Kathmandu Kitchen

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Location
234 G Street, between KetMoRee and Jusco
Hours
Open every day: Lunch 11am-3pm, Dinner 5-10pm
Phone
(530)756-3507
Website
[WWW]http://www.kathmandukitchendavis.com
Coupons
[WWW]http://www.daviscouponsonline.com/kathmandukitchen

Although the decor inside Kathmandu Kitchen is not slick in feel — cases holding Buddhist statues visible to patrons from the waiting area — these are trivial details in relation to what really matters: the food.

The food presents the diner with a wide array of choices, and there is something to delight everyone, from carnivore to the vegan. Also, for those who love South Asian dishes but are at constant intestinal war with heavily spiced foods, one can ask for any or all dishes to be prepared mildly. They make a point of purchasing from local farmers. The prices are reasonable, not cheap, and even if you're new to South Asian cuisine you will have to work hard to make a misstep while ordering in this restaurant. Still, if you are worried the wait staff are good about suggesting tried-and-true dishes.

Suggestions

  1. If you have some samosas as one of your starters, try the Nepalese-style samosas instead of the usual samosas. The pieces will be smaller, but you will get more of them. Having more pieces is better if you're going as part of a group anyway.

  2. Unless you want to forego the dairy, have a lassi to drink with your food. The cool of the yogurt will ease the spiciness of what you're eating. The mango lassi is especially vibrant in taste, though more adventurous folks should try the salt lassi.

  3. Kathmandu Kitchen has great sauces. Order some mango chutney to go with your dishes and your naan or chapati. Ask for extra tamarind sauce or cilantro/mint sauce if you like.

  4. If you are at all interested in eating vegetarian- or vegan-style, this is definitely the place to do it. Many avowed meat-eaters will walk away from a vegetarian/vegan meal at Kathmandu Kitchen feeling nourished, full, and totally satisfied.

  5. Remember to take a spoonful of toasted fennel seeds from the bowl by the door as you're walking out. Crunching on a small handful of these little babies will freshen your breath, cleanse the palate, and leave a taste on your tongue that is out of this world. What a great way to round off a fabulous meal!

If you are looking for a dish that cannot be bought elsewhere in Davis, the momos are right up your alley. These Nepalese dumplings come in meat and vegetarian varieties, are a good deal, can be split across multiple people, and are more filling than most meat dishes.

Buffet

Kathmandu has a lunch all-you-can-eat buffet Monday-Friday that's $8.95. The buffet is more limited in choice, but is still absolutely delicious. Recently they've added sushi and other non-Indian items. They also regularly have a booth serving up food at Picnic In The Park.

Farmer's Market

Kathmandu has a tent at the Farmer's Market on Wednesday evenings. The menu is limited compared to the restaurant, and the portions are a bit smaller. But the food is quite good, and you pay somewhat less for the food too. This is a great way to try their food, and is very tasty.

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Older Reviews & External Reviews

Media

[WWW]Read a feature story about owner Navinder Bhandal, originally from India, who took over the restaurant from the previous owners two years ago and a [WWW]restaurant review with photos from May 09 in Davis Life Magazine.

Current Reviews

2006-01-26 19:10:49   Okay, people...just because we're college students doesn't give some of us the right to display such poor restaurant manners. Rule #1- Don't ask for split checks-especially if you have a big party or the restaurant is busy. It's just kind of a dick move. Food servers hate it, and ANYONE who has ever worked in food service will tell you that. #2- If you are waiting exceedingly long for your check, simply go up to the hostess stand (or in this case the CASH REGISTER) and tell the host/hostess/manager that you would like to pay for your meal. Either they will make the transaction, or they will immediately get your servers attention. Then deduct a percent of your tip, because after all, TIP stands for "to insure promptness," and if they aren't prompt, then they arn't getting it. —SerenaDonovan

2006-01-26 19:12:09   Oh yeah, Kathmandu rocks. I've always had good service and the food is SOOOOOOOOOOO good!!!! Try the vegetable momo or the Matter Paneer! —SerenaDonovan

2006-01-27 10:36:28   They have these seeds at the front that are like India's version of after dinner mints. They're pretty good. Once my roommate laughed while eating one and it stayed up his nose for 2 days. He said it burned. —NickFranklin

2006-01-31 10:38:29   We went there the other night because New Delhi Chaat Cafe was closed, having their rugs cleaned (or something) - I got chicken tikka masala, which at New Delhi is the best thing ever... it was pretty bad at Kathmandu. The other people in my group got dumplings or vegan stuff, which were good, but I think New Delhi is waaay better, service and foodwise, and cheaper, too. —EmmaCoats

