I have been a regular customer at Namaste Cafe since it opened. The service is always friendly, the food delicious, and the tea excellent. As of late September 2007 they have introduced a new dinner menu! The old favorites remain and many new delicacies have been introduced.\r
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I'm saddened to see the previous two posts, as they completely misrepresent Namaste. Addressing the posts point-by-point:\r
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1. lemonhead2007 says (s)he was served alu [sp] tareko instead of aloo ko achar. Ridiculous. Namaste doesn't serve anything called aloo tareko. Furthermore, aloo ko achar is potatoes with lime juice, spices, and sesame seeds. If the restaurant was lacking in any of those ingredients, they would have just run across the street to Kowalski's and bought some more (I've seen this done many times).\r
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2. smit1112 says (s)he was served a very watery and bland chicken curry massaman, a rather spurious gripe. Namaste does not serve chicken curry massaman. It's not on the menu, you can't order it. And in the more than one-hundred meals I've eaten at Namaste, I have *never* had a watery or bland curry. Namaste curries are thick and savory, rife with flavor.\r
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3. smit1112 also complains that (s)he was not served traditional Tibetan momos. That would be because Namaste serves the Kathmandu adaptation of the dish, called ""mamacha"". If you call them momos, people will know what you're talking about, but that's really not what they are.\r
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4. Finally, both posters complain about the lack of Nepali authenticity in the food. Namaste Cafe does not purport to be traditional. The owners, Saujanya, Swadesh, and Raji, compose dishes that are inspired by - not adherent to - traditional Nepali cooking. The result: fresh, original delicacies with an intimate connection to their creators. Swadesh and Saujanya have asked me numerous times what I thought of a new dish, and I know it's because what I'm eating isn't just a recipe from a Nepali cookbook - it's their own labor of love.
Pros: Unique food, excellent teas, laid-back ambiance
Cons: Busy during peak hours
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