Cafe Kathmandu closing soon

If you don't already know,Café Kathmandu is closing soon (but supposedly will reopen elsewhere later). For celiacs and vegans, this will probably be sad news because just about everything is gluten-free, and most of the menu is vegan.

It's a cosy place with Himalayan decor that sets it a notch or two above a hole-in-the-wall. Maybe it's because the place is in it's final days and staffing is tricky when you're closing, they were busy on the floor and understaffed. Expect to have to call out to get someone's attention, and to have to be proactive about getting your bill. Best to just get off your ass and approach someone at the counter, really.

Aaloo Achaar ($7) Chilled sesame-lemon potato salad flavoured with timmur (Himalayan peppercorns) and fenugreek. Served with chiuraa (crunchy beaten rice lightly toasted).

• Chiuraa is like tasteless cornflakes. Curious to try but I wouldn't order something just to get some. You could probably get away with asking for a tiny sample.
• Also comes with a super-hot chili on the side (thankfully). This chili is good for being spicy-hot, but also not leaving a burning sensation / lingering aftertaste on your tongue.
• There's lemon?
• Interesting combo with the sesame, but overall, I wouldn't order this again.

Curries - Served with basmati rice. Your choice of spiciness.

• If you don't tell them they may not ask what level of spiciness you want. We went with "very hot (just like Nepal)" and it was maybe medium spicy compared to Indian or south-east asian places.
• I asked for my rice to be swapped with roti. I got four wedges of roti. Not a good deal, but useful if you don't want too much starch in your dinner.
• Curry flavourful but on the watery side. It did NOT taste watery, it just was not as thick as, say, Indian style curry.
• It's hard not to compare it to Indian curry, but if you really want Indian curry, go to an Indian restaurant. Come here because it's GF and V.

Potato Curry ($12) Taamaa - lightly seasoned potatoes simmered in bamboo shoots and black-eyed peas.

• This curry was OK. Not too much flavour contribution except from the seasoned potatoes, though.

Chicken Curry ($13) Kukhuraako Maasu - boneless chicken simmered in a curry of onions and spices.

• Pretty decent for chicken curry.
• I didn't see or taste much contribution from the onions.

Goat Curry ($15) Khasiko Maasu - piquant goat meat in curry sauce.

• Dark and flavourful curry. Of the three I tried, this would be the best one.

Curry Combo

• You can have your curry in a combo for about $5 more. You get slightly less curry (maybe 20%-30% less?) in a smaller dish, but you also get daal (lentil soup), rice, roti, and a bit of radish chutney.
• Not really sure this is a great deal to be honest. Basically it's lentil soup plus roti for $5.