2006-01-31 13:08:20   I _love_ the Chicken Makhani. It goes great with a side of garlic-basil naan. —AlexPomeranz

2006-02-19 14:58:54   Everything in the lunch buffet was good except the nahn, which was too doughy and bread-like than what I'm used to (which is the real thing). Raja's makes better nahn. —JennaChan

2006-02-23 18:15:08   this restaurant has a great atmosphere. the first time i went, i got the vegan thali, which was amazing. the second time i went, i got the vegan thali again, but this time everything was way too salty. it was still good though. if you get the vegetable pakoras, the sauces are not vegan or vegetarian, they have yogurt in them. [yogurt is made from gelatin (animal bones/hooves/skin)]. you should probably ask about all of your sauces, just to be safe. —VincentLee

Very few yogurts have gelatin in them anymore. —NoelBruening

2006-03-19 19:17:06   Their chicken dishes are pretty good, def. the best indian restaurant in davis. If you really like indian food though, the best place to go is Viceroy in Berkeley on the corner of Shattuck and University. It is well worth the drive. —JulienBiewerElstob

2006-03-20 08:20:40   As this is our favorite restaurant in Davis (for the food, definitely not the service), my girlfriend and I stopped in for lunch on Saturday. The food was superb, but the service was absolutely horrendous. The guy who took our order spoke very poor english, and we had to repeat our order 3 times. We ordered two curry dishes, one appetizer, a mango lassi, and one order of naan. Our curry arrived with no sign of the appetizer or naan. When we inquired about the appetizer, the waiter literally scoffed at us and told us that we never ordered one. I told him that I'd not only watched him write it down on the third line of his order sheet, but that he read it back to us and we confirmed the order (as read to us) was correct. We told him we didn't want it any more now that we had food. He says okay, and tells us the naan will be coming soon. We say fine. We have to ask about the status of our naan bread twice more. It finally arrives about 10 minutes after we've gotten our main dishes, when we are about 60% done with our meal. Well, better late than never, I guess. For some reason, there's a double order (one garlic basil naan, one regular naan). The waiter also bring us the appetizer we just canceled, obviously not having understood us when we said we didn't want it any more despite saying "okay" to our cancellation request. We send it back because we're not paying for it now. Then we proceeded to finish our meal (the food was EXCELLENT). He brings us the check (which was written on the same paper as our order, and the appetizer is clearly listed there, and then scratched out). We note that we have been charged for two orders of naan, despite only having ordered one. We have to ask them to remove this, since we never ordered it, and didn't eat it. They are obviously unhappy at us, despite us not being the ones who screwed up the order, and our meal is eaten in uncomfortable silence. All in all, I really wish the food wasn't so damn good here, because the service is so consistently poor that it frustrates me. I don't know why they continue to hire serving people who do not have a grasp of the basic english language. —AlexPomeranz

2006-03-23 05:59:27   Food arrived cold after a very long wait. Service was cold and lacking. Dusty. —AricaChhay

2006-06-11 14:37:09   Their buffet is awesome! Not only do you not have to deal with their typical crappy attempts at service, but they have lately been putting out some great curry dishes that aren't stingy on the meat. Get there early for good naan. I highly recommend the tikki masala, it's my favorite, and you can't go wrong with chicken. Advise that you order and pick up, because really, their service was so lousy the last time that I went for dinner that I vowed never to go again for a sit-down meal and it was the first time in years I didn't leave a tip. Having worked food service for over 5 years during school, that says a LOT. (note: My fiancee wrote this) —AlexPomeranz

2006-07-12 23:27:34   I wish they'd bring back the map of the U.S. It was amusing. Generally I like the food and am less than impressed with the service. —MisterProfessor

2006-08-06 14:58:05   At Davis Farmer's Market I purchased 2 containers of spinich which to my dismay the server did not completely fill the containers. I was disappointed an agitated because the stuff is expensive $3.75 per (very small) serving. Would I go back there? NO. —JoeCustomer

2006-08-09 20:27:26   The sign says they close at 10PM, however me and a friend of mine have been turned down the last two times that we've shown up here at 9:30 & 9:45 PM. I realize it kinda sucks to have people show up at the last minute, but we aren't horrible customers. We tip well and order an ample amount of food for two people. The last time we showed up there the 3 people who walked in split seconds ahead of us were seated, while the dude who works there stopped us in the doorway and said they weren't offering anything, not even take-out. Granted, we aren't bourge, but I really don't get it. The times I have actually managed to sit and eat, they have always asked us to pay way before we are done eating, and will pace back and forth by our table, sighing. —MorganFlores

