Small kitchen. Huge reputation.

From a lockdown kitchen to an award-winning restaurant

Head chef Tej Bhandari left Nepal at 14 to support his family, and has worked in food ever since. He started out washing dishes in India, learned to cook on the job, and became a curry chef. Ten years in Qatar followed, then in 2009 he came to the UK, before spending seven years cooking at Asha’s in Birmingham.

During the 2020 lockdown, with nowhere nearby making proper Nepalese momo, he started making it at home. Local restaurants began asking to buy it, and that side of the business grew quickly into Momo Station, our wholesale kitchen now supplying frozen and fresh momo to businesses across Birmingham. In 2022, we opened our own restaurant, Taste of Himalayan, in Blackheath, Rowley Regis, serving the same momo alongside a full Nepalese and Indian menu. The team has grown from 3 people to more than 15, and we’re proud to support Nepalese community events across the region along the way.

“Winning last year meant a lot to the whole team, and being shortlisted again is a real honour. We are a small kitchen, so it comes down to the food and the people who keep coming back.” Tej Bhandari, Owner & Head Chef