Brothers bring a taste of Nepal to Nom Nom Wings
Asian fusion tapas restaurant and bar takes flight
Sameer Shrestha and Ivash Dongol aren’t brothers in the usual sense. In their native Nepal, a good friend is called brother, explained Ivash from behind the bar where he and Sameer work shoulder to shoulder, sometimes chatting in Newari, their original Nepalese language.
The two recently took over Nom Nom Asian Tapas and bring a steady presence to their fusion restaurant at 524 NW 14th Ave. They’ve tweaked the lighting and interiors, pleasing both chef Joseph Han and the patrons, said Sameer.
“Phase by phase” is how the blood and sweat of getting a restaurant off the ground is done, said Sameer, who has lived in the United States for four years. “I make some money, I spend some money.”
Changes since taking over the space include lunch (there’s a $10.99 chicken or pork curry rice bowl, and dumplings) and expanded hours. They often stay later to feed soccer fans after Timbers games.
Chef Han did the “corporate cooking thing” for eBay and Nike before finding the creative freedom and stability he craved here. Try his garlic shrimp with carrot ginger puree and tiger sauce. As a boy, Han said his Korean-American father shooed him from the kitchen, which he considered a woman’s realm. But his grandmother shared her skills with him anyway and he studied at Le Cordon Blue Culinary School in San Francisco.
Dishes are sharable and served tapas-style. Himalayan-style dumplings, called “momo” are a handmade standout, as is the Nepalese chow mein. All the spices are imported and freshly ground, and there’s even a Tibetan beer, Barasinghe. “We’re the only place that has it, it’s a lager-style pilsner. Back home everyone loves it,” Sameer said.
People think of Nepal as all mountainous, said Ivash, but “there are mountains, and hills and flatlands.” Since moving here, he’s noticed how independent Americans are, almost solitary. “In Nepal you are very attached to your family and friends.”
Nontheless, he said he dreamed of coming to America since he was a boy. As the only son in a family with four other sisters, he sends much of what he earns back home. He studied computer science in Missouri before coming to Portland two months ago to join Sameer.
Sameer studied engineering as an undergraduate but became obsessed with cooking in recent years.
“It’s now or never,” he said of his venture. “It’s both a struggle and a new beginning.”
Briefly
X Noodles and Dumplings, 870 NW 13th Ave., is about to open. For real this time. The sign is up on the corner of Northwest 13th and Kearney Street (the former home of SuperDeluxe), and the new interiors have been completed.
Hunt & Gather Provisions, 1203 NW Glisan St., is open for morning foraging at 8 a.m. Tuesday-Saturday. The French-inspired menu has a few down-to-earth options in addition to the elevated French cuisine. A slice of ham and gruyere Quiche Lorrainen ($8) with pate brisee crust is decadent, so just get it and don’t look back. Chef Andrew Biggs and team also offer a chorizo breakfast burrito ($12) with sides of sour cream and hot sauce; avocado toast ($10); and bread pudding French toast ($12). A full pastry case displays croissants, pear frangipane, a monster cinnamon roll and a savory house puff with leeks and mushrooms.
Fisherman’s Daughter Vintage Supply, 931 NW 23rd Ave., will open soon in the former Alotto Gelato space next door to Nob Hill Tavern. They plan to hock all the good old scruffy stuff: worn denim, secondhand workwear, and according to a Facebook page, “treasures that feel like the Pacific Northwest itself.” So while loggers and shipyard workers are scare these days, we can still dress like them.
Cambria Hotel, 165 NW Park Ave., is a new dog-friendly hotel on the North Park Blocks just a hop, skip and a jump from Powell’s City of Books. The hotel restaurant, Recess, is named for the jungle gym out front and in honor the Emerson School that came before it. Recess has a happy hour from 4-6 daily.