2006-08-11 13:57:13   This place has gone down hill over the past few years. The bland lunch buffet is poorly refreshed, and the service at night is hopelessly slow. —CraigBrozinsky

2006-09-22 09:08:17   Went there last night, food was as good as ever. Also they had a ethnic nepalese dance program it was very entertaining. Love the food and will be visiting soon again. —MattBocher

2006-10-25 22:15:15   I frequently get some of their food at the Saturday farmer's market and overall have been very pleased. My 1.5 year old daughter loves their curry and masala dishes too. The samosas are great for a quick snack before the bike ride back from the market. —JonathanEisen

2006-10-25 23:43:42   Food is decent, overpriced IMO —TusharRawat

2006-11-01 15:57:17   I used to absolutely love this place, but the last 3 or 4 times I've been, the food was pretty average, despite the high prices. Now I never get to satisfy my indian food craving...I wish another Indian restaurant would open in Davis. We have more than enough Asian food and bistros now; why not better Indian?!?! —GradStudent06

2006-11-11 15:11:41   The food here is very good, but the service can be slow. I find their practice of placing the napkin in the empty water glass pretty annoying. Every time I have eaten there, I get grossed out by the debris that I see floating in my water after the glass is filled. Perhaps they should place the napkin on or beside the plate instead. —DavisCritic

2006-12-13 01:19:45   The reviews above seem to be pretty consistent with the experience I had, as well. I thought the dinner was quite yum- however, the service was very slow and the meal pricey. I would probably return, but only if I had the time (and the cash!) —StacieTownsend

2006-12-13 21:35:06   They clearly use great ingredients here as everything has just the right amount of spices. I come here for the buffet and I am always impressed at the quality they put out. Service isn't too much of an issue with a buffet, but servers do seem a little out of it. On the whole this place is great though and I shall return many times. —JohnHumperdinkle

2007-01-07 12:52:24   We used to pick Raja's over this place since this place is 6-7 blocks further from campus. However, the food is so good here that we will probably take that extra walk from time to time. The only suggestion I would have with this place is to label the buffet foods because we have no idea what we're eating since we didn't see any labels. —BeeBooBee

"2007-01-12 21:16:35"   I loved the food when my spouse brought home the take out. However, when I finally went to the restaurant after having a few take out orders at home, I was turned off by the messiness of the kitchen. I worked in a professional kitchen before so I know it 's usually stressful back there But they really need to clean that place up. I occasionally take a peak to see if it's clean. Until it is, I'll have to get my Indian food elsewhere. —SoyoungLee

2007-01-16 05:32:34   I went here awhile back. I was a little concerned about the cleaniless and the food was great, but just not big enough portions for the buck —JasonKong

2007-01-17 08:38:14   Kathmandu continues to be one of my favorites places to eat in Davis. This is not to say the place is perfect, like many Asian restaurants (though not true of all) service is a bit lacking sometimes (Americanized establishments tend to focus more on big smiles and forced conversation). However, only one time have I ever had to wait a relatively long time for my food, and when I go in for the buffets or to dine I never personally have had to wait for water. The Buffet is a great deal (try the Chicken Mekhani), and while the food is relatively pricey I've never been disappointed with the food. I'm not a great job of it's authenticity, but this non-indian likes this place. —AlvinTsao

2007-02-12 14:12:37   VERY good food, but gives me stomach aches..... —KatieStorer

2007-03-02 12:58:12   I enjoy the food served at Kathmandu but I don't really enjoy the service (can't they work with a smile? Please?) —DonnaChen

2007-03-15 12:58:38   Someone should really update the prices on this. It's not $6.99 it's $8.95 and they don't have the price posted anywhere so I felt kinda duped. Granted the food is good but if you like this place you should take a drive out to Pooja Indian Grill in West Sacramento. It's even better and their buffet is cheaper. Better Tandoor, Makhini, and Saag. —MattMuller

2007-05-02 20:35:38   My partner and I had a lovely dinner here one night awhile back. The food was very good; unfortunately, specifics have been forgotten. As with the one other Nepalese restaurant in our experience, the difference between Indian and Nepalese is subtle, if present at all; it seems to be mainly a difference in the spices used. Oh, but the spices! Definitely worth trying, if you never have. The service was slow, however; definitely the place to go if you're in the mood to linger. Since then, I frequent the stall that the restaurant runs at the Farmers' Market. There is generally a vegetarian combination plate that is very good; typical for the plate would be a spinach dish, a chickpea dish, rice, naan, and pakora. —CovertProfessor

2007-05-04 12:38:52   Food is a bit pricey but their raisin and nut naan is A.M.A.Z.I.N.G! It looks semi-romantic. I have yet to try their lunch buffet but I hear it's good at a pretty decent price!-VT —VivianTang86

