The Himalayan - Calgary

This is my favourite restaurant in Calgary. The flavours are amazing and the dishes can be served mild, medium, or hot. I like to get medium with hot sauce on the side because the hot sauce is delicious. Our server most times we go is a young man and he makes excellent recommendations and is not afraid to tell you if something doesn’t go as well together or if dishes are too similar and make alternate suggestions which I really appreciate. A must try in Calgary!

This place is my favourite place to go whenever I'm in Calgary the staff practically know me by name.  They have a great atmosphere and outstanding service.  You can really feel the pride that comes from a family run operation.<br/ <br/ The food is spectacular and has subtle little enhancements like cucumber in the water to add that extra hint of refreshment.  I'm a sucker for their mango chicken, but everything I've had here is top notch.<br/ <br/ Considering the high quality of food and experience, the cost is *very* reasonable.<br/ <br/ The only downside is that with such good food at such a low cost it's wise to get a reservation.  The Himalayan is always in demand.

C and I had our annual birthday/Christmas dinner this year without L and it wasn’t the same without him. We swapped presents and everything! That being said, we did pick a great restaurant called The Himalayan on 17th Avenue and had a tasty (inexpensive) dinner, so we can’t complain!. Honestly, I was expecting the restaurant to be a little more rustic and the food to taste like something I’d never had before. But, alas, the food was filled with familiar tastes – naan bread, paneer, and lots of veggies in a tomato based curry sauce. If my eyes were closed I would have thought we were in an East Indian restaurant!

I enjoyed my dinner here very much. We had the Fish Tareko to start, which was delicious, bu the sauce was very spicy. Thankfully my years of travel to Beijing have bolstered my taste buds against spicy food. We shared a Butter Chicken as well as the Himalayan Grill with Lamb and Dal. To finish off, we shared the Mango Rice Pudding and the Himalayan Cake, which were both delicious. <br/ <br/ Service was very good, and the price is very reasonable.

Thoughtfully prepared food in a beautiful setting, but it didn't quite live up to the hype. We managed to snag a table by sheer luck in this impossibly busy restaurant, so I'd definitely recommend making a reservation. The service here is incredible: warm, genuine, efficient, and attentive without hovering; the staff instantly make you feel at home and definitely make your meal very enjoyable. To start we tried the pork mo:mo dumplings $7.95 for 6 pieces) garlicky and with a nicely steamed exterior, but slightly bland. These are almost like soup dumplings since when you cut into them a pool of oil spills out. For our mains we tried the Chicken Himalayan Grill $20, comes with daal), Machha ko Jhol $16), and Chicken Chau Chau $14.50). The Chau Chau was again very garlicky and quite oily. The himalayan grill came on a sizzling plate bonus points for exciting presentation) and the meat itself was beautifully seasoned and meltingly tender. The daal it came with was creamy and slightly sweet. The Machha ko Jhol was definitely the highlight of the meal for me: buttery pieces of basa enrobed in a slightly sweet, faintly mustard y sauce I'd definitely recommend it! The mains except the Chau Chau) all come with rice, bread, and a himalayan salad. The salad was really nice tangy and creamy. The bread was similar to naan and was fluffy and buttery. For dessert we tried the coconut tapioca cake $4). Sweet and with a cool bouncy texture, it was a nice end to the meal. I'd definitely give this place a visit if you haven't already!