we start there. Bite-sized nuggets of chopped and shredded vegetables are dipped in a batter of chickpea flour and dry spices before being deep-fried to a golden brown. Each bite has crispy tentacles sticking out, waiting to be dipped in the accompanying tomato cilantro sauce. One bite takes me halfway around the globe again.
Look at that golden brown crispiness of this vegetable Pakora- mixed vegetable fritters dredged with chickpea flour, deep fried, and served with tomato cilantro sauce.
Those golden tentacles from the Pakora are perfect for dipping in that house-made tomato sauce.
Momo (Nepalese dumplings) is a popular dish with chicken or vegetables, house spices, onion, and garlic. As with many dishes here, take caution when choosing your heat level for your momo. Even mild heat still packs a punch. If you want it hot, go for it, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.
Our crescent-shaped dumplings are stuffed with a chicken mixture, pan-fried, and served with the same tomato-cilantro sauce. Frying the dumplings adds crunch to the otherwise noodly bite, and they are a savory, peppery crowd-pleaser.
Fried Momo (dumpling) with chicken, house spices, onion, garlic.
Flavorful chicken is minced, mixed with spices, then pan fried in a crescent shaped dumpling.
Our Bhanta Ko Tarua (fried eggplant) is a plate of thinly sliced discs of fruit battered in that delicious chickpea flour and browned to a crunchy munch. The mild eggplant flavor is a great match for the tomato sauce.
Bhanta Ko Tarua (fried eggplant) is sliced eggplant coated with chickpea flour, then deep fried and served with the house tomato cilantro sauce
The best-looking dish of the night was Thaali (or Himalayan meal), served on a round brass platter (literally the meaning of thaali) with separate bowls that hold each dish. Though there are vegetable and curried goat options, we select the chicken curry with sides including basmati rice, black dal (lentils), sautéed mixed greens, achar (pickled vegetables), and yogurt, all surrounding a pile of fried string potatoes. The meal is made to have a diversity of flavors, ingredients, and nutritional benefits; it’s a nice cross-section of Nepalese food.
Thaali or Himalayan Meal, comes with a variety of dishes on a traditional brass platter. Basmati rice, black dal (lentils), potatoes, sautéed mixed greens, and achar (pickled vegetables), and yogurt are served with Gorkhali Chicken Curry as a nutritionally balanced meal.
Gorkhali offers four different curry dishes, all served with a bowl of basmati rice- long, slender-grained aromatic rice traditionally grown in India. We select goat and fish. The Goat Curry is served in a brown soupy sauce. The cubes of bone-in meat (as they should be) are stew-tender after being marinated and slow-cooked. It’s finger food; getting every last bit of the meat off the bone requires picking it up. Don’t worry; we’re all friends here.
The fish version consists of chunks of white fish (tilapia) covered in a tomato-based curry and then simmered with onions and Himalayan spices. Both dishes are reminiscent of authentic Nepali fare.
Gorkhali Goat Curry- bone-in goat marinated with Himalayan spices and slow-cooked with ginger, garlic, tomato, and onion.
Fish Curry: seasoned tilapia cooked with tomato, onion, and homemade spices is served in an indulgent red curry sauce
For me, the winner of the night is Butter Chicken. Chunks of white meat are marinated and grilled (Tandoori chicken) and simmered in a creamy tomato-based gravy. The sauce is silky smooth and buttery, with a hint of sweetness and added smoothness from a swirl of cream. I mean, it’s bowl-licking good.
Butter Chicken is Tandoori chicken cooked in tomato-based cream butter sauce with a hint of sweetness. It’s a velvety buttery sauce worthy of bowl licking.
Ready for a quick trip to Nepal without a passport? Take a ride to New Tampa and visit Gorkhali Kitchen. It’s the real deal and the only place in this area you will find such a wide selection of authentic Nepali dishes. Let me repeat my warning: Choose your heat level wisely here. You can get dishes with no heat, but the mild level is tolerable for most palettes. Hot is a fiery sauce perfect for thrill seekers, not timid tongues.
Gorkhali is open for lunch and dinner and offers takeout (order on their website). As the Bib Gourmand indicates, prices are reasonable, and the food is outstanding. They offer plenty of free parking and very attentive and helpful service (in case you are unsure what to order). It's perfect for families or those looking to try some new cuisine. They are open every day except for Tuesday. Have a nice trip!
© Chip Weiner. All Rights Reserved. Reviews on Photogfoodie.com are uncompensated. We eat anonymously, and management is not informed of our visit.