2007-06-08 01:02:46   The food was pretty good, and so much for a low price... However, I order take out and it seriously took forever to get my food. Extremely terrible service and they even forgot something in my order. Good thing I always check my stuff before I leave! Notice that this isn't the first time that someone has complained about service... Their cash register and check organization is terrible and they really need to figure something that works better. They seem to have no idea what they're doing! —CAkita

2007-06-19 16:41:06   Good food but RUDE, IMPOLITE and DISHONEST. Having a good moment. It was my idea when we entered in this restaurant last week. We ordered a $15 bottle of white zinfandel. The waiter brought an open bottle (no, he didn’t remove the cork in front of us) at least full with a cork from a red wine (different name and dark red mark at the bottom of the cork). Good but not white zinfandel. We wanted to spend a good night so we said nothing. Our entrees were good (the only positive point). The waiter brought the bill 5 minutes after the entrees had been served, I guess because it was 9:50 pm and the restaurant closes at 10. Music was stopped too. On the bill the wine was more expensive: $18. I asked why and he answered that they had no longer the one desired and therefore gave us another one, not on the list either, more expensive!!! He eventually changed the price but was upset that we dared complaining: he threw boxes for food on the table as you throw bones to doggy. Conclusion: TO AVOID

2007-07-16 15:15:04   Tried some of their food from the Farmer's Market to give it another shot... And not only did I find a nice, long hair in my food, but I got food poisoning later. I think it's safe to say that I will never be eating from this place again. What a shame... —CAkita

2007-07-19 20:00:45   The food here is DELICIOUS! (But I have never tried Indian food that was truly bad). I usually order different types of Naan (sp?). However, they are very rude. I remember it was almost time for closing and they just threw the bill on our table right after we got the food. I know it was almost time to close but there are nicer ways of handling it. —JenHuynh

2007-08-30 00:55:08   A friend and I came here for dinner yesterday. My biggest problem with this place isn't the service, it's with the booth they sat us in. If I'm going to drop $15 on a Tuesday night for dinner, I don't want to see grafiti in my booth and I don't want to see big orange stains on the tablecloth. Now, the food was good, but I felt a bit deceived. The platter that they served the food in was big enough, but I was expecting more pieces of meat, not just a few chunks in a sea of tomato sauce. —PaulHarms

2007-09-18 23:04:57   I just wanna grade them..... FOOD=A+ AND SERVICE=D- (because that place is not good for hungry people=you have to wait, wait, wait). Thank you. —SoMeOnE

2007-11-05 14:16:16   My family and I went in for dinner the other night and had an awesome experience. We were sat right away and promptly greeted by a friendly server. We ordered the works and everything was exceptional, My wife and I shared a Kitchen special, the lamb chops are to die for. I would suggest that dish to anyone who visits. My kids had childrens meals with chicken tikkie masala and they loved it. This will be a place my family visits regularly from now on. —Richard007

2007-11-11 10:27:53   Really great place. The owner and staff are really nice. They have very reasonably priced options. We went for dinner and sampled several items. My friend is a big fan of SPICY Indian food and they went over the top to bring her different condiments and pickled fair. The food is quite tasty even to an average American palate like myself. Nice atmosphere, you would not guess how nice it is inside being a door or two down from the Pub. Really nice people running a nice restaurant. —LouisM

2007-11-12 22:51:54   Cockroach crawling up the wall of our booth during lunch buffet. Yes, I reported it. No, won't be going back. —JessicaH

2007-12-15 22:39:29   I ate here this evening and was pleasantly surprised that the server was very nice, but not surprised she got our order wrong and our check wrong. Oh well, it was not a big deal. The food is pretty decent, but not what you would expect a dish to taste like. It says on the menu that chicken vindaloo is cherry sauced, and it actually is cherry sauced. It has a nice maraschino taste if you like that sort of thing. Not bad at all, but I prefer a more traditional vindaloo. The korma was okay- very creamy. Although the yogurt sauce is good in the thali platter, I don't suggest ordering the whole platter. Perhaps just an extra side of naan and some sauces on the side. The actual side dishes are congruous with a the coleslaw that comes with fried chicken, don't really want it but it comes with it... All in all a decent place. —KenichiSan

2008-01-09 02:52:04   I think the buffet is up to $8.99, but you can get a coupon online to save $1. My fiance & I have eaten off the dinner menu, as well as come in for the lunch buffet. I much prefer Kathmandu's food to Raja's (more flavor & more to choose from). I love that they offer a vegan thali. The waitress also helped us out with which other dishes were vegan options on the menu. The Bhindi Masala with okra was especially delicious. —AprilAries

