Photo Via Himalayan Yak - Facebook
Himalayan Yak
Keeping up with the never-ending restaurant openings on Bay View’s Kinnickinic Avenue can be hard. The once-popular Rivera Maya restaurant now houses Himalayan Yak, featuring Nepalese and Indian cuisine. As global as a citizen as I think I am, I am unfamiliar with Nepalese food and admittedly wish I knew my way better around Indian menus than I currently do. Luckily for us, we had one of the owners, Bal, to help guide us in ordering a good sample of Nepalese dishes.
Not much has changed in the space since Himalayan Yak took over. There are still two sides of the restaurant, one leaning more towards a bar area and the other for dining and their lunch buffet. While few patrons were seated for dinner when we walked in, business picked up as the night went on, including diners, deliveries, and takeout. Open since last October, this is the third Himalayan Yak —the others are in Appleton and North Dakota.
It was difficult not to go hard on trying new things, but we ended up with a good amount to try with some leftovers to split. First, we tried the Masala wings, which were very well-spiced. Then, Bal insisted we try one of the momo options on the menu—Nepalese dumplings with the same name as some Chinese dishes. We opted for the chilly momo—chicken dumplings covered in a semi-spicy chili sauce, peppers and onions. These were some of the best dumplings I’ve had in a long time, and I cannot wait to go back and order the chicken and vegetable momo all by myself.
We had to be sure to go slow because we knew we had a lot more coming. For our main dishes, we tried the daal bhat tarkari set (non-vegetarian) and the mass ko daal (black lentils), both of which came with sides of rice. Our set came with lamb curry, vegetable korma, chana masala, lentils and pickles. I’m mixing terminology and languages, so I apologize if this is confusing. Then, of course, we had to try a couple of different naan flavors—opting for paneer (cheese) and kashmiri (a fruity, nutty flavor).
The sets are a good option for trying bites of a few different dishes without ordering too much to share. They also offer a breadbasket to try the many different flavors. While it’s hard to choose a favorite because the flavors complement each other so well, I’d tell you to definitely try the momo, black lentils, and whatever curry flavor you love with a naan to accompany it. But, again, try the buffet and find out for yourself, open every day but Mondays from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. You’ll be sure to see me there, as this is my new favorite lunch spot in my neighborhood!
