Think Nepali cuisine begins and ends with momos slathered in fiery red chutney? Then you’re missing out on an entire universe of Himalayan flavours. India’s love affair with momos is practically legendary, but there is an entire world of regional cooking high up in the mountains that rarely reaches urban Indian dining tables. Also read | 5 delicious regional dishes you must try
Enter Vivek Man Sherchan, founder and CEO of the Kathmandu restaurant, Jimbu Thakali. Having already served millions of thalis across its flagship Kathmandu outlets, Jimbu Thakali has made its Indian debut in Gurugram. And Vivek’s mission is clear: he’s here to take Indian diners far beyond fast food and introduce them to the deep, provenance-led heritage of Nepal's Thakali cuisine.
Moving beyond the momo
For decades, Indians have associated Himalayan food almost exclusively with quick-service momo stalls. While Vivek acknowledges how much India loves the beloved dumpling, he believes it is actually the momo that paved the way for deeper culinary curiosity. “Nepal and India have been known as having a ‘roti and beti’ relationship. We have always embraced each other’s culinary culture, especially with the latest tsunami of momo,” Vivek says.
“Now, we can no longer say momo is Nepali — the way it’s been embraced by India. Thakali thali is the most popular culinary choice in Nepal at present. Momo's success in India is the real reason the focus is shifting towards the thali culture in India. With millions of Indians visiting Nepal every year, I’m pretty sure everyone who does has tried the Thakali thali. So, I see a big future for the Thakali thali in India as well," he adds.
{{/usCountry}}“Now, we can no longer say momo is Nepali — the way it’s been embraced by India. Thakali thali is the most popular culinary choice in Nepal at present. Momo's success in India is the real reason the focus is shifting towards the thali culture in India. With millions of Indians visiting Nepal every year, I’m pretty sure everyone who does has tried the Thakali thali. So, I see a big future for the Thakali thali in India as well," he adds.
{{/usCountry}}The core distinction, according to Vivek, lies not in unfamiliarity but in the subtle art of spice application: “Indian and Nepali culinary cultures are so close. Yet, the way we use our spices is very different.”
Ancient architecture of Kathmandu in Gurugram
The 80-seater, 2,500 sq ft Gurugram outlet swaps corporate glass for Kathmandu charm: red-brick walls, teal banquettes, dark wood tables, thangka art and a carved ceiling medallion. Inside: hand-carved Newari lattice screens, sculpted columns and brass-filled niches. Outside: a bold turquoise-blue facade with framed windows straight out of old Nepal.
When asked about the visual narrative, Vivek shares the traditional design story behind the restaurant’s striking wooden elements: “The windows were made in Kathmandu and fitted here in Gurugram.”
He adds, “It’s not 200-years-old. Just the design is of an ancient city like Bhaktapur and Kirtipur. The whole significance of the architecture lies in sitting on the porch of an old Newari Durbar. We feel that now that we have come to Delhi-NCR, we represent the whole of Nepal. Since we are a brand from Kathmandu, I really wanted to highlight the ancient architecture of Kathmandu.”
Have you heard of these regional dishes from Nepal?
The restaurant derives its name from jimbu — an aromatic Himalayan wild herb harvested in the high-altitude region of Mustang. “The herb Jimbu represents Mustang,” Vivek says. “Jimbu is basically dried shallot, but you can only find this particular shallot in Mustang. Since our culinary roots are Mustang (Thak Khola), that is the significance of the brand name Jimbu," he explains.
Maintaining these authentic high-altitude flavour profiles across borders requires careful sourcing strategies. “We plan to use everything local. We do have Himachal, where we can outsource a lot of similar produce,” Vivek says, adding, “Just timmur (Szechuan peppers) and jimbu are a concern.”
At the heart of the table sits the signature Thakali thali — with fluffy white rice, black lentils, fermented leafy greens, radishes, spicy tomato chutneys, seasonal vegetables, and choices of mutton, chicken, fish, or vegetarian curries. “Thakali thali is an eye-candy with different colours of essentials like achar, saag, and vegetables surrounding the white rice,” Vivek shares, adding, “We do have a lot of other dishes as well.”
Beyond the signature thali set, the menu showcases the true diversity of Mustang’s foodscape: from buckwheat specialities to crowd favourites like momo. “Mustang probably grows the best buckwheat in the world. We do have a lot of buckwheat dishes, like Thakali buckwheat nachos and kanchyamba (Thakali buckwheat fries),” Vivek highlights, adding, "We have a variety of sukuti dishes (dehydrated mutton). Mutton momo is our best seller. And, of course, thali is our winner.”
Scaling the Himalayan experience
Having perfected a central-kitchen model back home to maintain strict quality standards, Vivek is applying the same operational lessons to his Delhi-NCR expansion: “We do best with a central kitchen for consistency. Having a central kitchen really helps. We have sold a lot of thalis, close to 3 million, but we do have varieties of other Nepali appetisers and entrees from all ethnicities of Nepal.”
For food lovers across Delhi-NCR eager to broaden their palates, Jimbu Thakali offers a taste of traditional Himalayan food — proving that Nepali cuisine is so much richer, warmer, and more complex than just momos.