Gorkha Palace

This was my second time at Gorkha Palace but my first time ordering from the menu and not the buffet.
I was blown away by the flavorful lamb vindaloo I ordered. The meat was so tender; I’ve rarely had any lamb like that! And the sauce, flavored «medium» (which is how I always order things when I’ve not had them at a specific restaurant, before), was nicely hot enough to make me sweat just a tiny bit. I could have gone hotter but I didn’t need to: this was so savory I wouldn’t want to lose anything by making it spicier! :)
The thing that blew me away, though, was the garlic naan I ordered on the side. I’ve never had naan this good; and it was very different from the chewy varieties I usually see in other Indian/​Nepalese restaurants. It was puffy with little scorch marks around the edges (like the type you get with particularly good pizza doughs in a hot, brick oven). It was incredibly light and was actually perfumed with the perfect amount of garlic. With each bite, not only did I get fantastic flavor but my nose was treated to that subtle garlic aroma. Seriously: this was the best garlic naan I’ve ever had!
The restaurant, itself, is charming and warm. The paintings on the wall are mostly landscapes and really quite lovely. I arrived just after they opened at 11 in the morning and did not wait for seating. It was a very relaxed meal: I recommend going here when you have time to savor it!
The waitress on duty was a wonderful woman who shared with me a story about her young childhood in Nepal. She was very knowledgeable and helpful.
Nepalese/​Indian/​Tibetan cuisine is not something I’ve had very often. Indian (as broad as such a varied cuisine like that can be) is my primary base of comparison. With the Nepalese and Tibetan influences, it’s simply amazing.
I’ll definitely be returning and you should, too!

Excellent Indian food, and a charming restaurant. The service was attentive and friendly. A great way to spend an evening in Minneapolis.

I have never actually been to the physical restaurant. But have ordered food from here a few times through Bite squad. The food is amazing! It is a little expensive, but I think that is due to organic high quality ingredients, and is totally worth it.
Be warned if you order it spicy it might be too spicy for the average Minnesotan.

This place is very overrated and I am not sure why. Is it their décor, ambiance, service? I mean the environment is nice but I come here for food, that is my primary purpose. I would have been okay with the taste if it were not so overpriced.
Momos, chicken tikka were just oka-​issh. not too good, for the price I paid.
If you want good Nepali cuisine, go to Himalayan. The taste is really good, and the prices are relatively cheap. I live close to Gorkha Palace but I prefer to drive to Himalayan because of the good food there.

I think this place is overrated.
It MIGHT have been good at one point but I was there recently and everything was sub par for the price point.
The momos were by far the best dish but still barely average. Falling apart and minimal is flavor.
Lamb vindaloo was bland
Kashmiri naan was underbaked and bland
Dal tasted like some strange paste.
I can see they try and don’t just try to pass it off as good food so they get two stars.

The Bison momo were delicious with the tomato chutney sauce. Shrimp curry was excellent. They offer 6 levels of heat, I opt for a very well rounded 4. We got in a little after 1 and it was somewhat busy, I knew that was a good sign. Im looking forward to my next visit. I also recommend this to anyone who is interested in ethnic food as i know little about it and the wait staff was very knowledgeable.

Service is good. The waiter is knowledge about the dishes. Pot sticker is not as good as I expected. Lamb dish is what I expected, southern style. The spicy chicken dish is an interesting choice that comes in a bento box and more of northern style.

Whoops, seemed to have never finished this review. Based on bare memories from when I was in Minneapolis over a year ago so take it with a grain or even a grain and a half of salt. This was also before I had really had some Nepalese cuisine so I think I overrated it a bit.
Chilli chicken: Reminded me of chili 65, light spices but solid
Yak momos: Quite meaty/​filling. I prefer other types of soup dumplings but these were solid. I have found better in NYC though.
«A pea based vegetarian dish:» Yes my descriptions used to be odd. I think it reminded me of channa masala albeit less spiced.
Chicken thenthuk (soup:) The main thing I remember. Portion size was very large and the flavors were pretty mild. It was super filling thanks to the small dumpling pieces. Almost like a Korean mandoo or tteok soup but with more spices and stuff. I remember bringing back a good portion of it.
Kashmiri naan: not as overpoweringly sweet as other places, OK
Masala chai tea: Small but the flavor was solid. Reminded me of chaat houses.
I prefer food from southern India much more than Nepalese food as it’s more spiced so this is basically a ¾.

