Cafe Himalaya

Crazy good Tibetan food and a huge selection of vegetarian options. I had some spicy dofu and witnessed an adorable mouse scurrying around on the floor. Honestly couldn’t ask for more. If you have any hesitations about the place just give it an Everest and drop in, you won’t regret it.

Great spot, sometimes there is a long wait but worth it. Try the chili chicken and the lentil soup

We went for all the Unilocal recommeded food and it tasted outstanding. Although, they stopped BYOB. so dont bring it… prices on alcohol are cheap enough. Just beware. its a B rating and the kitchen looks a little suspicious. My tummy was a little sulfuric the next day. So it might not be the most sanitary back of the house.

Good dumplings. Good fresh food.

pretty much always a good idea. greeted by tibetan prayer flags and (likely) a line out the door, you are in for a treat upon arrival of your meal. light, healthful, fresh dishes served up fairly quickly. prices are very reasonable… which is highly conducive to excessive ordering and far too many momos. but there will be no regret. you will enjoy. goodbye.

Super hole in the wall place. I would never have found it if I wasn’t doing yoga in the area and craving some Asian food.
I’d never had Himalayan/​Nepalese cuisine before, and it was a great experience. The food has a lot of vegetables — very healthy. It has strong spices like Indian and also egg noodle/​dumplings like Chinese.
It’s hard to go wrong here, everything is pretty delicious. I got the vegetable and beef curry, which was served with basmati rice. I think curry here is less thick, which makes it not too filling. Be sure to ask for «mild» if you don’t eat spicy.
I also had a delicious mango lassi. It’s not a fancy place, and the prices are pretty low.

My experience here closely mirrored that of Karina M’s (came here at 10 PM on a Friday night, we thought the place might be closing down by then but arrived to find a crowded, lively scene with one table open for our party of two).
Much has changed since the majority of these reviews were written. For one thing, Café Himalaya now accepts credit cards. For another, they now offer a limited beer and wine list. The drinks are cheap ($ 4), but nothing too exciting. We had a Corona and a Sapporo.
Maybe it’s just because the staff wanted to shut the place down ASAP, but service was lightning-​fast and friendly. Our server recommended our favorite dish of the night: an avocado salad with potatoes and chickpeas in a zesty, spicy sauce. It was absolutely delicious. We also split two entrees: The steamed chasha momos and the chasha shamdey. The momos, stuffed with chicken and herbs and served with a mix of veggies marinated in sesame oil, were presented with a side sauce that was too spicy for my palate, so I just had the ‘mos on their own. I really enjoyed the flavor and the doughy texture, but perhaps they could’ve had a tad more flavor. The shamdey (chicken curry marinated in yogurt & spices, served with rice) was a pleasant, Indian-​style curry on the milder side. The dishes were not very large, and we left satiated but not uncomfortably full.
This is a very casual joint, a fact reflected in the prices. Including tip, we paid about $ 20 per person.
I’d give the food 3.5 stars and round my rating up to 4 for the price point and uncommon cuisine style.

I finally had the opportunity to try Tibetan food for the first time. So it was off to Café Himalaya in the Lower East Side. The waiter was super friendly and informative. I started off wth the Tibetan fried dumplings which were absolutely delicious. It usually comes with 8 dumplings, but he was courteous enough to sell me a half order. That was very nice. For my main course, I went with the shapta, which is spicy beef with onions and peppers. The beef was a little tough, but the sauce was delicious. Also try their bread it’s phenomenal. It’s flat round and buttery. They also have large bowls of soup with noodles and or dumplings. I’ll give that a try next time all in all Tibetan food is pretty cool.

Tried the Himalayan Khatsu salad-​expected it to be warm given the ingredients, wasn’t, but still good. Mango Lassi so good! Also friendly service

This is a great reasonable dinner spot on the Les with hearty spicy food. The show stoppers for me were the chicken dumplings and spicy dofu (tofu). The main dishes are literally like $ 8 per person (on a Saturday night)! The flavors were unique, definitely a cuisine you can’t enjoy everywhere!

