Ethnic Eats – Sampling the World’s Cuisine Without Leaving Vancouver

Commercial Drive is an obvious destination for ethnic food and while that’s not the reason I moved there, it definitely keeps me from moving away. And what I love about is that (being the Italian and Portuguese enclave) there are a lot of comfortable ethnic foods, but there are also places that you just won’t find anywhere else. Cafe Kathmandu, for example, which is one of my new favorite restuarants. I’ve never had Nepalese food before, so when my friend suggested it for dinner, I wasted no time in rushing up the street.

What a treat! Pictured above is a dish we had called bhatmaas – toasted soy beans fried with fresh ginger, chiles, garlic and coriander. The white flakes on top are chiuraa, a fabulous invention involving rice that has been booked and beaten flat, then toasted, and which adds a delightful element to the dish. Served crunchy and cold, it was like nothing I’ve ever had before and was an excellent appetizer for the dishes to come.

Next came the goat, marinated in spices and pan-fried. This dish is also available with chicken or tofu if goat isn’t your thing. If it is, you’re in luck. I’ve had curried goat before and enjoyed it, but this dish is spicier and boneless. Chunks of tangy goat meat have a heat and saltiness offset by the fresh peppers of onion and lime and of course a squeeze of lime doesn’t hurt either. Delicious.

To add some vegetables to the meal we had kaauli, tumeric-infused cauliflowers with fenugreek potatoes. It comes with rice and chutney and pickled daikon and although there are similar dishes in Indian cuisine, the spice mixture is just a little bit different here.

Throughout the meal, Abi, the owner (and out server), took time to explain the dishes as well as some informtation about Nepal. We were the only ones in the restaurant at the time, but he was so friendly and affable that I suspect he would have made some time for a quick chat even in a rush. 

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Cafe Kathmandu
2779 Commercial Drive, Vancouver