2008-01-31 14:29:55   I walked through the door and was immediately hit by the strong odor of mildew. It was even stronger where we were sitting by the back. Probably from years of wet carpets and gunk under the floor tiles. I also went in the restroom soon after one of the cooks. Bad news: he didn't take off his apron when he was pissing, and HE DIDN'T WASH HIS HANDS AFTERWARDS! I used to work as in a food processing plant, you would have been fired immediately for that. Needless to say, I won't be going back. I love Nepalese food, but if I wanted it THAT authentic (like with free pathogens), I would just go to Nepal. —procrastinator

2008-02-09 18:08:19   The food here is very good, and the prices are fair. The servers aren't mean or anything, but I always get the feeling that many of them wish we would leave sooner than later. Forget about getting drinks refilled and things like that. Also, if you come in a half hour before they close, they stop making chai. They turned off the fireplace when I was sitting right in front of it, which wasn't very nice. Come for the food, tolerate the service. —StellaChiara

2008-02-24 02:01:34   I would like to add: If you say your lunch buffet runs until 3:00, DON'T unplug the warmers & start carting the food away at 2:35. I came in at 2:15 & was seated by a server. I had a glass of wine & was just finishing up my soup & starters when the main dishes were being pushed off. I had no intention of keeping them past 3:00, but at least give me a chance to go up for the main course. I was not the only one eating. Another couple came in after me, & they too had to run back up before the food disappeared. If you want to shut down at 2:30, just tell people before they sit down please. —AprilAries

2008-03-23 23:31:11   I have always ordered their food to-go since we have read about the terrible dine-in service. The food is always delicious (try the basil garlic naan bread instead of the regular)! We dined in for the first time last night and our waitress was wonderful! The other couple we went with had never had Indian food before and didn’t really care for curry flavors. Our waitress recommend some excellent dishes for them to try and they loved them. She was very attentive even though the restaurant was fairly busy that night. Over all service was excellent, food was great, and we had a good time. —NtoWolves

2008-03-27 16:38:25   ShazAam! Other than the waitress at lunch time, this place has AmaZing food! I have to comment on the service/waitress today as I am fed up with the attitude. I love this place, but the middle aged female waitress who works during lunchtime consistantly gives attitude and is very rude when i eat there. she doesnt say hello when we come in and just asks for how many. she constantly stares at us when we goto the buffet bar with her arms crossed standing next to the cashier. I thought maybe she was like that to everyone, but no. when some food distributer/delivery man came in she was all smiles and hello's. Has anyone else noticed her stare of death? its not cool nor comfortable with her pacing with arms crossed next to where i'm eating. i might just have to give up the buffet and only eat during dinner time. —markphillips

2008-04-11 14:22:15   I just went to there lunch buffet about 30 minutes ago and now its 2:15. There service was horrible, and the hostess kept eye balling me as I went to get my food (as if I was gonna steal some food?). The only words spoken to me was "for two?" and thats it. The only thing close to decent was the red chicken curry and the bread called nahn. I might have came at a bad time or something because the rest of the food was soggy and tasteless. The price lies, it is not a "little over 6 dollars", it is really 9 dollars plus tax and tip. This is my worst experience of a buffet in Davis. —John916

2008-04-11 14:57:06   The food here is pretty good. I tried one of their dinners that had a main dish, plus a bunch of other things included. The chicken Makhani was quite good. The nan was plain (a bit surprising, since it is usually served buttered). The rice was also quite good, as were some of the things that came with the meal. Oddly, I felt somewhat sick afterwards - possibly (hopefully) from eating too much of the food. The meal was large - I did not finish it. I also got a mango lassi. Not the best lassi I've had by a long shot, but it was decent, and definitely much better than the one I had at Raja. Service was fast, as far as getting my food, taking my order, and paying, however no one stopped by in the middle to see if everything was ok or if I wanted something else. Price range was in the $12-$20 range for a dinner for one person. Overall, I'd say this place wasn't bad. Not the best indian restaurant I've been to, but I'd consider going back. —IDoNotExist

2008-05-02 20:46:59   I had their mixed vegetable curry thali plate for dinner tonight. For $14, it was a let down. The food was nothing special, just plain, and the portions were just right for one person. For the money, I would rather go to Raja or some other establishment. —justinhu

2008-05-05 08:27:38   My girlfriend and I went there last night for dinner and the whole experience was awesome. We have lived in Davis now for five years and had never tried the place till now, and I am glad we did. They had a good selection of beer, and the menu is huge. We shared a couple of dishes the rack of lamb which was excellent, and the chicken korma, it was the best I have had in a while. The service was great our waitress was very attentive and helpful with the menu. We will be visiting them again very soon. —miles001

