WWW.QNS.COM RIDGEWOOD TIMES APRIL 20, 2017 23 BUZZ While in Kathmandu opens as Ridgewood’s new Nepali food destination BY JACQUE MEDINA BUSHWICK DAILY SPECIAL TO THE RIDGEWOOD TIMES If you’re thinking that Nepali food is underrepresented in this neighborhood, you’re defi nitely right. I’ll be honest and say I couldn’t have told you what Nepali food looked or tasted like. And before I met Bikash Kharel, owner of Ridgewood’s Nepali cafe, While in Kathmandu, I couldn’t think of one Nepali restaurant in the entire city. While in Kathmandu, which is set to open to the public soon, is here to fi ll the void, and while the cafe is off ering authentic Nepali dishes, the cafe’s unique space is marvelously untraditional. Kharel was inspired to open up his own restaurant aft er working at Ridgewood’s Nepali Indian Restaurant, also on Seneca Avenue. He, too, noticed the lack of traditional Nepali food in the neighborhood and wanted to open a cafe that was true to his Himalayan roots but with a modern twist. While in Kathmandu features a breakfast, lunch and dinner menu, as well as smaller plates. “Our breakfast menu will be short & simple starting with fusions,” Kharel told Bushwick Daily in a March 22 interview. “We will have a few diff erent sort of wraps & sandwiches using fresh naan bread from our Tandoor. In terms of menu items, we intend to introduce sel roti, a traditional homemade, sweet, ring-shaped rice bread, Bara with Egg, light and spongy black lentil patties with an egg on top & a side of tomato chutney, and Pani Roti, which literally translates to ‘water bread.’ We’ll be using buckwheat & millet, which is really popular to certain parts of Nepal.” Of course, these menu items are just the tip of the delicious iceberg for the new Nepali spot. Perhaps the most intriguing dish Kharel alluded to was the grilled cheese naan-wich, a grilled cheese sandwich made with naan bread. Additionally, Kharel wants to use the cafe as a space for artists and events. “We would like to use While in Kathmandu as an art space, holding various event nights,” he said. “We want to create an inviting space where local and upcoming artists can feel comfortable to come and perform. We already did host a pre-opening gathering with a few artists, and we’re looking to host another one before we open up.” Kharel has commissioned brilliant local artists to create original decor for the cafe. Be sure to check out While in Kathmandu’s Facebook page for updates and stop by at 758 Seneca Ave. Editor’s note: This article first appeared on Bushwick Daily, www.bushwickdaily. com, reprinted with permission.
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