Having been a proud culinary staple in Manchester for decades, The Great Kathmandu has garnered an impeccable reputation for bringing delicious, authentic Nepalese cuisine to the city. Located in Didsbury, the family-run gem continues to go from strength to strength, consistently adapting to adversity, and coming out the other side stronger.
High up on the list of many Mancunians' favourite restaurants, and a hotspot for visiting tourists and celebrities, the restaurant recently brought home yet another accolade, after winning the 'Best Nepalese Restaurant in the UK' at the British Curry Awards for the second time.
We spoke with Buda Dangol, managing director of The Great Kathmandu, to discover what goes into making the best Nepalese restaurant in the UK.
He explained: "We were nominated by customers for the award. They then send a secret diner who comes out to eat. And then after that, they let you know that you've been nominated. When the awards get in touch, they'll ask you to provide them with the history of your restaurant and tell them about anything that you do in terms of charity work, and if you do anything in the community."
Passionate about maintaining a strong community spirit, and inspired by the coming together of people, Buda shared some of the important charity work that the restaurant has been involved in.
He said: "We did quite a lot of work when the Nepalese earthquake happened in 2015, and that's still ongoing. During the pandemic, we provided food for one of the wards at the NHS in MRI. We did a buffet for all the staff in one of the wards. We also donate gifts to Ronald McDonald House every Christmas.
"We also do quite a lot of stuff for Alzheimer's research as well, in terms of raising money. That's close to our hearts because my mum had Alzheimer's and she passed away in 2020."
Founded in the 1980s by Gopal Dangol, Buda's father, the restaurant was among the first to bring a taste of Nepal over to the UK, and decades later, it is still at the top of its game. The passing of Buda's mum, and Gopal's wife, hit the family hard, but also gave them the incentive to continue her legacy, pay homage to the family's roots, give back to the community, and make her proud - which they have done splendidly.
The team at The Great Kathmandu is dedicated to bringing authentic Nepalese dishes to Manchester, whilst meeting the needs of its customers. This ethos inspired Buda Dangol, Gopal Dangol, and Akash Khadka (manager of the restaurant and Buda's nephew) to take a trip to Nepal in 2022 to gain inspiration for new additions to the menu, especially vegetarian and vegan options.
Buda said: "We've always been very Indo-Nepalese, but obviously Nepal is quite complex because geographically we're situated in between China as well as India, so there should be an oriental influence as well in there. So we added a few dishes which kind of embrace that oriental aspect."
Some of the new dishes on the menu, inspired by the family's trip to Nepal include; Namche chili, aloo tama, and an assortment of momos - a delicious Nepalese street food. The team goes to lengths to cater for all dietary restrictions, using plant-based recipes as well as taking advantage of vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free alternatives where needed.
During the trip, the family made time to give back to the local community, Buda said: "We went back to the village that my father was brought up in. We definitely wanted to do something for the community. So in my mum's name, we cooked food for the whole village and also gave out offerings, like food and clothing.
"They have a community hall - we actually helped build that hall in the village that [my father's] from - so the community that they have somewhere to go to celebrate, to meet and socialise."
Consistency and heritage are important to the restaurant, Buda explained: "We stay true to our original values in terms of the way that we make the food, in terms of the quality and the consistency. There are people that were regulars in the 80s that moved away and they've come back again and they said it tastes exactly as they remember."
With a new, spruced-up interior, the team at The Great Kathmandu is thrilled to have given the space a lick of paint, with each change designed to enhance the dining experience.
Buda shared a few of the improvements: "We've changed the lighting in the restaurant, so there's a warm light in the walkways, but there's quite a natural light on the tables, which emphasises the food. So if people take pictures of the food, they're getting the natural colour rather than the yellow of the light. You get a true representation of what you're actually eating.
"We also put booth seating in the restaurant to give more of an intimate dining experience. It gives you that privacy, even though you still get the hustle and bustle of the restaurant. You feel like you're in a nice environment."
Having overcome Covid-19 and family tragedy, with a passion for food and unwavering determination, Buda and the rest of the team at The Great Kathmandu are looking forward to the future.
Buda said: "In the future, we want to bring more authentic Nepalese cuisine onto the menu and bring newer techniques to cooking to give people a different dining experience. We were one of the first in terms of Nepalese food in Manchester, if not in the UK. And now a lot of other people have gone forward and have seen the quality of the value of Nepalese food."
The restaurant is open seven days a week from 4.30pm until 11pm.
To book a table at this incredible, award-winning restaurant, call 0161 445 2145, and to browse the website, click here.
