Local Eats

LOCAL EATS Namaste Restaurant & Bar

By Mabel Suen

Namaste Restaurant & Bar, which opened last October, features Nepalese fare with classic Indian dishes in a family-owned restaurant in the St. Louis Hills neighborhood.

Namaste – after a traditional Sanskrit greeting that means “I bow to you” – fills the roughly 3,000 square feet previously occupied by Giancarlo’s Ristorante. It sports a simple, modern design incorporating traditional elements from the South Asian nation of Nepal, like musical instruments mounted on its walls.

Owning and operating Namaste with several family members are brothers Arzun and Robert Chuhan. According to Arzun Chuhan, who was born in Nepal, his parents arrived there as refugees from nearby Bhutan. After living in Nepal for 20 years, they immigrated here in 2010.

During this period, Chuhan began working in kitchens and gaining an interest in cooking and a desire to develop a place of his own. Before opening Namaste with his brother, he researched restaurants in Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York for his ideal menu, which would showcase the food of his native country.

“Many restaurants focus on Indian curry and Indian dishes,” Chuhan says. “I wanted to give customers authentic Nepali dishes that are completely different. We have a few popular Indian dishes, but the main focus is on Nepali food, including a variety of dumplings – momos – and Nepali street food like pani puri.”

Chuhan explains that his cooking uses Nepalese herbs and spices, such as cumin, curry and cilantro powder. Namaste’s veggie-centric dishes can be prepared mild or spicy, but in general, they do not use cream and contain little sugar. For first-time guests, he recommends thali; the traditional dish (the name for which means simply “plate”) comes in options such as chicken thali with chicken curry, the basmati rice, lentil soup, the thin wafer papad, pickles and yogurt, all on one platter.

Additional highlights include jhol momo: delicate steamed dumplings served in broth with fresh herbs. Thukpa, another of Chuhan’s personal favorites, comprises noodles served in Himalayan spiced soup with vegetables or chicken.

“I want to thank everyone who has come to dine at our restaurant,” Chuhan says. “We’re really grateful and appreciate their support. We are always listening to our customers and trying to improve every day.”

Namaste Restaurant & Bar, 4915 Hampton Ave., St. Louis, 314-696-8585, namasterestaurantnbar.com