Tasty and an exceptional value. Jack Falahee, from «How to Get Away With Murder» must agree, he was in there eating right beside us!
Food was awesome! Dal was tasty and fresh, and our app of Shogok Khatsa was flavorful with a great texture.
Tsei momo were panfried perfectly and the cabbage slaw was crisp.
We had Tsei Phing as well– had a great heat /​flavor ratio.
Definitely a must visit. I will be back!

I’ve never had Himalayan/​Tibetian food before so I can’t compare this place with another. But it was pretty good.
From the outside, this place looks like a hole in the wall. I wasn’t sure if I came to the right place. It is cash only so make sure to go to a local bank if need be.
I ordered a chicken noodle entrée from the lunch special. It was a very affordable price with a good amount of food.
The food came out very fast and the service was prompt.
Beware– the spicy sauce is really spicy.

When I first saw the restaurant from outside, I was a little skeptical about the quality of food I would get from eating here. It really looks like a hole in the wall, very run down, and dingy. The place can definitely use a makeover to make it seem more… clean and modern lol, nobody really likes feeling they’re eating in an old shack. I ordered one of the chicken dishes from their lunch special menu for $ 7.95 (they offer it on weekdays, not sure about weekends). It comes with noodles and green peas and spicy sauce on the side.
This was definitely one of those places where you can’t help but judge its poor appearance but then once the food comes and you take the first bite, you instantly take back all the negative things you said about it and continue your meal with a smile on your face haha.
I was really surprised by how delicious the food was! It’s definitely not a fancy restaurant, it’s more of a home-​style type of shop. The waiter was very friendly and attentive; good service will always makes me want to come back! Very satisfying experience and I hope to be back soon :)

Delicious Nepalese/​Tibetan restaurant with flavorful and affordable dishes.
— FOOD: This is one of my favorite restaurants in New York. It has actually been some time since I revisited, since I did not use Unilocal at the time, but the memories of delicious food have not faded. I’m not familiar enough with Nepalese/​Tibetan cuisine to say whether the food is authentic, but it is dang good. The chili tofu is awesome, and the momos are also great. Every dish I’ve had has been exquisitely flavorful, and at about $ 9 per item, pretty affordable as well.
— FOR THE VEGGIES: Plenty of options here, from tofu and lentils to a variety of vegetables.
— SERVICE: The service in my experience has been very friendly, attentive, and quick.
— ATMOSPHERE: This is a small, casual, and — in my past visits — usual quiet restaurant.

I used to come here a lot back when I was in high school and college (this was before all the authentic Nepali restaurants opened in Queens) so I have a soft spot for this place.
I am Nepali and can say that this place is definitely more Tibetan than Nepali. The momos (dumpling) are blander than authentic Nepali momos you find in Kathmandu and Pokhara but they are still tasty. The food here is very similar to the food you might be served while trekking in Nepal.
The potato momo is good, almost reminds me of an Indian samosa. Chili shrimp is one of my favorite.
If you are looking for an Authentic Nepali meal then hop on the 7 and go to Jackson Heights! But if you want to get a feel of what the Himalayan cusine is like then I highly recommend this place. I still stop by this place when I am in the city but don’t want to trek all the way to queens.

We were very much looking forward to this place but found the food to be average at best.
I can’t speak to the authenticity of this place but the blend of flavors just wasn’t memorable in any way.
We shared their panfried sha momo (Tibetan beef dumplings), luksha shamdey (lamb and potato curry dish), and a stir-​fried noodle dish akin to the Chinese lo mein. The dumplings were disappointing in that you get about 8 for $ 8 — they were fine but not worthy of the exorbitant price especially when you can get better tasting ones for a fraction of the price in Chinatown.
The other two dishes left us filled but unsatisfied. Although most menu options are under $ 10, there are too many other places in EV to try before we would come back again.

This was my first time trying Tibetan/​Nepalese cuisine. It was an interesting blend of flavors — not quite like the Asian fusion I’ve had before. We ordered the chili chicken and pan friend noodles with a mango lassi on the side. Both amazing dishes –I’m not a big fan of veggies but I just loved the amount of seasoned vegetables in each dish. Mango lassi was authentic with no added sugar or syrupy shit. Perfection!
Place is very small with no air con (just a fan) or bathroom (???). Service is slow but they are all friendly — no pushiness to get out after you’re done eating. Prices are SO reasonable ($ 25 for two dishes and a drink). Overall a fantastic place to eat in Manhattan.

