FIRST LOOK DINING Namaste Dine-In Georgetown restaurant aims to share Nepali culture through cuisine R aised in a small town in Nepal, Dinesh Mishra dreamed of coming to the United States.
BY GRANT CRAWFORD
“Once we get the order, we put in the oil, the ginger, garlic, the cumin seed, toast the onions and peppers, and start making the curry,” he said. “We love to make everything hot and fresh.” The restaurant o ers a bu et for lunch, giving customers a chance to try something new. For dinner, they can choose from a wider menu and modify dishes to make them more or less spicy. Mishra recommends one of the signature dishes, such as the goat curry, or for something di erent, a khaja set, which he described as a combination of roasted soy bean, roasted chickpea snacks, roasted chicken or lamb, radish pickles, fresh salad, and beaten rice. One dish the restaurant could not go without, Mishra said, is momo. He said the chicken and spices wrapped in our, steamed and fried with a helping of chile sauce is a staple in Nepal. “Any restaurant in Nepal without having momos is not going to run,” he said. Along with the avors of Nepal, Mishra is also interested in sharing the country’s culture and history. He said people often mistake Nepal as being a territory within India. “Since the day we were born, we were independent,” Mishra said. “We have eight of the 10 highest mountains in the world, including Mount Everest. It’s a similar culture to India, and even the food overlaps, but at the same time, we are the mountain people.”
From left: Namaste Dine-In owners Dinesh Mishra and Sushil Ghimire opened their restaurant in Georgetown in March.
In 2010, he turned the dream into a reality when he moved to the U.S. to earn his bachelor’s degree in account- ing from Minnesota State University Moorhead. After graduating, he spent eight years in the U.S. Army. Retiring as a veteran, he decided to serve the community in a di erent way—by sharing his food and culture. “I wanted something common that’s going to bind us together so that we can fully talk to each other,” Mishra said. “What I found was the food.” Mishra and his wife moved to Texas about a year ago and opened a food truck in Austin. After having success, he began searching for his own space and found it in Georgetown. “I came down here, and I just got a feeling like, ‘This is the place,’” Mishra said. “It’s just a vibe.” Receiving the support of his busi- ness partner, Sushil Ghimire, Namaste Dine-In was born, opening in March. “I was in a rush to serve the community because the people of Georgetown have shown me so much support,” Mishra said. Namaste Dine-In features Nepali Indian cuisine, o ering customers a variety of curry, masala, biryani and more. Mishra said the food is rich with spices and herbs, utilizing traditional Nepali ingredients, such as cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and bay leaves.
GRANT CRAWFORDCOMMUNITY IMPACT
NEPALESE CULTURE AND CHARACTERISTICS Namaste Dine-In owner Dinesh Mishra said the restaurant provides a place for people from all walks of life to connect and learn more about his home country of Nepal. Nepal has eight of the 10 tallest mountains in the world, including Mount Everest.
Namaste Dine-In offers a selection of naan bread. ($2.99-$6.49) COURTESY NAMASTE DINE IN
Around 80% of Nepal’s population is Hindu.
Lumbini Province, Nepal, is the birthplace of Buddha.
Nepal’s eastern, southern and western borders touch India. The Nepali national ag is the only triangular ag in the world.
Namaste Dine-In 103 N. Austin Ave., Ste. 105, Georgetown 512-819-1756 www.namastedinein.com Hours: Tue.-Sun. 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m., 5-9 p.m.; closed Mon. A mango lassi is made with yogurt, mango and Nepali spices. ($5.99) COURTESY NAMASTE DINE IN
SOURCES: ENCYCLOPEDIA BRITANNICA, NAMASTE DINEINCOMMUNITY IMPACT
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GEORGETOWN EDITION • MAY 2023
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