Namaste Cafe

Authentic Nepalese dishes in this former Uptown home.

by Molly Priesmeyer

Authentic Nepalese dishes are made to spicy perfection in this former Uptown home. Everything about this little Nepalese restaurant housed in a turn-of-the-century Uptown home screams “life". Walls are the color of squash and sunsets. And fresh scents, from cardamom to cinnamon to carrots, dance from the stovetops and greet visitors, whose noses instantly turn up with intrigue and delight. Gratitude, life and delicious dishes are the centerpiece at this small cafe, where dishes are painstakingly made with so many unique and complementing spices they are like art pieces come to life.

10/17/08

Wonderful blend of yumminess... That's right... I said yumminess!

by ethnic_cocktail

I have been passing this restaurant/cafe for nearly a year. Always wondering if it was tasty but never walking in. Two close friends and myself felt like indulging in some Fall comfort food, and what better food to warm your being on a chilling evening than Indian. Namaste has created a welcoming and warm environment within the walls of this Uptown duplex. We began our delicious journey with the Mamacha appetizer. These little puffs of joy are filled with a blend of spices that made us all look up at each and smile... Namaste! Then our main course arrived shortly after we ordered, which we were very grateful for as none of us had eaten since lunch. The Squash Curry with Bison was well spiced and the bison was a surprisingly great in this dish. I could definitely taste the g.masala and the garlic with each bit, but it did not over power the squash or bison. The Almond Curry was a little on the sweeter side for me, but this is not to say it wasn't a wonderful dish. I would suggest this to any of my friends that don't really indulge in Indian cuisine often, as it is the perfect curry introduction. The Creamy Masala was the ultimate comfort food, with the creamy rich sauce and the warm ginger and masala flavors... yummy, yummy, yummy. I would suggest sticking with a spicy heat level of between 2 -4... 5 had me sweating a little, but still oh so good. You will also want to order your roti bread when ordering your appetizers, as it took 40 minutes for the bread to come out. Its made from scratch upon request, according to our server. All in all, Namaste Cafe is a gem. It was more than reasonably priced, the service was very good, the atmosphere was cozy, and the food was fantastic. I highly recommend this slightly hidden treasure.

• Pros: excellent food, perfect date night on a budget option, great service
• Cons: small eating area

10/10/08

Fresh is the Best

by spiderleggreen

This isn't your stuffy old Indian restaurant. Namaste has is a wonderful place that is a perfect place to go if you want to impress your date. The chai's are amazing and the food is delightful. Check it out!

• Pros: Ambiance, food, friendliness, chai's
• Cons: relaxed service

05/27/08

Good but could be Better

by FarienLouise

This is my fist time writing a review, but I read many of them and find them very helpful. My husband and I were looking for something new and open on Mondays so we stopped into Namaste Cafe. We had an appetizer, I don?t know the name, but it came cold with mushrooms. The description did not have mushrooms listed and if it did we would have not ordered it. Next we split a dish; Cashew something with Tofu. We requested moderate heat and very much enjoyed it. But there were no Cashews in the dish, which is what I would have imaged it would have. The portion was small but we were filled. I do recommend the Carrot, Coconut dessert, it was suggested by the waitress and likened to Creme Brulee; this again was cold, not what we were expecting but it was very good! Try it, but come early before dinner or you won?t have a place to sit; inside at least!

• Pros: Good Food
• Cons: Cold Food

10/20/07

Best Chai in Town!

by brown_underground

I tried Namaste Cafe not really knowing what to expect since I hadn't heard any reviews of it, and was so pleasantly surprised! I've eaten Indian food all my life, and it was extremely refreshing to see that when they say it is Nepalese food, it really is - and not an Indian restaurant owned by a Nepalese family. The food is lightly spiced (as in strength, not heat - that's determined by the diner!), and authentically uses mostly ginger and garlic as its flavoring agents. The chaats are very good, and come covered in real homemade yogurt. Ask if they have the "spice blend" achaar when you go. It's tangy and savory all at the same time, and very good for dipping the paranthas in. Unfortunately, it's not always available.

Last but not least, the chai is amazing! I have been drinking real homemade chai my entire life, and this is the closest you can get to the real thing without having your Indian grandmother make you a cup! My favorite is the Ginger Cardomom Chai. You won't be disappointed.

• Pros: Great food, extremely friendly service, THE CHAI.
• Cons: Don't have "spice achaar" regularly, not open late during th

10/07/07

Exceptionally High Quality, Previous Two Posts Are Full of Lies

by lowgman612

I have been a regular customer at Namaste Cafe since it opened. The service is always friendly, the food delicious, and the tea excellent. As of late September 2007 they have introduced a new dinner menu! The old favorites remain and many new delicacies have been introduced.