2008-05-25 19:46:29   I'd like to second many of the comments that I've read above about service. Having come from Berkeley, I have a pretty high standard for really good Indian food. While not quite of the same caliber, Kathmandu used to do in a pinch. Lately though, I've become exhausted by their continually rude service. If serving food is such an inconvenience for you, than you shouldn't be in the service industry. I don't think we'll be going back - any other suggestions for good Indian food in Davis? —Stina

2008-05-29 03:16:09   As I mentioned above, I was rushed out of the lunch buffet by the same waitress other people here have described as rude. The last time I ate here for dinner with my fiance, she waited on us. Our order came out wrong & after we explained it to her, we later caught her talking about us to a busser (she was pointing & gesturing directly at us). I explained this to another waitress, from whom we have always had great service. She took care of us for the rest of our meal & apologized for her co-worker's behavior. I haven't been back since then. —AprilAries

2008-06-24 23:00:11   I reviewed this place a few months ago on my Solano County Dining blog. We really enjoyed it. There was a little English language barrier but other than that we thought the food was great. We liked the service because different people kept coming by to see if we were good to go. Some restaurant owners and managers can get jaded, but the Kathmandu folks were friendly. I didn't even tell them I review restaurants! The full review is at solanodining.blogspot.com. —pbrite

2008-06-24 23:48:42   A good way to try Kathmandu, without quite as much expense, is to visit their booth at the Davis Central Park picnic on Wednesdays. They are someone cheaper than eating at the restuarant, and they have a pretty good sampling of their food. Yum. —IDoNotExist

2008-07-05 19:29:49   Great food! Prices are about average. The place is kind of dirty and unsanitary. Why is it in America we kiss the waiter staff's arse? If you want the check split, then ask for the check to be split!! It's a college town for pete's sake. Do you think some 19 year old kid is gonna pick up the tab for 6 people? —JimBob

2008-07-31 18:25:03   Kathmandu has a tent at the Farmer's Market on Wednesday evenings. The menu is limited compared to the restaurant, and the portions are a bit smaller. But the food is quite good, and you pay somewhat less for the food too. This is a great way to try their food, and is very tasty. —IDoNotExist

2008-09-06 15:59:01   I go here with my father everytime he comes to visit (because i'm a bit cheap). It is my favorite restaurant in Davis now that the Afgani restaurant is closed. The food is good, and it sis one of the few places that gives me what I ask. I've found it to be the only place in Davis that will actually give me really spicey food when i ask for it. No one else does. i think there is a misconception amoung many restaurants that if a white girl asks for really spicey food, she doesn't actually want it.

anyways, just make sure if you get the meal instead of the entree that you don't get appetizers. its just way too much food. and come here, its delicious!!!! —ascapoccia

2008-09-24 10:26:18   I was a bit skeptical before we went here, as I am not too hot on Indian food. But, I was pleasantly surprised! The food was wonderful! The vindaloo was spicy, as requested. The garlic naan was amazing. Our server, a young, dark-haired woman, was very nice. I can't wait to go back! —maymay

2008-11-03 16:56:11   When I think back to when I lived in Davis, all I can remember is how much I've taken this restaurant for granted *hangs head*. I used to order garlic basil naan and the chicken vindaloo (EXTRA, EXTRA SPICY) for lunch, usually to-go and be happy for the rest of the day. Now, I drive 2 hours for this meal. And since I'm also a fan of Davis Noodle City, I stop in Davis for lunch and dinner and try not to fall asleep on the drive home HAHAHA!! —LizKim

2008-11-10 23:42:05   BY FAR my favourite restaurant in Davis. The staff is VERY friendly and accomodating, and are happy to give you suggestions and answer questions about the menu. I LOVE the baigan bartha and the vegetable korma (excuse me if I am spelling these incorrectly). If you are not very hungry, see if your waiter will let you order from the kid's menu, the portions are just right for me! This restaurant may be a bit expensive, but the food and service is worth EVERY SINGLE PENNY. My aunt who lives in Martinez drives all the way to Davis to have lunch with me at Kathmandu (bypassing S.F. and Berk), that is love my friends (love for me or love for Kathmandu? I can't tell for sure). Aree Rating: 9/10 —ArianeMetz

2008-12-01 18:09:33   had this again last week (tika masala) and was not impressed— bland and not nearly as good as i had hoped. seemed like deli chicken breast cut into cubes, thrown into premade sauce and heated in a microwave. very disappointed —KenichiSan

