The Everest Café began life on Washington Avenue, just west of downtown. It seemed to do a reasonable lunch business, but evenings were usually quiet. We did begin to see other theater-bound folks at dinner, though, and word seemed to spread. Its careful move to Manchester Avenue’s mostly busy Grove area seems to have been a wise decision, considering the new quarters, with seemingly increased business and the expanded menu.
There’s a distinct coziness to Everest now, a nice change from the previous location, which was rather stark. The lighting is warmer, the space, divided into two rooms, seems smaller, along with, perhaps, the seating capacity. Its warmth on these cold evenings is particularly welcome. And things can get busy, especially on weekends; it’s a good idea to call ahead, even if it’s just a half an hour before you plan to arrive.
The menu has definitely expanded. It’s vegetarian-friendly, and even indicates which dishes are gluten-free. But it’s not just a longer menu. Everest always has offered Nepalese food, the native cuisine of owner Devi States. Korean food now is on the menu because States’ wife, Connie, is from South Korea. And there’s Indian cuisine as well, not a surprising jump since Indian food is a strong influence on Nepalese. The increasing popularity of sub-continent food in our town must have contributed to the decision to include it, and to find room on the lunch buffet. These cross-cultural dining opportunities have been around for a long time in bigger cities–we like a Cuban-Chinese spot near Zabar’s in New York, for instance. It’s light years away from the high-end corporate-speak of things like "Pacific Rim cuisine," and a good example of how food evolves.
We’ve long been fans of the momos, delicate dumplings that have tender dough wrapped around savory fillings, whether the vegetarian or the moist, spicy ground pork. Daal, a traditional lentil soup, is brothy and mildly spiced, an excellent starter. There are salads and deep-fried samosas, the pastries filled with vegetables, as well as a couple of other soups on the menu, too.
Both our meals arrived with a plethora of sides. One, from the "Taste of Korea" section, was chap chae. These are noodles made of sweet potato flour, retaining a little of the characteristic sweet potato flavor. They were delicious, easy to wrap around a fork, with a texture much like some Chinese rice noodles. Served with several vegetables including mushrooms, spinach and onions, and topped with thin slices of beef, tender and much like the korean "barbecued" beef called bulgogi, it was a winner with its slightly sweet, garlicky-salty seasoning. The dish arrived on a plate with compartments, rice in the center. Joe was happy to see kimchee, the spicy-hot fermented Korean pickle made with various vegetables, mostly the cruciferous sort, that he considers a delightful accompaniment to meals. Everest makes the most common, cabbage, but we’ve also seen radish and turnip at restaurants or on some retail shelves. The platter also contained a square of savory egg custard, some crunchy pickled white radish and several othr vegetables. The numerous side dishes are traditional in Korean food, offering lots of little bites of different things. The arrangement is similar to the platters of curries and vegetables called sambals and served in Indian restaurants.
Daal, bhat, takari and saag is the traditional meal with the rather untraditional addition of shrimp. The shrimp in a ruddy sauce with hits of ginger and garlic, were nicely cooked and good-sized. Daal is discussed above, bhat is rice, and takari refers to cooked vegetables. The nibbles also included Mango achar, the Nepalese word for what we know as chutney, some quite tart raita that tasted of black pepper and some spiced chickpeas.
A few of the Indian breads are available, including naan, which arrived hot from the oven and papadum, the thin, crisp, melt-in-your mouth delight perked up with cumin here and there. We skipped dessert in favor of chiya, hot spiced milky tea, a good thing before heading out into the cold. Our service showed the gentle earnestness that has characterized Everest ever since we began going there, eager, but not yet very experienced. It’s worth being patient. Both American and Asian beers are available.
Everest Café & Bar
4145 Manchester Ave.
314-531-4800
Lunch & Dinner Mon.-Sat.
Credit cards: All major
Wheelchair access: Fair
Smoking: No
Entrees: $9-$15
