THE KATHMANDU NEPALESE and Indian Restaurant on Colston Street is slightly hidden away at the bottom of the Colston Tower but once inside the sleek black décor contrasted by comfortable suede chairs and low-lit Indian artefacts hint at the exotic dishes to come. The restaurant is family owned and run by Ash and his sister, who are both charming, full of good humour and passion for their local Nepalese cuisine.
We had a Kathmandu beer (not their own brew but a Nepalese beer that happens to share the same name!) and looked at the menu which is extensive and as well as the special Nepalese dishes includes all the well-known favourites. To start I chose Fish Tikka, tender pieces of cod fillet cooked over charcoal. My companion was recommended the Mo Mo, Nepalese dumplings filled with minced lamb and spices.
We were shown to an intimate table for two; part of Kathmandu's charm is that it can cope with large parties whilst at the same time losing none of its appeal to the romantically inclined diner à deux. The Fish Tikka was delicious, lightly spiced and moist and the Mo Mo quite unique. Ash explained that the tradition is not to cut them but to place whole in the mouth to guarantee an explosion of flavour and juices. They were delicious.
For the main course I chose Chicken Kritipur, cooked with 'whole spices' and my companion was recommended a special Nepalese dish called Sunkoshi, a choice of
different fish or meats cooked in a Nepalese sauce spiced to your taste and served with asparagus, saffron rice, potatoes and salad. Sea bass was decided upon with the sauce mildly spiced.
The Chicken Kritipur was served in a rich dark sauce, a perfect blend of spices to awaken your appetite and satisfy it at the same time. The Sunkoshi proved to be a very impressive dish, the sea bass fillets' flavour being not overtaken by the sauce but enhanced by it which is a hard trick to perform. We ate every scrap and retired to the bar for coffee. Ash also brought us a glass of his own 'digestif' a blend of wine herbs that he makes himself and is never the same twice. I recommend that when you visit you ask for one of these. He should also patent it and sell it!
We had a lovely evening at Kathmandu, the food is truly excellent, the wine list reasonably priced and the atmosphere friendly and lively. It's a welcome change to find a restaurant whose owners are interested in every aspect of their business but first and foremost pleasing their customers.
Kathmandu Restaurant
Colston Street, Bristol BS1 4XE
Tel: 0117 929 4455
Review © copyright 2007 Bristol Review Ltd.