Sigh* if only making indian food was so simple, id have done it a long time ago. I just had crepes. I hope I paid for what was more than sliced fruit and nutella sandwiched in between pancakes and topped with lucerne whipped cream(that part might be true)- Derek

2008-12-01 20:00:24   I can definitely recommend their lunch buffet. Great selection. Very tasty. I wish they had more varieties of naan at the buffet (they mostly just have plain naan), but the food is really good. —IDoNotExist

2009-01-14 00:22:27   I enjoyed their korma. They also have pretty good naan and serve their meals in hearty portions. A little bit on the pricier end for college students, but it's worth the cost every once in a while. —AmanpreetSingh

2009-03-26 19:59:09   I enjoyed the aloo tikki, but not the same as off of a street vendor in Chandigar (oh well, I'll settle, heh). I really enjoyed the chicken tikka, but that's a given. I only wish they weren't so stingy on the meat... no kidding, there was maybe five bite-sized pieces of chicken in the entire dish. Also, I loved the puri. —DirtDiver

2009-03-30 17:04:38   good food but never enough meat, service isn't always the nicest but rarely do they mess up, all in a ll a good place. —piratechef

2009-04-03 14:35:11   I'm a little surprised to hear complaints about the service. They've always been very friendly + professional to me. Perhaps not overtly "social" or out-going, but I've always gotten what I wanted when I wanted it. (Sole exception: large take out orders, which have consistently been 15-30 minutes late.) This place has been up/down over the last 4-5 years... started high, then hit a low point a few years back when service became incredibly slow, and food quality dropped. But the last 12 months, in my opinion, has been a consistent high for them. The food's great, the naan is delicious again, and service has finally sped up. This is one of my favorites in town. —ChonT

2009-04-12 16:50:04   I am in utter disbelief at the incredibly poor service and even poorer food quality... I've been coming to Kathmandu Kitchen for almost seven years, now, and never have I had a more disappointing dining experience at a restaurant in my life than this past week. My friend and I had a hankering for their once-delicious chicken tikka masala, so we opted to go there for lunch. As an extra precaution, I called ahead of time to see if they were serving dinner entrees as well as the lunch buffet, and I was assured that, yes, dinner was also being served. When we got there, we were seated immediately, but that was the end of the prompt and courteous service. We waited for almost 20 minutes before our order was taken, and in that time we saw numerous waiters and the notoriously b*tchy waitress go over to the water/silverware/napkin table and put together little sets, chit-chat, or pick up water pitchers to take to other tables. When the b*tchy waitress noticed that our water glasses were almost empty, she poured what was left in her water pitcher into my glass (lukewarm, with no ice left), and never came back to refill my friend's glass. When she did her "water rounds" the second time, she walked by our table. As she passed by (She was so close that I could have reached out and punched her, if I'd been so inclined... I was sorely tempted.), I spoke up in a very audible voice and asked her if she wouldn't mind refilling my friend's glass, but she refused to meet my gaze, or fill the glass. In other words, she INTENTIONALLY ignored me. Finally, a busboy noticed that we were getting antsy, so he summoned a nicer, older waiter over to our table to take our order and fill our glasses. We then waited another 30 minutes for our food to arrive, and had to ask again for our water glasses to be filled. When our food arrived, it was disgusting beyond belief. The tikka masala sauce was watery and bland, and the chicken tasted like it'd been left out to dry on the asphalt for a couple of days. The only edible item was the naan, which is a no-brainer to make. Amidst friends' horror stories of cockroaches found in food, rodent problems, and the mold/mildew issue due to plumbing issues (A friend of mine worked on their plumbing while they were closed up a few years ago and told me how disgusting it was.), this was the last straw. Needless to say, we told our waiter about how disappointing the food was, left a $0.24 tip, and we will not be giving this restaurant any of our money ever again. Perhaps you should have a word with your parents about this, Sneha... —cas

2009-04-12 23:45:21   I've had many good experiences there, including in the recent past. The food really is great, and I've never seen something that *shouldn't* be there. —IDoNotExist

2009-04-13 13:12:46   Just to corroborate some of the negative service comments here. I've only been here once for dinner because I've heard they have the only decent Indian food in Davis. The food was pretty good, kind of hit or miss. My girlfriend had a dinner salad, which was nothing special and wasn't very fresh even though it cost much higher than average. The service was one of the slowest I've ever experienced, for both taking our order and getting our food to us. I haven't gone back because the food wasn't that great, it was way overpriced for the quality, and I just don't have that kind of time to waste. The restaurant was NOT crowded, there were only two other tables besides us. —KellyM

