Himalayan Flavors in PuduAn American culinary truism: Where there's a sizeable immigrant population there's bound to be eateries offering good, authentic international specialties.
The same holds true in Malaysia, where 'migrant workers' (use of the word 'migrant' is telling; holding Temporary Work Permits that must be renewed yearly, these men and women, however long they may stay, can't expect to be granted the right to settle here permanently) comprise a good percentage of the workforce. Females involved in domestic work - in private homes, restaurants, hotels - are perhaps the most visible segment of Malaysia's migrant worker population, but
the majority of foreign workers (about 45%) hold manufacturing and plantation jobs.
Legal employment (estimates of the number of illegal foreign workers in Malaysia range from 300,000 to over 2 million, depending on who's doing the estimating) outside private homes usually means Sundays free (by law, maids are not guaranteed days off, and many never see a day free of work), and migrant workers - men, especially - within striking distance of Kuala Lumpur take advantage of the opportunity to bus into the city. Congregating in the blocks around the Pudu bus station, they meet friends, purchase calling cards, phone home, do a spot of shopping, and eat the foods that will transport them, at least for an afternoon, back to their place of birth. To hang out and drink beer with fellow countrymen is to feel, even if only for a few hours, not foreign. For many a migrant worker, anywhere, this Sunday, today, and next Sunday, 7 days away, make the days in between easier to bear.
Nepalese, at about 220,000, comprise Malaysia's second-largest population of migrant workers (after Indonesians, at well over 1 million), and tucked into the bus station area's shophouses are a few venues at which to sample their country's cuisine. The Khukri (named for the traditional Nepalese dagger) is the most 'upscale' of the lot. Tables bear cloths, lighting is low, service gracious and welcoming. Most notably, food is the focus (rather than a second-ran to beer), with many dishes prepared to order and flavors of reflecting much care and thought in the kitchen.
Our status as the only non-Nepalese in the crowded restaurant is, we think on a recent Sunday, a testimony to the the authenticity of its dishes.
Nepalese cuisine is a delicious blend of Chinese, Tibetan, Bhutanese, and Indian flavors and techniques. Unless you've travelled extensively in Nepal (we haven't), I'll bet that most of the dishes on the Khukri's a la carte and set meal menu will be new to you. Dining here is an adventure well worth embarking on.
Refreshed by tall glasses of cold mahi - similar to Indian salted lassi but made with buttermilk instead of yogurt - we start with momo, thin-skinned dumplings stuffed with a choice of pork, chicken, or lamb served with two dipping sauces, one tomato-based and spicy, the other chunky with peanuts and a bit sweet. Pork stuffing is moist and fragrant with dry spices, and wrappers successfully straddle the fine line between satisfyingly chewy and undercooked. The cloudy broth accompanying the dumplings is meaty and perfumed with cardamom.
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