New Indian Cuisine Restaurant to Open in San Angelo

 

San Angelo’s food culture will be expanding eastward in about three weeks, when the city’s only Indian eatery is slated to open its doors for a lunch and dinner service at Taste of the Himalayas, located at 3520 Knickerbocker Road.

Raj Neupane, a native of Nepal and one of four partners in the venture, has been in San Angelo for the past five years running two businesses. Like his clients, Neupane said, he is surprised a city of San Angelo's size doesn’t already offer the ethnic fare.

“I already have the business here and I have so many comments from the people,” he said, seated outside his shop at the mall. “They are looking for the Indian dishes and we, also, are looking for the Indian dishes for a long time. We’ve been in San Angelo for almost five years and nobody’s opening [an Indian restaurant], so I thought, ‘Why not me? Why not us?’”

Although he and his partners are actually from Nepal, Neupane said they’ve opted to offer Indian cuisine for the sake of familiarity. His chef, Devendra K.C., is also from Nepal and has 11 years of Indian culinary experience. The flavors, they said, are similar in the two countries.

“Nepal and India are border countries and our recipes are similar as the Indian recipes, but India is more popular,” Neupane said in his heavy accent. “Everyone knows India, right? It’s the same dishes.”

Traditional Indian and Nepalese cuisine, K.C. said, is full of aromatic spices, a variety of game and fresh vegetables. While most associate culinary creations from that particular region with a westernized orange curry powder, Neupane and K.C. say the dishes are actually much more complex and utilize a variety of ingredients not common to our area.

Garam masala, tumeric, cardamon and nutmeg are just some of the spices that lend the food its unique flavor, and K.C. says the menu will feature dishes and curries made with chicken, lamb, fish, shrimp and goat, as well as a number of vegetarian options. K.C. will be drafting the menu himself, he said, and plans to incorporate traditional and authentic family recipes and a few Nepalese and Tibetan specialties.

“We have some special [dishes] that Indian [sic] doesn’t do [in our region],” Neupane said. “We’ll be doing that too and it’s really, really, really good. In New York and some of those places, they line up long for those dishes. It’s really, really special.”

Taste of the Himalayas Indian Cuisine will be a dine-in restaurant with a full wait staff and comprehensive menu. During the lunch hours the owners intend to offer both a buffet and their regular menu items, while adhering to menu-only orders in the evening. Should they see a demand in the future, the restaurant may expand its services to delivery, however for the time being the fare will be served dine-in only.

“I have heard the people of San Angelo, they don’t know about Indian cuisine, and I want to say to them just try it one time. You’ll love it,” Neupane said. “You’ll never want anything else.”

Neupane and his partners hope to have Taste of the Himalayas open the second week of August. To keep up with their progress, visit their Facebook page. 

