Best Nepalese

Little Nepal

925 Cortland (at Folsom), 643-3881

After its greeter welcomes you with a kind "Namaste," this chic, spare, and modern wood-lined room in Bernal Heights is a calm setting in which to enjoy Little Nepal's highly spiced and appetizing fare. You have to start with momos, perhaps the best-known Nepalese dish: sturdy, plump dumplings (stuffed with minced pork, chicken, or a mélange of fresh vegetables) served with a bright, slightly hot tomato sauce spiked with sesame. The chicken, lamb, and fish curries, which come with naan and rice, are pungent and often nicely oily. Vegetarian dishes include sagko takari, sautéed seasonal greens (we loved a mustard greens version); alu tama bodi (a combination of potatoes, black-eyed peas, and bamboo shoots in a garlicky tomato sauce); and the Himalayan take on chow mein. Lovers of Indian tandoor will also be happy with the array of tandoori meats on offer.