I’ve been driving by Namaste for a little while now, wondering about the space that seemingly could not sustain a restaurant.
This corner of the Mission has had a few incarnations, the last of which was 14 Peaks Nepalese Cuisine, Buttermilk Southern Kitchen before that, and I believe a very short-lived Korean place during the pandemic.
Namaste comes with good bones. It’s a family-run business with four other locations in the Bay Area, operating since 2011 with three months in this neighborhood.
So, is it a chain? If the food is good, does that matter?
Fortunately, the food here is very good. Owner/operator and executive chef Dilip Gurung began the enterprise in Santa Cruz and, while our friendly server said he wasn’t technically part of the family, Chef Gurung made one feel like kin.
They’ve definitely put in some effort in refurbishing the space. It’s a little more refined, with a large mural, colorful wallpaper depicting Indian scenes, tufted teal seats, and cushy booths.
The only note we had was the music playlist: “Snoozy Generic,” I believe it’s called. Maybe something a bit more modern? Bollywood tunes, perhaps? Raga classics?
The BF (he lives!) and I shared a few dishes recently. We started out with the ground-lamb-and-goat-cheese-stuffed seekh kebab:
Lovely, with just enough lamb and goat gaminess, this was tender, juicy, with grilled onions and peppers and a sweetish curry underneath, and tamarind and spicy cilantro chutney on the side.
The dish came with a saffron pulau, which we found unnecessary, and inexplicably far less flavorful, than the fragrant basmati we ordered. It was too much rice, but I was glad we had it.
We split the chicken royal curry. “What makes it royal?” I asked. More and varied spicing in the masala (proprietary spice blend), resulting in a robust, creamy, nut-based curry.
The malai kofta, a new dish to me, featured paneer and vegetable dumplings in a rich tomato and cashew gravy. I asked what they were bound with: Chickpea flour, wheat? Mashed chickpeas — so, rather like a poached falafel maybe, but more meltingly tender.
The sweet, almost carrot-like curry was the same as what came under the lamb kabab. This was the carnivore BF’s favorite dish of the night, and we finished it off at the restaurant.
We also had the lasooni murgh — savory chicken thighs marinated in roasted garlic with the chef’s special masala. Too often, tandoori results in dried-out meat, but these were juicy, and I loved the subtle charring.
Given Chef Gurung’s Nepalese heritage, we were keen to try the momos, so we know we’ll be back. I’m also intrigued by the avocado chaat, the Thai-sounding lemongrass curry, and the goat biryani.
There are a whole slew of vegetarian dishes, too, of course. And I noticed too late that you can get the various dishes mild, spicy, or Indian Hot, yet another reason to come back.
Namaste offers a decent selection of wines, mocktails, tea, and bottled and on-tap beer. Quite a bargain as well, considering we had enough leftovers for almost two additional meals.
I keep being pleasantly surprised at how many good Indian restaurants the Mission can sustain, and just how varied this cuisine can be from region to region, and restaurant to restaurant. Here’s hoping Namaste has found its forever home in the neighborhood.
Namaste (website)
2848 23rd Street
S.F.
