My cocktail, the Tipsy Buddha, is a bright emerald glow. Photo: Kazuri Photography.
It is a gloomy day as we sit inside The Hungry Buddha, sipping on a cocktail and watching storm clouds roll across Belconnen.
Inside, atmospheric lighting, layers of greenery and a beautiful corner bar make us feel cosy. My cocktail, the Tipsy Buddha, is a bright green glow, blending lemons with crisp citrusy Cointreau and melon-hued Midori. Pebbles of ice and mint strands enhance its refreshing qualities.
The Nepalese embassy has just finished a big event in the restaurant’s adjacent function room and a delicately spiced fragrance from their feast still hangs in the air making my mouth water.
New head chef and part owner of the Hungry Buddha, Sabin, is Nepalese but only learned to love and cook the food of his country when he lived in London. He has incorporated his love of Indian curries into the menu too, just like the previous owners.
Our incredible feast. Photo: Kazuri Photography.
The menu boasts standard Indian entrees, some infused with Nepali herbs. A substantial array of momos (Nepali dumplings) come steamed, fried and even crumbed, uniquely spiced dry curries and traditional Nepali chow mein variations share the menu with tikka dishes and masalas. Some fusion dishes also catch my eye, like Nepali samosas and mountain eggplant. I notice that the thali can be accompanied by a buckwheat pudding, a savoury porridge used to sop up the delicious curries.
We decide on chicken momos, goat curry, thali, chicken sekuwa skewers, and a buffalo jerky snack set that includes beaten and puffed rice and exotic salads.
Our food arrives all at the same time and it is a glorious feast. Chicken momos fill their plate in a picture-perfect pattern of uniformity. Delicate filmy pockets encase chicken perfumed with a blend of Nepali herbs. Each bite leaves a pleasing heat on my palate, and we enjoy the rich, fiery dipping sauce based on tomato.
I am excited to try a Nepali thali today. Our thali comes out with rice, three curries, a Nepali pickle and a plump gulab Jamon on a bed of yoghurt.
The delicious Nepali thali. Photo: Kazuri Photography
The chicken curry is moist cubes of chicken in a rich gravy. The lentils are unique from any dhaal I have tasted: mild and understated. A unique dish on the thali plate is radish leaf stew – bean stew run through with wilted radish leaves. The herbs in this dish bring an earthy quality to each mouthful.
The potato salad is cold, as you’d find at an Aussie BBQ, but the similarities end there. Tender potato chunks tossed through with curry spices and crunchy pickles blend beautifully well. My favourite salad is a peanut salad that incorporates toasted peanuts with crunchy carrots and bright pops of red onion. The spices don’t feel as hot as in the potato salad.
Hot chilli and lemon rice and mild but succulent goat curry with tender bone-in pieces of goat meat in a rich onion-based gravy blend with notes of sweet fenugreek and cinnamon kissed with garlic, ginger and tomato.
The buffalo jerky is chewy umami heaven. It’s tossed in with red onion, which has so much flavour and only a little hint of bite. The taste is fantastic. We cannot stop eating it.
You must try the Nepali twist on tandoori chicken: chicken sekuwa skewers marinated in yogurt and Nepali spices. This chicken is tender, juicy and scorched at the edges.
Tasting the chicken sekuwa skewers solidifies the differences between Nepali Gurkha curry and Indian curry. Based on turmeric and cumin, the curry powder imbues an earthy, less sweet deliciousness.
I enjoy the tender gulab jamon, spongy and soaked in fragrant syrup, kept from being sickly sweet by the lush yoghurt underneath it.
It has been such a fun and delicious meal.
The Hungry Buddha team! Photo: Kazuri Photography.
The Hungry Buddha is located at Unit 8/8 Luxton St, Belconnen. It’s open from 5 pm to 9:45 pm on weekdays and from 12:30 pm on Saturday and Sunday.
Your meal from Hungry Buddha is available in more than one way. Owners Sabin and Sunil say it is cheaper to order straight through Hungry Buddha’s website if getting delivery – orders of over $70 ensure free delivery for Belconnen suburbs. Catering starts at $20 per head for two courses, and three courses start at $30 per head. Ask about using the restaurant’s function centre.
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