After being closed for months, Himalayan Kitchen — known for its authentic Nepali and Indian cuisine, along with multiple vegan-friendly options — opened its Kailua location about two weeks ago. The eatery was temporarily closed due to a building fire. Himalayan Kitchen has other locations in Ala Moana Center, Kaimukī and in Chinatown.
While indoor and outdoor seating is available at this location, it’s more designed for takeout, as seating is limited.
Like its other locations, Himalayan Kitchen’s Kailua store offers a variety of house curries, tandoori breads, kabob specialties, appetizers and vegetarian- and vegan-friendly dishes.
All dishes are cooked to order, so keep that in mind if you’re dining in. You can also choose your desired spice level — ranging from 0 to 10 — for any entrée.
House curries are served with your meat preference and basmati rice. Chicken tikka masala — tandoori-grilled chicken cubes simmered in a house special tomato cream base curry sauce — is the most popular order, but butter chicken curry ($17.95) and lamb vindaloo ($19.95) are other customer favorites.
While curries come with basmati rice, I recommend getting a naan bread for dipping. The garlic naan ($4) is the most popular order, but the paneer kulcha ($8.95) — naan stuffed with homemade cheese — is my go-to.
If you’re looking for vegetarian-friendly options, choose from dishes like mix vegetable korma ($16.95) — fresh veggies cooked in a coconut-onion-tomato base curry sauce with a blend of mild spices, chana masala ($15.95), or garbanzo beans and potatoes simmered in mild herbal spices, and saag paneer ($16.95). The latter is one of my favorite curries, as it features ground spinach sauteed with ginger, garlic and cream, complete with chunks of paneer (Indian cottage cheese).
Dairy can substituted for coconut milk for any dish under the “veggie delights” section of the menu to make it a vegan-friendly option.
If you’re dining during lunch, be sure to check out the eatery’s lunch specials, available from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Options range from chicken tikka plates ($15.95) and spicy wings plates ($15.95) to veg curry bowls ($12.95).
While Himalayan Kitchen’s Kailua location is usually closed on Mondays, we’re told that the eatery will be open daily starting from this week.
CONTACT
Himalayan Kitchen
600 Kailua Road Ste. 129, Kailua
himalayankitchenhawaii.com
Instagram: @himalayankitchenhawaii
Open daily, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., dinner 4:30-8:30 p.m.
Kelli Shiroma Braiotta can be reached at kelli@alohastatedaily.com.
