Friday night, @Shannon10Marie (formerly @SugarBritchesCake) and I had a rare grown-ups’ night out together. We decided to be bold and to try something we’d never had before. The decision: Everest Cafe in Tower Grove, blocks (or less) from several great bars and clubs.
Everest serves Nepalese, Korean, and Indian food. They have a quite descriptive page here, for those who would like to know more about each of these.
The restaurant is quite cozy, especially compared to the suburban sprawl that we’re used to out in St. Charles. By the end of the evening, Everest was full, but even sitting so close to the rest of the patrons, we never felt crowded. The inside was bright enough to eat and to share a romantic evening…not bright enough for my non-flash camera phone, as you’ll notice (not a flaw in the restaurant).
We started with rice wines. Shannon got the warm, which looked and tasted like the sake that we’ve had before at other places, and is not my favorite. I tried the cold, which came in a wooden bowl/cup, and had the appearance of very thin milk. It was delicious. It tasted more like an actual wine than I’ve experienced before with sake. It was bright, mildly sweet, and refreshing.
We ordered an appetizer sampler, which consisted of Vegetable Pakora (frittered vegetables with a chickpea crust), Vegetable Samosas (potato curry puffs), and Vegetable Mo-mo (Tibetan-style dumplings). The portions were pretty large, and all were very tasty. Considering that we were completely out of our comfort zone with the Tibetan, Indian, and Korean cuisines, this platter was an excellent way to put us at ease. I imagine that all cultures need comfort foods, and these fit the bill perfectly.
For our entrees, Shannon ordered the complete Nepalese Vegetarian meal (Daal, Bhat, Tarkari Ra Sag). It translates out to white rice with a delicious lentil soup (which our server suggested to pour directly onto the rice), and vegetables cooked in a traditional sauce (the Tarkari, I believe). Bold flavors with some spice reminded us that we weren’t in St. Charles anymore, and made us glad of the fact. Shannon’s dish also came with achar, which is a special pickle. We were warned beforehand that it would be saltier than we were probably used to. The warning was correct. I don’t think either of us took more than one bite. Not a deal breaker, though.
I ordered the Chicken Tandoori. Like Shannon’s, mine also came with White Rice and Lentil Soup. The chicken itself was legs and thighs, seasoned and grilled, served on a hot skillet with tomatoes, peppers, and onions. Simple and elegant, clean and delicious. It was a bit less adventurous than maybe I would have liked to have tried, but it was just flat-out great. Paired with my rice-wine, I was in heaven.
After our hearty and filling appetizers, we couldn’t finish our large servings during the main course. Especially since we had been informed by foursquare that we really should try the rice pudding. So, we boxed up the entrees and ordered the rice pudding. It was pitch-perfect, and a delightful end to our romantic dinner (if romantic dinners involve taking pictures of food, live-tweeting, and consulting with foursquare…and I think they do).
We ended the night at Novak’s and Just John’s, and really enjoyed our date night. Even better, though, is our resolve to cross the bridge more often, and try to get some of the real food that’s served outside of the ‘burbs! Thanks, Everest!
Eating Is What We Love! 