I visited Preston's top-rated Asian restaurant on TripAdvisor and I was a little underwhelmed
I visited Preston’s top-rated Asian restaurant but the momos were a no-no. By Sumaiya Motara
With a five star rating on TripAdvisor, I was expecting sensational food from Himalayan Monal - a Nepalese, Indian and Chinese fusion restaurant - but, in my opinion, the hype was unfulfilled.
Stepping into the restaurant on Friargate, the interior was lovely, with wallpaper depicting the Himalayas, and comfortable seating. The host was friendly and chatty, and knew everyone coming in for a meal, creating a really homely vibe.
The menu was expansive, with chow-mein, momos, kebabs, mixed grills, biryanis, and paneer up for grabs. Chilli momos were recommended so I settled on those to start, and followed up with chow-mein.
A momo is a Nepalese filled dumpling which tends to have a thin, melt-in-your-mouth dough when perfectly steamed. The six dumplings came with peppers, onions, salad, and garnishing which made the £7.25 starter good value for money.
The chilli sauce was a bit gloopy and had a sweet and tangy flavour as well but it wasn’t too overpowering. The momo’s themselves had a hard, almost tough exterior - unlike any other momo I have tried. Not exactly melt-in-your-mouth! However, the filling itself was delicious and very much made up for the hard shell.
I then waited and waited for the chow-mein, which, on the bright side, proves everything is cooked fresh in the kitchen. When it finally arrived, the dish consisted of noodles, mixed vegetables all stir-fried in quite a large portion. Although the flavours were spot-on, the chicken was tough and the chow-mein was dry and lacked sauce. This made the £8 dish difficult to get through.
All in all, the vibes and staff at Himalayan Monal are incredibly hospitable but the food leaves much to be desired. Although, considering their five-star Tripadvisor rating, I may have just ordered the wrong dishes!
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