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Weekly Scoop (Nov. 19-25) - Himalayan Cuisine in the Heart of Downtown Asheville


Dig This... With Stu Helm

A quick peek into the life and times of Asheville's No. 1 food fan.
photo by Stu Helm on Instagram @stuhelmfoodfan

#VegWeek Continued: Kathmandu Kitchen

I could have just as easily titled this one "#VegWeek: Discontinued," because, for the second time in two weeks, I utterly failed at maintaining a vegetarian diet for an entire week. I made it longer on my second try than I did on my first — four days as opposed to less than 36 hours — partly with the help of good ol’ Kathmandu Kitchen!

Located right downtown, adjacent to Pritchard Park on Patton Avenue, Kathmandu is serving the traditional food of the mountains… that is, the Himalayan Mountains. Offering a variety of Indo-Chinese dishes from Nepal, it is definitely one of the most unique restaurants in Downtown Asheville. I had never eaten Himalayan food until I moved to Appalachia — thanks, Kathmandu! They also happen to have a lot of vegetarian options. So, I got online and did one of my favorite things on Earth: ordered takeout for delivery.

I ordered vegetable mo:mo (dumplings with tomato sauce), malai koftah (vegetarian meatballs), basmati rice, Nepali naan (flatbread with raisins and cashews) and kheer (rice pudding) for dessert, which all showed up at my door, hot, fresh and ready to eat — and in a minimum of plastic packaging, I might add! #Yay!

I sometimes compare Indian food to Southern cookin’ because the “comfort” factor on both is through the frickin’ roof, and the two culinary styles do share some commonalities. The warm, slow-cooked, creamy goodness of malai koftah is a great example of that, as is the very sweet, rich, hearty, tasty and satisfying kheer rice pudding.

I enjoyed this meal tremendously, and recommend that you try Kathmandu if you haven’t been there yet, or go back if you haven’t been in a while. It’s one of Asheville’s most interesting li’l gems in my opinion! It’s great for meat-eating omnivores of course, as well as for vegetarians and wannabe-vegetarians like me. 

I’ll take another stab at #VegWeek another time. Like, after the holidays. Maybe.

As always, you can find the best deals and specials at Kathmandu Kitchen on their Dig Local page.

Below you will find one locally curated Scoop chosen for each day this week — but make sure to check out all the Scoops this week on our Dig Local Scoop Calendar.

Monday, Nov. 19

Risque Monday Burlesque
with the Burlesque Academy of Asheville
Come see a mix of burlesque performers from newbies to veterans every Monday at The Odditorium. You will never see the same show twice! Tickets are only $10.

Click here for more details.
Check out the rest of Monday’s Scoops here.

Tuesday, Nov. 20

PT Pub Night
at Hillman Beer
All physical therapists, PTAs and PT/PTA students are welcome this Tuesday for the first-ever PT Pub Night in the Asheville area. Network with your colleagues over delicious brews!
Click here for more details.

Check out the rest of Tuesday’s Scoops here.

Wednesday, Nov. 21

90's Night
at Asheville Retrocade
Have a totally rad night this Wednesday listening to 90's jams and watching your favorite 90's movies, as well as getting other exciting 90's surprises!

Click here for more details.

Check out the rest of Wednesday’s Scoops here.

Thursday, Nov. 22

What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving? We're thankful for all the amazing local businesses that make the Asheville community so unique and special. Several of these local restaurants are also offering Thanksgiving dinners, potlucks, buffets and more today.
 
Thanksgiving Dinner
at The Blackbird
Enjoy a 3-course dinner for $65 for adults and $15 for children under 12.

Click here for more details.

Pack's Thanksgiving Buffet
at Pack's Tavern
Find all your favorites at this buffet for only $37.99 for adults and $17.99 for kids.

Click here for more details.

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Check out the rest of Thursday’s Scoops here.

Friday, Nov. 23

Record Store Day Black Friday and Small Biz Saturday 
at Harvest Records
Find special Record Store Day Black Friday releases, enter giveaways, drink free beer and get the best deals during the basement sale this Friday at Harvest Records. And on Small Business Saturday, the basement sale continues! 

Click here for more details.

Check out the rest of Friday's Scoops here.

Saturday, Nov. 24

Sip & Shop Small Business Saturday
at Rustic Grape Wine Bar
Get out of your turkey coma with a glass of wine and a selection of beautiful goodies from Essential Journeys and Beads of Change Asheville to shop from.
Click here for more details.

✨ And don't miss the Breaking Scoop newsletter later this week showcasing all the local shops participating in Small Business Saturday. 

Check out the rest of Saturday’s Scoops here.

Sunday, Nov. 25

Shine Flow Om Yoga Meets Cider
at Noble Cider
Do a little yoga and drink a little cider afterward. Sounds like a win-win to us!
Click here for more details.

Check out the rest of Sunday’s Scoops here.
For all of this week’s Scoops and more, visit DigLocal.com or download the Dig Local AppKeep digging local!