Overhyped?
Went there with some friends. We were really excited to try both the vegetarian and meat momos. They were a bit mushy… entrees were okay but nothing special. Puzzled by the amazing reviews and may have to give it another try.

Sorry I don’t feel as excited about this place as other reviewers. Maybe I came on an off day for the cook. I went on a Saturday for lunch and I ordered the lamb vindaloo entrée, shared two orders of naan and had a chai tea.
The lamb gravy was watery and flavorless. I asked for it to be spicy and it was basic. I am use to the dishes that come into a tin that keeps the food warm but this food got cold pretty fast as they were served in traditional ceramic dinner dishes.
The garlic naan and the regular naan were good. The down side is that they took a while to come out.
The tea came in a cute little serving cup. It was also ok. It tasted a little mild for a chai. It didn’t have the kick of the spice and cinnamon.
The service was slow but the servers were
pleasant.
The overall ambiance was very welcoming and homey. The restaurant was very clean and tidy so that made my experience enjoyable. However the food fell short of what I was expecting.

I had been wanting to go here for lunch buffet for forever! It only happens on Fridays so it is hard to make it happen with my schedule! I was finally able to go at the beginning of August. My friend and I had a nice experience. The food was good, not the best ever, but not bad either. There were mostly vegetarian options and I was hoping for a little more meat in my meal. I think I might have hyped it up in my head because I was really excited but it didn’t live up to my expectations. I think it is a solid choice for Indian food but I wouldn’t rearrange my schedule in the future to make it happen. The staff was very nice who worked there.

Had momo appetizers. Shrimp and chicken curry and it was good! I would come again. The service was excellent. Bring food right to us and water right away.

The restaurant ambience is classy, warm and welcoming. Service is fast and professional.
Food is wonderful. I know a thing or two about Nepalese/​Indian cuisine, and this place is a must try.

Yum yum yum! Worth every penny!
I had the garlic naan, veggie samosas, chicken tikka masala, and Goan shrimp.
I live in another state but always make a stop here when I’m in Mpls.

Me and a few friends were visiting Lake Superior this May and decided to stop over on our way for some Nepalese/​Indian food. I am so glad we decided to eat at this gem of a restaurant! Ever since I came to the U.S. four years ago I am in search of a restaurant that serves the most authentic Indian food and I must say Gorkha Palace is THE place to go!
To tell you the truth my first impression was that it was a run-​of-​the-​mill Indian/​Nepalese restaurant and there also weren’t very many items on the menu. But what I loved about the menu card was that a lot of the items they serve are not easily available at any other restaurant or are usually not great (e.g. alu bhindi, chhoyla, momos).
We had a Nepalese friend among us who suggested we order the Nepali Chhoyla and momos (oh the momos!!! Made my day!). We also ordered alu bhindi, and Veg biriyani. I have no words to explain how amazing the meal was. The balance of flavors, the aroma, the smell of fresh ghee from the biriyani made me feel like the chef has used a generous portion of love among other ingredients! I could taste every single element in the dish and that’s a rare phenomenon!
The service was incredible, the staff was very friendly and know a lot about the menu. You can trust their recommendations! Parking is a huge plus! I only have one suggestion to the restaurant and that’s to try and include a few more items on the menu, specially for vegetarians.
I can write pages on my amazing experience at Gorkha Palace but don’t worry, I am not going to! If you want to have a wholesome, comforting meal this is the place to go. I would highly recommend the alu bhindi.

I love Gorkha Palace so much that I can’t resist from gushing.
I have eaten here COUNTLESS times since 2012 and have no plans on stopping.
Typically, I’ve been burned by a number of the Indian-​based dining establishments in MN, but Gorkha Palace is different on so many levels.
— First, they cover Indian, Tibetan, AND Nepali cuisine.
— Second, they use REAL ingredients (c’mon, you know that fancy chemicals/​additives/​msg are snuck in most cuisines, right?).
— Third, their ingredients are locally-​sourced, organically-​grown, humanely/​sustainably-​raised, and that their spices are freshly ground (take out your 5-​year old bottle of nutmeg from the pantry and compare that with a ½ tsp of freshly ground nutmeg and tell you can’t tell the ASTOUNDING difference between fresh vs. lifeless spices).
— Fourth, they recycle with Eureka Recycling (who takes recycling to the next level compared to what the City offers)
But let’s talk about their foooooood! Since I seem to have a scandinavian palate (aka salt is spicy enough for me), they graciously tone down the heat when I requested (I hope they don’t roll their eyes at me in the kitchen). A number of my Indian friends have confirmed to me multiple times that the food here is as authentic as at home.
My favorite appetizer is their veggie pakoras. Just give me a big plate of those and call it good for the rest of the day. There’s a cashew mint and a tamarind sauce that come with those dazzlers… and the freshness of those sauces (there’s no other way to explain the flavor) make them come to life. Amazing. I also really enjoy their bison momos (they used to make yak momos until last fall when the St. Cloud, MN-​based yak farmer sold all of his yaks. So sad.
I’ve never had an entrée that I didn’t like here, but for the sake of being specific, I adore the sweet & savory blend of flavors in their Mixed Veggie Biryani.
For the quality and sourcing of the food, Gorkha Palace is affordably priced. The owner is very welcoming and sweet. She shares so much of herself with this restaurant and has created a gem.

