Kathmandu Kitchen

If you're a vegan, it helps to like Indian food because there are always so many things for a vegan to eat in an Indian restaurant.  I was reminded of that last night when I stopped by Kathmandu Kitchen to order food to go.  I opened their take-out menu, and asked the woman at the counter which of their dishes were vegan.  She proceeded to name so many dishes so quickly that I had to stop her and ask her to just mark them all on the menu with a pen.  And then I had a terrible time trying to choose among all the different options.

I finally settled on the vegan thali, which consisted of chana masala (chickpeas in a spicy sauce), basmati rice, two Nepali samosas (fried turnovers filled with mixed vegetables), five vegetables momos (steamed mixed vegetable dumplings), and a piece of puri, which is a type of soft, flat, whole wheat bread.  I also decided to try the alu tama bodi, described on the menu as "[d]elicious tender fresh bamboo shoots, potatoes & black-eyed beans flavored with spices."  This dish and the chana masala were both pleasantly spicy.  Everything tasted delicious, but I liked the samosas and the puri best.

Most of the vegetarian appetizers at Kathmandu Kitchen are vegan.  In addition to the samosas and momos, other vegan appetizers include alu tikki (deep-fried patties made from potatoes and peas) and vegetable pakoras (spinach, cauliflower, and onion fritters).  Many of the breads can be made vegan if you ask for them with no butter.  The naan, however, is not vegan.  Kathmandu Kitchen also offers two vegan soups:  chole (garbanzo bean soup) and dal (lentil soup).

Several of their vegetable dishes are vegan.  In addition to the chana masala and alu tama bodi that I described above, other vegan dishes include mushroom masala, mismas tarkari (seasonal fresh mixed vegetables with spices), alu kauli ko tarkari (potatoes and cauliflower in a spicy sauce), alu baigan (potatoes and eggplant with spices), alu mutter (potatoes and peas with spices), and bhindi masala (okra with spices).  The saag (spinach) and tofu dish generally is made with cream but can be made vegan if the cream is omitted.  And the vegetable biryani, a rice dish, is vegan as well.

None of Kathmandu Kitchen's desserts are vegan, but after feasting on their other vegan options, you won't be hungry for dessert anyhow!

Kathmandu Kitchen is located at 1728 Broadway in Sacramento. Their phone number is 916-441-2172 and their website address is http://www.kathmandukitchen.com/. They are open for lunch Monday through Friday from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and on Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.  They are open for dinner Monday through Saturday from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. On Sunday, they are open from noon until 9:30 p.m.

Kathmandu Kitchen also has a location in Davis at 234 G Street. Their phone number is 530-756-3507 and their website address is http://kathmandukitchendavis.com/. They are open for lunch Monday through Friday from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., and for dinner from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. On weekends, they are open from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.