Nepalese knick-knacks and prayer flags add character and colour.Melissa Adams12.5/20
Nepalese$$$
The directions are cryptic. This place is in a basement,next to an organic vegie-farm shop. You go down a set of stairs into what looks like an underground bookshop. And that's where the restaurant is. No,it's not a speakeasy,but maybe it should be a secret restaurant. It's the Hungry Buddha - a Nepalese restaurant in Curtin. It just needs a special knock or an unmarked door to become a Canberra hotspot,just like the"hidden"speakeasy Molly in Hobart Place.
But it's easy to find. Right next to the Choku Bai Jo farm shop there's a sturdy A-frame sign with''The Hungry Buddha''printed on it. There's a hint of autumn chill in the air so we clatter down the stairs out of the cold. The restaurant's just there,past a table of bargain-basement books,tucked away underneath the Curtin shops.
There's a little foyer inside the front door,with a collection of knick-knacks and books about Nepal (including a fascinating picture book about hunters who collect honey,deep in the mountains). The restaurant itself looks warm and is laid out simply - dark tables and chairs on a polished wooden floor,with a line of banquettes along one wall. It's filled with the aroma of comforting,appetite-inducing curries and spices. A huge black curtain sections off another wall,drawing a veil over renovations that will eventually expand the restaurant's seating space. It's Friday and it's not bursting at the seams,but there are a fair number of diners,mostly tables of friends and the odd couple or two. There's also a steady trickle of people ducking in to pick up takeaway.
Tareko maacha,fish marinated with Himalayan spices.Melissa AdamsTime to have a glass of wine,a bottle of Nepal Ice beer and order some entrees to share (tragically,this rules out the mixed-bean festival soup). A pair of fish cakes (tareko maacha,$10) are thick slices with a slightly chewy batter. They've got a good sprinkling of spice and herb but are a bit floury inside and are accompanied by a mild,green mint and yoghurt dressing that doesn't do too much. Much more popular are the samosas ($8) stuffed with potato and mixed vegetables. They're crisp and piquant,served with a zingy,spicy salsa that's full of tomato and corn kernels,and pairs perfectly with some creamy yoghurt.
So the entrees do a good job keeping us interested. What to get next? Nepalese mains fill one section of the menu,and they sound good - beef curries,warming lentil stews. The khasi ko masu ($20) is described as"exquisite village-style"boneless goat curry."You can't go wrong with something that's labelled'exquisite',"says one of my dining companions.
They're not wrong. It's actually exquisite,as advertised. The goat is deliciously tender,little bite-sized pieces that melt on the palate. The curry is beautifully balanced,spicy but light. Someone's put a lot of time and loving care into this dish,and it shows. With a bed of fragrant white rice,you could eat it all night long.
Exquisite:Khasiko masu goat curry.Melissa Adams Goru ko masu ($19) is a bowl of beef curry with fenugreek and tomato. Next to the goat curry,this dish isn't quite as spectacular,but it's still tender and fragrant with cloves and star anise,with a rich curry that soaks into the rice. Neither of the curries is particularly hot,but they are a perfect antidote to the cooler weather and good for sharing at the table.
The mains are rounded out by a dish of janeko dhal ($17),which is billed as flambéed lentils with coriander,cumin and Himalayan spices. It sounds pyrotechnic,but the flambé must happen in the kitchen away from prying eyes. In the end this is a comforting bowl of lentil dhal,which works well to offset any heat from the curries and lends a gentle finish to the evening.
And that's where we do have to finish. There are no desserts,so those of you with a sweet tooth might be disappointed. But it's been a very satisfying meal,with some stand-out dishes. The Hungry Buddha looks like another suburban Canberra gem,slightly tucked out of the way,but a refuge for a reliably comforting meal.