Hours
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$$ - average
Nepalese
Nepalese on State St
Excellent vegetarian and vegan menu in cozy atmosphere.
Added by Matt Mackall on Mar 5 03 (updated Sep 15)
Reviews
I had a really terrific lunch at Himal Chuli. More than half of the menu is vegetarian (and a number of the vegetarian items can be made vegan by leaving off the yogurt sauce). I ended up sharing a couple of different appetizers with friends and then I had the seitan buff for my entree (which was basically a stir fry dish consisting of seitan, different vegetables and spices, served over a piece of flat bread).
It is definitely worth mentioning to the waiter that you are vegan. My friends and I tried to order only appetizers that sounded dairy-free but some came with yogurt sauce on the side. Also, we ran out of water pretty quickly and it took a while for the waiter to re-fill it, so it might be a good idea to ask for a pitcher of water or order another drink. The food isn't terribly spicy but it will still make you wish you had more than one small glass of water for the entire meal.
Wonderful vegetarian food, family owned and operated. The family is vegetarian and very careful to cook any non-vegetarian items on a separate grill. Our favorites are Takari or Saten Buff but everything here is delicious. We eat here every chance we get.
Oh man. This place is so good. I eat there every time I'm in Madison, and crave it when I'm away. The dal is so good I sometimes dream about it, and the waitstaff is very good about letting you know what is and isn't vegan.
Himal Chuli is one of the flagship veg-friendly restaurants in Madison. It's a super-small and friendly place, which can get filled up pretty quickly during peak hours, so keep that in mind. Also keep in mind that this place isn't great for groups larger than two or three, given the limited space.
I noticed that they've increased their prices, and the more sophisticated dishes (such as the ones with seitan) are $15, while their 'tarkari' (vegetarian) combo selections are around $7-9, and served with a small herbal-bean soup, a main dish, and either rice or roti (note: the roti doesn't appear to be vegan).
These are steep prices, considering the place is CASH or CHECK-ONLY, so make sure to carry at least $40 or more, if you plan to splurge on dishes.
The food is wonderful. It's fresh, light and simple. They have rotating 'tarkari' selections; the last time I went I had a combo meal with a butternut squash curry and also a spinach-blackeyed peas-potato dish.
I wish Himal Chuli were 100% vegetarian, because Madison desperately needs an all-vegetarian restaurant, but as it stands, Himal Chuli is as good as it gets.