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A lot of folks are VERY excited to have something like this in S.A....despite the comment by West TX Sky. It's great to see a bit of international cuisine (other than Mexican) come here. Let's hope we also get a Thai, German, and Greek restaurant!
I've been waiting for an Indian restaurant to open since the day I moved here! I will personally support a locally owned business over Corporate Panera Bread Co. (Which isn't Indian Food so why post on this thread WEST TX Sky?).
bebop, Thu, 07/24/2014 - 16:41
well, I'll hope neighborhoods aren't downwind of that curry. NOT a pleasant smell to linger.... who the hell eats Indian food around here? Those who think they want to try it -- ha, get ready.... Nice that it's not a crummy chain, though. We could use a Cajun restaurant, though. I guarantee people will not love Indian as much as they think they will, LOL
Nina, the curry can't be any worse than the rendering plant stench, manure trucks or a drive down Armstrong. As difficult as it is to get the common San Angeloan to step outside of their Chicken Fried Steak and burrito comfort zones, I'm looking forward to this place. Expand your horizons people. It'll be ok, I promise.
Indian Cuisine In town , cant believe. San angelo really need one ,tired of the same chicken fried , Burritos and old school foods in town. Chicken curry and tikka masala is one of my fav dish ever, i recommend to everybody , we have to go Austin or dallas just to eat indian foods so now in neighborhood yeeeee , Nina, give it a try you will forget the same old school foods in town, give your tongue a new taste. lol
bebop, Fri, 07/25/2014 - 02:46
I think of a place I used to work, full of lovely, intelligent, ambitious Indian people -- and I told them, as I will tell anyone THEIR FOOD STINKS! They laughed, I laughed, and yet -- they know and I know, it is true.
bebop, Fri, 07/25/2014 - 02:47
Since I don't hang out and eat at the rendering plant, nor do I haunt Armstrong street, I am free from the glue factory smells.
The opening of Taste of the Himalayas will provide a grand opportunity for the residents and visitors of San Angelo to dine at somewhere different for a change. The more international fare offered as a choice the better.
OK, so you don't like Indian. No problem. There are plenty of other folks who will dine there. Here's a tasty dish you might like. Indian Rice Pudding 1 cup cooked long grain or basmati rice 1 cup whole milk 1/2 cup heavy cream 3/4 cup coconut milk 2 ounces sugar, approximately 1/4 cup 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom 1 1/2 ounces golden raisins, approximately 1/3 cup 1 1/2 ounces chopped unsalted pistachios, approximately 1/3 cup Directions In a large nonstick saute pan over medium heat, combine the cooked rice and milk. Heat until the mixture begins to boil. Decrease the heat to low and cook at a simmer until the mixture begins to thicken, stirring frequently, approximately 5 minutes. Increase the heat to medium, add the heavy cream, coconut milk, sugar, and cardamom and continue to cook until the mixture just begins to thicken again, approximately 5 to 10 minutes. Use a whisk to help prevent the cardamom from clumping. Once the mixture just begins to thicken, remove from the heat and stir in the raisins and pistachios. Transfer the mixture to individual serving dishes or a glass bowl and place plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pudding. Serve chilled or at room temperature. Source: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/indian-rice-pudding-recipe.html?oc=linkback
jdgt, Fri, 07/25/2014 - 08:55
I've tried Indian. I don't care for it much. What I do love, though, is the attempt at bringing diversity to this region. Having been military and travelled the globe, the only thing I miss is the diversity! The opportunity to experience. These backwoods homebodies need to step out of their comfort shell and embrace different cultures. The world isn't as small as West TX.
That's the tolerance and even-mindedness we need more of around here! Alas, San Angelo is growing and there's not much the homebodies can do about it. On the flip side, I've also dined at many of the steak-n-potato as well as "Mexican" restaurants around here. There is a lot to be desired. I've found the best steaks (at least filet mignons) are at places like Peasant Village and Outback (Seriously? a chain restaurant?). I still can't find a decent Mexican place...or at least one that has spices and flavor. I'm open to suggestions ...but, I still eat at them because I don't have much choice. BTW, Thank you to SAL for running this article! Very tasty!
jdgt, Fri, 07/25/2014 - 08:55
Hey Blow... try La Azteca, for Mexican food. I think the only thing American about that place, is the money. The place is truly authentic. Chicken tacos... OMG - yum.
Nina, you really don't have to hang out and eat at the rendering plant or drive down Armstrong to get some of the unpleasant odors of this region. I work downtown and if the wind is blowing just right, we get the lovely aroma of the feed lots. Now that's something that really stirs the appetite...NOT. I won't say I don't like Indian food, because I've never tried it. I will be giving it a try, though.
jdgt, Fri, 07/25/2014 - 12:55
No need to eat anywhere to experience fascinating aromas... Catch College Hills at just the right time, near the arroyo, and you'll be overcome with the air of human waste. . .
I'll take Taco Bell on their worst day....... 6 months from now, there will be a "for lease" sign taped to this window......
Taco Bell's meat contains an ingredient called "silicon dioxide".....better known to most of us by the name SAND. When people buy something called a "bean burrito", they (in good faith) are expecting something made with BEANS, correct? Taco Bell's "beans" actually begin as powder, are then mixed into the brown paste that's passed off as beans. They also use caramel coloring processed with ammonia, coa coa powder to keep you from questioning the odd color of their so-called "beef", sodium phosphates, and soybean oil which was extracted with HEXANE - a byproduct of gasoline refining. I'm not implying that this new restaurant is going to serve nothing less than health food, but Taco Bell is one of the last places anyone who values their kidneys or a functioning circulatory system should be eating at.
Finally! San Angelo joins the 'global palate' with a Vietnamese AND an Indian restaurant! Yes, San Angeloans, there are more spices/flavors than salt, pepper, garlic and chili powder in the world. You should check 'em out!

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