Recipes from the most elevated country in the world

(left to right) Owner Smita Giri and executive chef Sanjog Chaudhary.

You don’t have to endure a 30-hour flight itinerary to Nepal to savor some of its traditional, homespun dishes.

Amid the small number of Himalayan restaurants dotting our local landscape is Bhojan Griha, which is located only a few blocks past the heart of Old Town, where San Diego Avenue and Congress Street verge.

Pronounced “BO-jan Gree-ha,” the restaurant’s name translates to “food house” in Nepalese. It features a large, welcoming patio and a Zen-like interior adorned with colorful prayer flags and other décor imported from the enchanted land.

Owner Smita Giri and executive chef Sanjog Chaudhary both originate from Nepal, a rugged country of high peaks with some rising to more than 21,000 feet above sea level. Their menu accurately reflects dishes they savored while growing up.

Before first meeting in San Diego and opening the restaurant a couple years ago, they each worked in the dining industry for a number of years—Giri in Nepal and England, and Chaudhary in San Diego and The Bay Area.

As I approached on foot, the redolence of cardamom, cloves, allspice, cumin and other spices suddenly supplanted the aromas of hot tortillas and carne asada I had just left behind. Though similar to Indian cuisine, Himalayan cooking flaunts some distinct differences.

“Nepalese food is less oily and with no sugar. And we do more steaming of the vegetables and meats,” said Chaudhary, who credits his mother and grandmother for teaching him classic Nepalese recipes at an early age.

In addition, cream is used in restrained measures—or not at all. Although an exception is made for an outstanding entree of velvety butter chicken, served in a slim copper bucket brimming with boneless chicken strips and cream-laden tomato sauce. Unlike the Indian version, which calls for a fair amount of butter, this receives only a pat on top. And it 100% sufficed.

Popular throughout Nepal are steamed momo dumplings with sturdy casings to support a variety of fillings. I chose chicken featuring finely ground poultry jazzed up with minced onions and cilantro. Somewhere in the scheme there seemed a pleasant hint of sesame coming from either the meat or the thin, zingy tomato sauce bathing the momo.

Chaudhary says the momo can also be served “fried, seared, sauteed or in soup form” if preferred.

Everything is made from scratch, including the dough for samosas. I opted for the “chat samosa” rising from a pond of yogurt-mint-tamarind sauce that tasted sweet and refreshing. It was filled with a comforting mix of spiced, tender potatoes and green peas. Wedges of chary naan bread served as mops for the exquisite sauces that varied distinctly in all three dishes.

Customers seeking a spicy kick in their entrees can choose heat levels from a scale of 1 to 10. Fueling that heat is a red chili pepper native to Nepal called dhedo khursani, which Chaudhary imports. He compares them to habanero peppers.

Bhojan Griha’s menu is lengthy. There are nearly 90 items to choose from, including various naan breads, chutneys, sauces, and desserts. Among the top sellers is the butter chicken, lamb curry and momo dumplings. The menu extends also to seafood and vegetarian options, plus a few versions of chow-mein that reflect some of neighboring China’s culinary influences.

The restaurant is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. Lunch specials are available from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday.

Bhojan Griha

2367 San Diego Ave., Old Town

619-294-5770; bhojangrihaoldtown.com

Prices: Appetizers, soups, salads and dumplings, $2.99 to $15.99; entrees and other main dishes, $14.99 to $22.99. Lunch specials: $13.99.

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