Fusion might seem like a fairly modern culinary concept, but the mixing of different cuisines has been going on since time immemorial. Nowhere is this more evident than in the humble, little landlocked country of Nepal, whose neighbors have rubbed off to create an exotic cuisine that mixes Chinese (dumplings and stir-fry) and Indian (curries and spices). “Nepalese fare” only turns up a few local search results, but Everest Cuisine could have a hand in changing that.

Located in a commercial-residential area of Mountain View in the shadow of the search giant—or as my 6-year-old eloquently put it, “So this is where Google lives”—Everest quietly serves up unique dishes and a few standard Indian favorites. The best way to sample out a new cuisine is to try as much as possible, so we went with the lunchtime buffet ($10.99) over the à la carte dinner menu.

Everest’s buffet has a small but quality selection that has something for everyone, including quite a bit of vegetarian-friendly choices. I was a bit disappointed that they only had two Nepalese dishes to try, as the rest consisted mostly of Indian-style dishes. They did have a nice selection of chutneys that featured mango and, my personal favorite, tamarind.

The Nepalese portion of the buffet consisted of a traditional yellow dal (lentils) and a vegetarian biryani. Both were quite good, as the creamy lentils melted in my mouth with a unique blend of spices that I can’t say I’ve had before. The biryani also was fluffy, and spiced very well.

On the Indian side of the menu, the highlights had to be Paneer Makhani (butter cheese), Andhra Goat Curry and the Tandoori Chicken. The Paneer Makhani sauce was rich, buttery and full of flavor. I could’ve just eaten a huge bowl of just this and been satisfied. The goat curry was equally flavorful and chock full of tender, flavorful goat that was cooked perfectly. It also had a nice kick to it, making me start to sweat. Luckily I had the forethought to order their delightful Mango Lassi ($2.99) to help quell the heat. The drink was thick and refreshing, and it had a terrific mango flavor without being overly sweet. The Tandoori Chicken was cooked so perfectly that the meat fell right off the bone.

Although I would’ve enjoyed delving more into Nepalese fare with more options on the buffet, it was still a nice introduction. As far as Indian buffets go, Everest has a high-quality selection at an excellent price point, with the added advantage of maybe trying something new along the way.

Everest Cuisine
425 N Whisman Rd, Ste 100, Mountain View.
650.282.5958