I'm saddened to see the previous two posts, as they completely misrepresent Namaste. Addressing the posts point-by-point:

1. lemonhead2007 says (s)he was served alu [sp] tareko instead of aloo ko achar. Ridiculous. Namaste doesn't serve anything called aloo tareko. Furthermore, aloo ko achar is potatoes with lime juice, spices, and sesame seeds. If the restaurant was lacking in any of those ingredients, they would have just run across the street to Kowalski's and bought some more (I've seen this done many times).

2. smit1112 says (s)he was served a very watery and bland chicken curry massaman, a rather spurious gripe. Namaste does not serve chicken curry massaman. It's not on the menu, you can't order it. And in the more than one-hundred meals I've eaten at Namaste, I have *never* had a watery or bland curry. Namaste curries are thick and savory, rife with flavor.

3. smit1112 also complains that (s)he was not served traditional Tibetan momos. That would be because Namaste serves the Kathmandu adaptation of the dish, called "mamacha". If you call them momos, people will know what you're talking about, but that's really not what they are.

4. Finally, both posters complain about the lack of Nepali authenticity in the food. Namaste Cafe does not purport to be traditional. The owners, Saujanya, Swadesh, and Raji, compose dishes that are inspired by - not adherent to - traditional Nepali cooking. The result: fresh, original delicacies with an intimate connection to their creators. Swadesh and Saujanya have asked me numerous times what I thought of a new dish, and I know it's because what I'm eating isn't just a recipe from a Nepali cookbook - it's their own labor of love.

• Pros: Unique food, excellent teas, laid-back ambiance
• Cons: Busy during peak hours

10/02/07

don't go there if you don't know what is nepali food

by lemonhead2007

Pros

nice ambiance, friendly server, good tea, organic

Cons

comparatively expensive, our waiter did not tell us that they ran out of alu ko achar and brought us alu tareko, when i asked him if he made a mistake on order he tried to insist that he brought alu ko achar not alu tareko meaning i got the right dish. i told him i am from nepal too and know the difference then he told me that they ran out of alu ko achar. appitizer came together with entre and food were luke warm

still like the place except for the servers lie. everest on grand is still better.

09/04/07

If you love traditional Tibetan Momos or food with flavor, do not order here.

by smit1112

My boyfriend and I stopped at Namaste for a light dinner on a Monday evening. We sat outside, we were waited on fairly quickly and ordered a black tea (iced) and a vanilla Chai. The black tea had an aroma of wood shavings, to some that may seem fresh and "good for you", but the flavors surrounding the palate were of the earth and...more wood shavings. We began the meal with the "Momos"; they were not called Momos on the menu, but when the server brought them out she called them Momos, so we were slightly confused. They were flavorful, but made with Chinese won ton wraps and not the traditional dough used by Tibetans. The meals we ordered were very bland and lacked the traditional combination of flavors and spice and were in much smaller portions than expected. The chicken curry massaman was a red curry and extremely watery, not thick like most I have had at such places as Everest on Grand, a Nepalese restaurant in St. Paul. I tasted very little coriander or cumin. I asked for a 4 out of 5 spice and it came out sweet rather than spicy at all. The bean dish we ordered was much more spicy, but flavorless. Even a bit of salt would have enhanced the flavor of the spice at least. It was also a very small portion, served with a small dish of jasmine rice for $9. For the portion size and lack of flavor the cost was too great. I will not be going back for the food, which is hard for us to say as we always give restaurants a second chance. The Chai variety is the only reason I would stop back in. It just was not worth it.

• Pros: Location, Ambience and Chai variety
• Cons: Parking, Value and Flavorful food

07/18/07

Delightful!

by jembaroo

What a charming place, and what amazing food. I had the best iced tea I've ever had there, and all the food was fresh and delicious. I had such a hard time making up my mind, so we ordered two appetizers to share (veggie mamachas, and aloo chaat-- both of which were great), and agreed ahead of time that we would sample from one another's entrees. I ordered raajma, a delicious seasoned kidney bean dish which was served with rice. The spices in it were complex, rich, and deeply satisfying. For dessert, I had the rasmalai-- a combination of lightly spiced spongy ricotta cheese, milk, and pistachios, which was refreshing, light, and a nice finish to the meal. The service was extremely friendly, and the atmosphere is warm and calm. I can't recommend this place highly enough.

04/16/07

Great food, fantastic service and inexpensive!

by nyvelo

My boyfriend and I have been to Namaste four times now and have been impressed every time. The food tastes great and is healthy too. Chloe is one of our favorites, but we have liked everything we?ve tried. The ambiance is relaxing and comfortable, and the food is very reasonably priced. They offer take out too!

• Pros: Service, value, great food