I have tried 5 dishes here: 2 have been stellar, 2 have been good, and 1 has been mediocre. Most dishes come with fresh and hot basmati rice. For the price, I will definitely be returning.
The 2 dishes I cannot live without: The Sha Momo and the Chilli Chicken. Sha Momo are pork, pan fried dumplings that will change your life. You get about 8 for $ 8.50, but they are worth it. The filling is so dang tasty, I cannot get enough. The skin is crispy, not too thick, and just perfectly cooked.
The Chilli Chicken deserves 5 stars. High quality, all white meat chicken that have been lightly breaded and dipped in a delicious mildly spicy sauce. Comes with sauteed vegetables like onions and spinach, in the same sauce. I would eat it every day if it was socially acceptable.
The 2 dishes that were good: the Chilli Shrimp and the Chasha Shamdey. I was hoping the shrimp would have that same breading and flavorful sauce as their chicken counterpart, but it did not. Still good, but not life changing. The Chasha Shamdey was a yellow curry — big pieces of yummy chicken, but cooked a little tough, and the curry itself was just ok (would still give it 4 stars).
The dish I was truly disappointed with: Sha Tukpa, a traditional Tibetan noodle soup, with vegetables and chicken (recommended to me by the lady on the phone). The soup was 90% oil– red, fatty and overwhelmingly thick oil. The broth had no spice or flavor, the chicken was again overcooked, and the noodles were thick and flavorless (like worms). Would’ve given just 1 star, but they have so many other great options that I will forgive them.
Come here to get the two options I mentioned first, because you will really enjoy them. Each entrée is only $ 9-​$ 12, and is plenty for just 1 person, and 2 dishes is enough for 2. Have a great time!

They have this salted Himalayan tea!!! Such a different taste for tea. Worth a try if your taste buds like experimenting.
Potato dumplings were very good. It was like a samosa dressed as a dumpling.
The spicy tofu was quite exquisite as well mixed with the rice. The tofu itself didn’t have the awful rubbery and spongy taste. I almost mistook it for curd cheese!
I would recommend this place for a quick lunch.

3.5 stars, rounded up.
I ate here last night on a fine-​weathered evening for the first time. There was plenty of seating available, but by the time we left, all tables were full. They had plenty of natural sunlight from a nice day out and did not turn on the lights until they had to. Environmentally friendly?
I’ll admit I’ve never had Tibetian/​Himalayan/​Nepalese food before and couldn’t even begin to tell you what it should taste like. Thus, any claims of authenticity from me would be false. I can only comment on how my tastebuds were feeling yesterday evening.
The three of us shared the following:
Chasha momo — chicken dumplings, essentially. These were fried to perfection and they were plenty flavorful. Went well with the delicious house hot sauce and soy sauce. These don’t taste too different from regular Chinese chicken and leek dumplings though.
Sha Thukpa with shrimp — probably the least enjoyable dish out of the lot. The noodles were great and there was a good amount of veggies and shrimp, but the broth was far too water and very, very bland. If they had put just a little more flavoring with whatever they use to make the broth, this would be an excellent dish. I noticed that other reviews mention the blandness of the soup as well — should have listened to them! 1 star off for this dish itself — very disappointing.
Chili dofu — love the fresh tofu here. For some reason I was expecting something like mapo tofu, but this is most definitely not the case. It’s tossed with various peppers and onions with a nice sweet/​tangy sauce.
Shapta — my favorite out of the bunch. The flavor in this dish is powerful. While it’s not the largest-​sized entrée for $ 11, it’s worth it. The beef goes so well with the peppers and onions and the dash of lemon. I ordered this with paratha instead of rice and it was the best choice ever. The paratha is hot, fresh, and buttery tasting. Yum.
While I enjoyed my meal at Café Himalaya, there are a few things that the restaurant could improve upon, especially the Thukpa’s bland broth. In addition, a lot of the sauces (i.e. chili dofu and shapta) taste very similar, so I would avoid ordering many dishes with the same sauce. Service was great.