Body and Soul: Edinburgh's Himalaya Cafe
Inspired by a visit from the Dalai Lama, Edinburgh's Himalaya Cafe is a pocket of Tibetan food and community, writes Ema Smekalova
I know, I know; hearing the phrase ‘it’s more than just a cafe, it’s a way of life’ does tend to activate the fight or flight response. Yet when I sit in the cosy space of The Himalaya Cafe, finding my bad mood dissipating through every mouthful of fried momo dough and every sip of spiced chai, I start to think they might be onto something.
Momos are traditional Nepalese dumplings, which are essentially filled balls of fried or steamed dough. The ones I order on this particular visit contain a mixture of soft cubed tofu, green onions and other veg, served alongside a bowl of homemade sweet chilli sauce. I also try the Himalayan fried rice, which quite fittingly arrived in the form of a fluffy, delightfully greasy mountain. It’s delicious, generous, and most of all, comforting.
I soon discover that the invisible barriers that are typically upheld between tables at most dining establishments don't really exist here. Whether you’re a Himalaya regular or not, you’re part of the community once you’re inside, and even for someone on the shy end of the introversion-extraversion scale, that’s a nice place to be.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama (yes, the actual Dalai Lama) is kind of the reason for The Himalaya Cafe’s existence. On a diplomatic visit to Edinburgh in the 2000s, he met the cafe’s founder, Reka Gawa, who was a caterer at the Scottish Parliament at the time, and told her to do something to promote Tibetan culture. Food is an obvious medium, so thus, Himalaya was born.
Once you’ve sipped on their famous chai, or browsed their (dining table based) library of Buddhist reading material, or taken some time in the meditation room downstairs on your way to the toilets, you might just emerge on South Clerk Street feeling nourished in both body and soul.
Himalaya Cafe, 20 South Clerk St, Edinburgh; Tue-Sat, 11am-6pm
This article is from issue two of GNAW, our new Scottish food and drink magazine. Free copies are available in venues across Scotland, or read the full thing via Issuu. Follow GNAW on Instagram @gnawmag