Gurkha food, anyone?

While strolling along Jalan Tun H.S. Lee in KL, I stumbled upon an eatery named Restoran Gurkha. (Gurkha are the people of Nepal). My adventurous streak compelled me to give it a try. Tucked in the first floor of an old shophouse, the restaurant greeted me with a huge white poster with Nepalese characters pasted on a glass door. Inside was a big crowd of Nepalese drinking beer. The furnishings were Spartan; a glass case displayed newspapers and magazines in Nepalese.

All the six or seven odd dishes available were written on a white board. The owner explained that "Bandel Rice" was rice with wild boar meat; "Sukuti Rice" was buffalo meat with rice. His English was unintelligible when he tired to explain "Bhatmas" and "Momo". As I don't eat beef, I settled for the "Bandel Rice". It arrived on a round aluminium platter with vegetables. My first bite of the wild boar meat was a "ohmigosh" experience. I had expected it to taste like the Chinese version of wild boar curry -- all lean meat oozing a spicy aroma. Instead, it consisted of skin, fat and meat. There was also a "wild-animal" smell to the meat. I was unable to finish it, but the vegetables were okay. The soup was similar to the familiar roti canai dal, but green peas had been added.

No, I am not deterred. Next time I will try "The Khukri -- Authentic Nepalese Cuisine" on Jalan Tun Tan Siew Siew (formerly Jalan Silang). It is air-conditioned and is nicely decorated -- that's what I saw on peeping through the half-opened front door.

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