PARKING IS A HUGE BONUS!
Great lunch spot and they have their own private parking lot! You don’t have to try to find parking or pay for parking!!! What in MPLS!!! Heck ya. I would come here just for that because it makes getting in and out super easy for a quick workday lunch!
For lunch me and my bf met here and split nan, turkey momo and the lamb lunch curry special. It was delicious! The nan was so fluffy and sweet! It reminded me of those Hawaiian Sweet Rolls, which for me, are like crack. YUM! The Turkey momo, is a Tibetan potsticker, which I just learned today! It has the perfect amount of meet to vegetables in it and the dipping sauce was a spicy tomato base of some-​sort, which I was happy for because I am not a huge fan of «pot-​stickers» in Asian restaurants. I don’t much care for the sauce… it’s usually too water and salty I want something that sticks to my pot sticker… this one did. I do wish I had ordered our lamb curry a little spicier. It was a little on the mild side, but never having been here before, best to be careful the first time.
All in all, pretty decent, just wish there was a touch more flavor in main dishes.

Went here on a Saturday night, showing up around 7pm, with a group of four. Was not our best decision, as the restaurant is small and fills up quickly! Luckily, they were more than willing to let us get some drinks and hang out until a table opened up. After about 30 minutes we were seated and tended to by a very energetic and great waitress.
We all ordered our meals and split a basket of naan. I had the Chicken Tikka Malsala (medium spice) and my wife had the Chicken Coconut (mild spice). The medium has enough kick to make your brow damp, but not enough to ruin the dish. I would definitely get it again. The server suggested staying away from a drier IPA during the meal, because of the spice, and I listened. Her recommendation was spot on! My wife’s Chicken Coconut had a good mix of sweet and spice, and was very good, but I’m glad I ordered what I did.
The naan was warm, soft, and garlicky, very tasty. Served well as a sauce sponge, just wish we would have ordered two or three baskets for the four of us. One basket only contains four slices.
In all, I’d reconsider WHEN I tried to go, but I would definitely go back!

Why have I not try this place after all these years?! Silly me! This place is legit. The wift of deliciousness in the restaurant prepares you for a truly awesome meal. Their happy hour is from 5−6pm. We had roti, samosas and lots more, but my favorite was their stir fry chicken dish and Momos. The chicken was sour, garlicky and crunchy. The flavor profile was so robust and unique. The Momos were served warm and the filling was very flavorful. Cute little place and warm décor. I will be back… Over and over again! ;)

We moved up from Cincinnati, a bit of a mecca for solid Indian food (I know, right? But there are 30+ restaurants!) and as both an avid cook and consumer of fine desi cuisine, I’ve gotta admit this place has a lot going for it.
After constant disappointment at many local places, we found Gorkha Palace. While the majority of solid Indian joints will never have organic emphasized anywhere near their menu nor will the wait staff be a load of hipsters, and the prices are fairly high, the quality of the food here is good. Many of the dishes were overly watery, but the flavors were on point. With smokey spice derived from short Thai chilis, the Goan Shrimp Curry (tail on) was top notch, with ample portions of thick, meaty prawn. The Lamb Vindaloo, at Hot+ was a spicy, yet full flavored dish, the lamb being tender as lamb gets. Our third sampling was Chicken Tikka Masala, fairly tame and run of the mill, even for Minneapolis — so avoid that traditionally British dish.
If you want a solid bowl of curry with some hipster flair, this isn’t a bad place to be. Still looking for a cheap, 5 star curry house here though. I’ll be back frequently if this is the best the Twin Cities have to offer.