Top 5 dishes to try at Launceston's Nepalese restaurants

In Launceston, the number of Nepal-born residents has grown from 304 in 2016 to 1424 in 2021.

In 2021, Nepali was the most spoken language in Launceston after English, with 1822 speakers.

The Nepalese community have also brought their vibrant cuisine with them and Launceston and the surrounding suburbs are dotted with a number of Nepalese restaurants offering spicy, warming Himalayan fare.

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While other subcontinental cuisines like Indian are a staple of takeout nights, Nepalese cuisine remains less well-known than its South Asian cousins.

So what should you try if you've curious about Nepalese cuisine?

We asked two Nepalese restaurant owners in Launceston about what they would recommend to first-timers.

Usha Sapkota, owner of Sherpa (formerly known as Nanglo) on George Street has been running the restaurant since January.

Everyone loves a dumpling and Ms Sapkota says the item that's getting "more popular day by day" at Sherpa are Nepalese dumplings called momos.

They're eaten in Nepal and the neighbouring region and are made with meat, vegetables or cheese and sometimes served with an orange chutney on the side

"If anyone hasn't tried Nepalese food, I will recommend to try the Nepalese momo," Ms Sapkota said.

"They're very delicious."

Thalis are eaten all over South Asia and include small serves of rice, lentils, proteins and vegetable dishes all on one plate.

"We can't live without rice. Rice is our main food," Ms Sapkota said.

With a thali you'll get steamed rice, some of sort of curry, pickles and lentil soup, she said.

It's a great way to try a lot of different dishes at once.

Chow mein might be a familiar item from Chinese takeout menus.

But while the noodles are similar, the flavours in Nepal's version are totally different, said Mitra Gurung, owner of Himalayan Hub on Charles Street.

Mr Gurung, who recently opened his restaurant, said that chow mein was a "pretty popular" item at Himalayan Hub even with locals.

It's spicy and can be prepared with chicken, buffalo, eggs and vegetables.

Choila is a spicy, traditional dish cooked in a tandoor, clay pot oven, Mr Gurung said. It's made with either buffalo or chicken and can be made mild as well.

Buffalo is common protein eaten in Nepal and Mr Gurung sources the meat for his restaurant from Nepal via Victoria.

Many people who haven't had it before end up enjoying it, he said.

This is a very popular dish in Nepal which Mr Gurung is trying to introduce to Australian palates. It's fried chicken or buffalo cooked with capsicum and diced onion in a tomato sauce.

You can eat it with rice, but it's drier than a curry, Mr Gurung said.

Ms Sapkota said seeing the number of Nepalese restaurants growing in Launceston makes her feel "obviously happy."

It's great to see the community running their own businesses and developing themselves, she said.

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