Himalayan Fusion Cafe

Not going to lie, the name was what caught my attention when I was researching for a lunch spot for meeting up with some old colleagues. I'm a big fan of trying food from different cultures; and Sydney is quite good for getting reasonably authentic fare.

I did have to travel a bit to get to Himalayan Fusion Cafe, but the good food and good company made the trip very worthwhile.

Nepalese fusion food is the name of the game at Himalayan Fusion Cafe, and while I waited for my lunching companions I consulted the lovely waitress about menu items - none of them were familiar to me, so it felt like quite the exciting culinary adventure.

Having decided that we shall go for 'medium' heat, we ordered a feast of deliciousness.

Entrees

Aloo Dam, $6.50

The humble yet delicious aloo dam, boiled down to its simplest, is boiled potatoes stir fried with a mix of Himalayan Fusion Cafe spices (coriander, cumin, cloves, green cardamon, black cardamon, garlic, ginger, salt and black pepper). The potatoes are cooked to perfection - still a little wet and sticky in the middle, rather than dry and crumbly. This dish is only mildly spicy, so even I can have it without trouble.

Piro Aloo, $7.50

 The piro aloo is another potato dish, and it came highly recommended from the waitress. She was mildly perplexed as to why we would order two potato dishes, and I was too when we made the order, but I'm so glad we did - the piro aloo is completely different to the aloo dam in that it's potato chips coated in a sweet yet salty tomato sauce, and very moreish. 

Steamed Goat Momo, $10.90

Fried Chicken Momo, $10.49

"What are momos?" I ask the waitress. "They're taaaassssttyyyyy." she replies. So of course we have to try them. I have never eaten goat meat before, and to be honest I can't say how it is very different from the chicken momo (except for the obvious difference in method of cooking). These little parcels are flavoursome and served with a cold tomato-based sauce. I would recommend the steamed version above the fried version because it has a more delicate flavour and a better pastry-meat balance; but they are both very taaaasssttttyyyy indeed.

Mains
First up, a confession: I wasn't game enough to try some of the more traditional plates such as the mixed entrails dish, but I'm just putting it out there that they are available under the "The Chef's Corner" section of the menu and anyone braver than me may wish to try them. Even though I didn't have the courage to put entrails in my mouth (which is odd, because as a Chinese person it's not like I've never had liver or stomach or heart before), I was very pleased to see this section of the menu as it speaks to the authenticity of this restaurant.

Kadai Chicke, $16.90

This dish was very hot. I only took a tiny piece, and it burned my mouth. I had to rinse my mouth with mango lassi, so I can't really speak to how amazing this dish is. I have, however, been reassured by the spice-eating members of the lunching party that it is delicious. Flavours are jumping out of the picture - I can imagine how complex and amazing the flavours are, so I would recommend it to anyone who has a higher spice tolerance than me.

Chicken Tikka, $18.90 (whole)

Chicken tikka is basically tandoori chicken, but in small pieces rather than a whole chicken. It is succulent, salty, and delicious. I like the refreshing touch of it being accompanied by vegetables.

Vegetable Biryani, $13.90

This was our attempt to add some vegetables into our meal - though I doubt that counts as a serve of our daily servings of vegetables. This dish was quite good, but when compared with everything else, it is not as exciting.

Paneer Tikka Masala, 15.90

This vegetable and tofu dish is mild. As mild as things get in this restaurant, as I have started to realise. It is a spinach-based curry with tofu inside, and it gave my tongue a welcome break after all the delicious yet challenging spicy dishes.

Lamb Curry, 16.90

The lamb curry smelled spicy and complex, but it was very spicy.

Score: 3.5 / 5 
I really enjoyed this experience. It is simple, authentic fare that is very moderately priced. My favourite dishes have to be the steamed momos and the aloo entrees; but someone with a spice-loving palate will appreciate the complex flavours served up in the curry dishes. I wish the menu included some desserts, but alas, there were none - very close to the restaurant, however, is a sweet shop selling Turkish delight and delicious chocolates, so your sweet tooth will be satisfied too.
Price: $130 in total, which came down to $26 a piece - very cheap and cheery.
Address: 73 Rawson Street, Auburn. Literally 1 minute walk from Auburn station.
Website: http://www.himalayanfusioncafe.com.au/about-us.html