2009-04-20 13:54:10   Made the mistake of trying their (new?) delivery service a couple weeks ago. Now mind you, they *charge* for this delivery service (an additional $3 on top of your bill), but it took them 85 minutes to deliver an order within Davis. I had called right at 5 before there could have been any dinner crowd at all to slow things down, and had been quoted 20 minutes on the phone, which seemed unrealistic, but 85 minutes? The food (which I'm used to not being that great, just okay) arrived cold, of course, and the portions were notably smaller than they are in the restaurant. Disappointing all around. II think I'm done with Kathmandu - I don't understand why this restaurant survives when the food is only 'eh' most of the time and the service is SO bad. There is much better Indian food on the new hot food buffet at the co-op, and you don't have to put up with the always-discontented waitresses. —calvin2

2009-07-23 05:18:42   There's this bitchy woman who works there. She scowls all the time! But everyone else is really nice, and the food is delicious! But I stopped going for a little while b/c I got tired of her looking at me like that. I was scared of her! —Ilovetacos

2009-08-03 11:17:34   I had dinner at Kathmandu a couple nights ago. I've never encountered the slow service or the bad waitress attitude at Kathmandu that several others here have commented about. I found the service fast and attentive as usual. My servers (I had two—a man and a woman) weren't overly warm or friendly. I'd call them neutral and efficient, which is good enough for me. I've never been to the lunch buffet; only to dinner. I don't know if that's the difference...maybe a different staff at lunch? —SteveGreen

2009-08-03 11:28:33   I still love the food here, but I sometimes have a really tough time getting things like refills on water. Checks show up very fast, but other stuff does not. They just seem to forget sometimes. The food is amazing though... —IDoNotExist

2009-09-13 22:42:39   This was my first Indian cuisine experience so I have nothing to really compare this restaurant too. I went for Sunday lunch with a few friends who have never eaten Indian food either, hoping that they served the lunch buffet, but it was not offered during weekends. It took a while for the waiters to come take our orders, and the food took a while to come out even though the restaurant was pretty empty. It seemed they are doing renovations to the building interior, which caused the place to smell like acetone. Anyways, the food was pretty good and I was pleasantly surprised. I got the lamb tikka masala and I loved the sauce, especially with the naan bread. The portions were not lacking, however it came with a high price. Service was attentive after we received our food, and it seemed that the waiter or manager noticed our inexperience with this style of cuisine so they made an extra effort to talk and answer our questions about the food. Will be returning, but for the buffet because it's cheaper and I want to try other dishes w/o paying a hefty bill. —BenLee

2009-09-15 15:32:47   I recently ate a vegetarian dish here. The food tasted excellent, and the service was great. However, I was sick for about a week afterward. I can't say for sure that it was caused by the food, but my GI problems started several hours after I had dinner at Kathmandu. —striker

2009-10-08 17:58:59   The food is consistently very good in all the ways one can get it. I have had take out, dined in, and frequently visit the farmers market booth on Saturdays (ah lamb curry is a good way to start a weekend.) The staff is professional and helpful. The food comes out deliciously, meaning it takes time to prepare such high quality food. I watched the chief in the kitchen (I had come in earlier than my pick up time, food was ready exactly at the time quoted previously) and it was clear to me that making good food is the goal. At this point I make it a goal to have something different each time I visit. —csy

2009-11-08 20:50:43   Best indian place in town! We've been long time indian food connoisseurs, and we agree that this is the best place to enjoy quality indian food in davis. The atmosphere is amazing, the servers are caring and friendly, and the food is phenomenal. We like eating at home, so we usually do take out...we order the chicken tikka masala, chicken vindaloo and garlic cilantro naans...they are always ready very fast, and we never have to wait to pick them up. If you are dining in, i recommend the mango lassi (its like a creamy mango yogurt smoothie)..it really compliments their spices well. Although it isnt the cheepest place in town, it certainly has the best quality....perfect for dates and celebrations. If you love spicy food, you will love this place. However, if your spice shy, you will also love it because you can order mild and it is really really awesome.

Go here! —mrandmrs

2009-11-11 11:02:06   The lunch buffet is one of the best deals in town. I also enjoy their veggie curry platter at the Farmers' Market. I crave their somosas! —GJC02

2009-11-19 12:37:53   I rarely eat out, but when I do, I usually go to the Kathmandu buffet. So, clearly I like the food. I've probably gone a dozen times in all; all were good experiences except yesterday. Sadly, I must report that my friend and I both got sick from eating there yesterday (at the buffet), food poisoning symptoms. This meal was the only thing in common that we consumed. Delicious food with a non-negligible chance of food poisoning: it makes me hesitate to go back (even though I'll probably give it another try). —livegreen

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