Groupon Excursion: Himalayan Spice (Atlanta/Emory)

Toddler Foodie Rating:  2.5 out of 5 Gummy Bears
 
:) = Convenient location right off I-85.  Mini waterfall in the entryway - very entertaining for little ones!  Large dining room with a high enough noise level to drown out toddler outbursts.  Crowd that doesn't seem bothered by toddlers. Free papadum to start the meal.  
 
:( = The food is unremarkable (writing this post will be difficult).  There was a long wait to get our food, which caused much grouchiness around the table. We were charged gratuity automatically for a table of 5 adults, a 3-year-old, and a 2-year-old, which seemed a little strange - most of the restaurants where Mommy worked only add gratuity for parties of 8 or more.   

Chicken Momo & Lamb Thukpa

We have two confessions:
1.  We behaved quite poorly when we visited Himalayan Spice for the first time.
2.  We don't have many interesting things to say about the food there.

Himalayan Spice offers Nepalese and Indian cuisine, and we were so excited to try Nepalese food for the first time.  Mommy was especially excited because we would be able to use a Groupon - it's always a relief when our foodie career doesn't force her to empty out her wallet.

We arrived at Himalayan Spice around 6:30 PM.  We walked into the spacious dining area to find we were the only customers, which our scheming little minds immediately saw as an opportunity for mayhem.  Did mayhem ensue?  Yes, it did.  There was whining.  And back-talking.  And random loud outbursts.  And spitting out of Chicken Momo filling.  And violent fighting over naan.  And multiple trips to the bathroom for time-out.  It was one of those outings that got to the point where Mommy had to use some tips she read online for keeping cool when your toddlers act up.  And when we had eaten enough (and made her blood pressure rise too much), she didn't hesitate to call upon Curious George for backup.   

"Let's make some mischief with this Thali Special!"

"I'm innocent until proven guilty!"

But enough about our behavior.  We need to talk about the food.  We only ordered off the Nepalese menu, since we've had Indian food before.  Here's what we ordered:  Lamb Choila (appetizer of grilled meat marinated with Nepalese spices), regular naan, basil garlic naan, Chicken Momo (steamed dumplings served with tomato achar), Lamb Thukpa (traditional Nepalese noodle soup), and the "Himalayan Thali Special" called Khasi Ko Ledo Thali which included several small gold bowls filled with goat curry and a variety of vegetables, as well as a portion of rice pudding. 

Left to right:  Traditional Naan, Lamb Choila, Garlic Basil Naan

To be honest, the food was quite disappointing.  We love Indian food and assumed we would love Nepalese food, as well.  The descriptions of Nepalese food that we've read - and the descriptions in Himalayan Spice's menu - are mouth-watering.  But the food we ordered was just lacking... something.  It didn't taste bad.  It just didn't move us.  The Basil Garlic Naan was the only item we truly enjoyed.  We believe there has to be a better spot for Nepalese food in Atlanta - if you're aware of one, please let us know!  We're not ready to forgo Nepalese Momo.

"I'll keep quiet as long as she keeps bribing me with mango lassi."

We ended the evening with a mango lassi, which was the highest point of the meal.  Then Mommy swept us away, back to the car where we received a very firm talking-to.  We needed to be reminded that Mommy is the maitre'd 'round these parts.