Yak and Yeti: New Himalayan restaurant offers momo and mo'

EVANSVILLE, Ind. - “Dal bhat power, 24 hours.”

That is a Nepali saying meaning lentils (dal) and rice (bhat) will keep you going strong all day.

“We eat lentils and rice every day, for lunch and for dinner,” said Sagar Tamang, manager and co-owner of the new Yak and Yeti Himalayan Restaurant on Green River Road.

There are plenty of rice and lentils on Yak and Yeti’s menu, but this new exotic restaurant offers much more: a wide selection of Indian dishes and many specialties of Nepal brand-new to Evansville.

“Nepal is in the Himalayan Mountains between two big countries — India and China,” Tamang explained. “Culturally, Nepal is more like India, and about 80% of our food is derived from India, but we have different spices and different methods. We also have some very traditional Nepalese foods we wanted to introduce here because none of the other restaurants have it.”

Tamang is originally from Nepal and moved to Alaska in 2009 with his wife. A few years later, the couple joined family in the Evansville and Newburgh areas, where Sagar’s uncle Pash Tamang owns a pair of Marathon gas stations on Boeke Road, one each at the corners of Washington and Covert Avenues, which are well known for fried chicken.

Tamang followed suit with his own gas station and convenience store on St. Road 261 in Newburgh, where he also sells the popular Cajun chicken.

More food news

More:Poke Pirate: a new alternative to sushi in Evansville

More:This new North Main candy shop will sweeten your dreams

More:Stay Hungry: gingerbread, Himalayan cuisine & more in this week's Evansville food news

Still, Sagar dreamed of having a restaurant that served the foods of his home country.

“We have a small community of about 100 Nepali people in the area, extended family,” he said. “When we gather or there’s an event like an anniversary, it’s hard to fit in one house. I felt it would be good for us to have our own restaurant to go to, and a way to bring our authentic food to Evansville so people can try it.”

He partnered with Krishna Shahi and the two put together the Yak and Yeti team to do just that.

On the menu at Yak and Yeti, you’ll find your favorite Indian dishes such as tandoori meats, chicken tika, and various vegetarian and meaty curries. Most of the food owes its lineage to India, but some is more influenced by China (Nepal shares a long border with Tibet). One popular spice found in Himalayan mixtures is timur or timut pepper, a berry closely related to the Sichuan peppercorn, so these dishes will have a slightly different flavor profile from those at strictly Indian restaurants.

Some of the most exotic must-try dishes are as follows:

Chowmin – Chinese-inspired stir-fried noodles, these have nothing to do with those crunchy chow mein noodles from the can. Long, soft noodles are combined with chicken, vegetables and fragrant Himalayan spices.

Dum Biryani – You’ve never had biryani quite like this. Flavorful spiced basmati rice with bits of meat and vegetables is piled in a copper serving dish and topped with a round of naan bread dough, then baked in the oven. The bread seals in the steam and fragrance, which are released as you open the package at the table.

Momos - These juicy little dumplings are a famous food of the Himalayan mountains. They look like pot stickers, but taste very different. The dough is made in-house at Yak and Yeti, and each dumpling is shaped by hand. The filling is chicken, seasoned with herbs and a mixture of tasty spices.

The momos are steamed and can be served as is with a piquant dipping sauce, deep fried until crisp, served in a soup with sesame oil and lemon, or sautéed with vegetables in a sweet and tangy sauce. Vegetarians will appreciate the paneer momos, filled with mild pressed cheese and vegetables.

Samosas – These are shaped like a crispy pouch made out of a phyllo-like dough, tied with an onion leaf and deep fried. The filling is made with sweet potato and a mixture of spices including whole crunchy coriander seeds. They can be served as is, or compressed into a “tower” and garnished with crunchy sev noodles and mint and tamarind chutneys.

Sekuwa - Lamb or chicken is cubed and marinated in unique Himalayan herbs and spices, including timur pepper, before being char-grilled and served with a green salad.

Thukpa – This hearty noodle soup is made with homemade broth, lots of fresh veggies and special Himalayan spices.

Thali – A type of combination platter, the Nepali Thali contains rice, lentils, chutney, and a selection of meat or vegetarian dishes, all arranged nicely on a platter in pretty copper and silver dishes.

Tamang and Shahi mean for Evansville’s Yak and Yet to be the first of many. In coming years, they plan to open locations around the area in Louisville, Nashville, St. Louis and Indianapolis.

If you go

Yak and Yeti is located at 815 S. Green River Rd.

Phone 812-909-2002

Hours:

Monday – Saturday

Lunch buffett 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

Dinner 4:30-10 p.m.

Sunday

Lunch buffet 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m.

Dinner 4:30-10 p.m.

https://www.facebook.com/YakandYetiEvv/