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An order of Namaste’s Nepali style of Chicken Curry, Cabbage Masala, Kachumber salad and naan.
Nepal native Dinesh Mishra in March opened Namaste Dine-in on Williamson Drive to introduce the Georgetown community to Nepali and Indian cuisines.
Namaste is a family-run restaurant that serves home-style dishes. Because Nepal borders Northern India, both Nepali and Indian cuisines are similar. However, the styles of cooking are distinct from one another.
Mr. Mishra said Indian food tends to be made with more oil, heavier cream, cheese and butter. Nepali food, on the other hand, tends to contain less oil and is more rich in herbs and spices. Bone-in meats are also typical in Nepali dishes.
At Namaste, he said dishes can be made less spicy upon customer request and there are options without bone-in meats.
Growing up in Nepal, Mr. Mishra said he and his siblings learned how to cook dishes from their mother and grandmother. To follow his family recipes at Namaste, he imports certain spices from Nepal and India because they cannot be found in the U.S.
Although women traditionally were the cooks in the family in Nepali culture, Mr. Mishra said his grandfather went to college in India and brought back the idea that women and men are equal. He insisted that both the boys and the girls in his family would go to school and learn to perform domestic tasks like cooking.
Mr. Mishra came to the U.S. in 2010 and subsequently served in the U.S. military for eight years. Living in different parts of the U.S., he said he has found that people have been welcoming everywhere he goes, especially military families.
When he retired from the military, he wanted to welcome those who had made him feel welcome by introducing the U.S. to Nepali culture and sharing Nepali food.
The restaurant’s name, Namaste, is a respectful greeting.
“Namaste is a very respectful word,” Mr. Mishra said. “We chose this word because we are respecting you guys. And we are welcoming you guys. If you haven’t been to the Namaste Dine-In yet, please come.”
Namaste Dine-In, located at 103 North Austin Avenue, Ste. 105, just across the street from Hat Creek Burger Company, is now open Tuesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. for lunch and from 4:30-9 p.m. for dinner.