Even as Bikash Kharel expands his restaurant business onto Long Island, he hasn’t lost sight of where he learned to cook.
“The inspiration in general is really my mom’s cooking,” said Kharel, who is both owner and chef. “It’s how she has taught me to make food.”
While in Kathmandu officially opened its doors at 61 1/2 Glen Cove on Wednesday, Sept. 25.
“It was a good start,” Kharel said. “It was good reception and it made us feel good.”
Kharel has owned a location in Ridgewood, Queens since 2017.
Before opening his business, Kharel assisted his father at his family’s Indian restaurant, where he learned about the restaurant business.
“The inspiration is really working with my father at an Indian restaurant,” he said.
Kharel said that many people equate Indian food with Nepali food, but the two are very different. He said that he aims to educate people about the contrast through his restaurant’s cuisine.
Kharel said he wants to “make people aware of what Nepali food is and Nepali culture is.”
“At least a few people that come in touch with us can know Nepal better,” he said.
Kharel said the restaurant staff was confident that a Nepali restaurant would “work in major cities like NYC.”
However, when looking to expand, Kharel said that he wanted to explore Long Island, where people are less familiar with the cuisine.
He said he prepares food using spice blends and techniques he learned from his mother’s cooking.
As both the owner and the head chef, Kharel said he wears “many different hats.” He said his role involves “tackling both sides” of the business.
“There are things that I’m still navigating as a cook,” he said.
A challenge with serving Nepali food is that it cannot be prepared in advance, Kharel said.
“Everything we do has to be done – to be prepped – in the morning and made for the day,” he said.
Kharel said Nepali food cannot be saved for the next day because it has to be prepared fresh.
With the expansion, new menu items have been added, such as the water buffalo burger and the chicken sandwich. Kharel said the restaurant’s menu is currently abbreviated, but the full menu will be launched soon.
The restaurant seats 45-50 people. Kharel said he wanted his second location to “feel brand new.” There are hand-painted murals on the wall depicting a blend of Long Island and Nepalese culture, he said.
Kharel promised that restaurant-goers will feel “transported away from Glen Cove” at While in Kathmandu.
