Himalayan Flavours opened its doors just four months ago, adding yet another cultural cuisine to Victoria’s panoply of international flavours.
The restaurant identifies itself as offering Hakka cuisine, the Hakka being a Chinese people distinct from but historically related to the Han people of China.
The majority of Hakka people reside in the Guangdong province, near Hong Kong, about 2,000 kilometres east-southeast of the Himalayan chain.
The Hakka connection to the Himalayan Mountains is culinary.
For most Greater Victoria diners, the menu at Himalayan Flavours may strike as Indian cuisine.
Here is naan, pakoras, samosas, paneer, masala, rogan josh, a large selection of curries, but also noodles, chow mein and rice dishes.
But don’t let the names fool you. Each of these dishes comes with a Hakka twist.
Himalayan Flavours is located in an easily bypassed strip of shops at the corner of Reynolds Road and Quadra Street.
My husband and I enter through the back parking lot, walk down a hall and into a spacious and dining room with identical brown tables all arranged on a perfect grid, and surrounded by identical brown chairs, all looking very new.
There’s been minimal effort at decoration, though a single TV on one wall does play a silent travel documentary featuring a modern white backpacker “discovering” the Hakka people in their home environment.
We are greeted by Kirun (key-run) the owner of the establishment who seats me and presents the menu.
We opt to start with Chicken Momos ($16.99). Eight dumplings, reminiscent of potstickers but more substantial, are filled with a good portion of shredded chicken and fried in an oil filled pan, browning one side, then served with a small bowl of Manchurian Sweet and Sour sauce.
In addition we ordered a basket of Naan ($2.99) which was buttery and elastic and lightly charred.
For our mains, Dennis ordered the Lamb Kadhai ($18.99). Boneless lamb is stir-fried with bell peppers, onions, tomatoes and unnamed “Himalayan spices” that Dennis found not too spicy but quite aromatic.
I ordered the Vegetable Jalfrezi ($14.99), opting for medium spice. I received a medley of stir-fried large cuts of zucchini, cauliflower, carrots, sweet peas, bell peppers, onions and cubes of tofu dressed in a tangy sauce.
Both meals came with a bowl of oddly colourful long-grain basmati rice created by adding a single drop of food colouring into water, stirring a little, and briefly rinsing the rice in it.
The result is that only some of the grains, or parts of them, are touched by the colour, and some for longer than others. It is certainly very pretty
Himalayan Flavours
778-966-7755
