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January 01, 2008 Food & Drink » Restaurant

The Himalayan House

by Martha Thomas

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Where We've Eaten

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On the lamb: The Himalayan House serves up Indian and Nepalese fare - La Kaye Mbah

La Kaye Mbah
On the lamb: The Himalayan House serves up Indian and Nepalese fare

Every confluence of busy professionals calls for a serviceable Indian carryout, and the Himalayan House, tucked in the back of a Fort Avenue convenience store, is just what Locust Point needs—or soon will, as the neighborhood braces for the arrival of the upscale Silo Point condominium project. The avenue is fast becoming South Baltimore's restaurant row, and this modest Nepalese/Indian storefront is in good company: The Wine Market and Nasu Blanca are down the street and Pazza Luna is right around the corner.

The Himalayan House boasts zero atmosphere (unless you favor cardboard boxes of Utz chips) and there's only one plastic table, better employed to wait for the food than to consume it. Still, the location doesn't lack charm, especially if you chat with owner Prem Raja Mahat, a folk singer famous in Nepal, who will greet you like an old friend. (While Prem is off on gigs, Ratna Shahi holds down the store.) They may offer you a cup of home-brewed tea made with ground ginger and cloves after you order from a menu that includes both carryout staples (pizza, subs, fries) and such Nepalese offerings as momos—chewy tufted dumplings stuffed with savory ground lamb or minced vegetables laced with mustard seed.

Compared to their Indian neighbors' fare, Tibetan and Nepalese dishes are generally less spicy and more dependent on meat. The menu's other East Asian selections are more familiar: tandooris, masalas, biryanis, and naans. There's fish curry in a mild tomato sauce sprinkled with cilantro and strands of fresh ginger, and alu tikki, a samosa-like packet of potato fried in chickpea batter. If you want to modify anything, the obliging proprietors will add garlic or kick up the chiles, and if you're craving something from the Western side of the menu, try a crusty pizza baked in the clay tandoori oven. (Open Mon–Thur 11 a.m.–10 p.m., Fri–Sat 11 a.m.–11 p.m., Sun 11 a.m.–9 p.m. 1522 E. Fort Ave.; 410-528-1271; www.thehimalayanhouse.com)

—Martha Thomas

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