Step of the M train on Seneca Avenue and you’ll be able to look North-West and spot the twinkling lights and foliage of the backyard dining area for a small, locally owned Nepalese restaurant: While in Kathmandu, founded and operated by Ridgewood local Bikash Kharel. The changing neighborhood and his own vision has led Kharel to make new changes to the Ridgewood dining staple and be a spot where locals can rest, relax and enjoy Nepalese food with a western influence.
Small isn’t quite the right word to describe the restaurant, as even while the backyard is closed in the winter it can seat close to 80 people. However, the kitchen certainly is small with a team of four to five chefs crammed together.
“My boys have managed it for such a long time. I’m very proud of them, but I’m thinking about the long game,” Kharel said. “I want to be in a more peaceful environment… and for my boys in there so that they have an easier time.”
Growing up, Kharel knew he was less traditional than your average Nepalese immigrant and appreciated hip-hop and other aspects of American culture before his family moved to Queens when he was 11 in the mid-2000s. Kharel’s father opened his own Indian restaurant just a few blocks from where his son would eventually start his own business, and acted as a local leader of Nepalese immigrants, often signing on as guarantor for apartments when new community members moved in.
Kharel himself didn’t care much for the restaurant business, and at 18 had hopes of moving to California to study and become a musician. But Kharel took over the family business once his father began transitioning out, saw how much the neighborhood was changing and knew the new residents would appreciate the food at Nepalese Indian Restaurant, which he then ran for around 10 years and “never looked back.” Kharel says he most enjoys speaking with customers, talking them through the menu and Nepalese food.
“It’s the experience,” Kharel said. “It’s really important because I don’t want people to just try the same thing… eventually the same thing over time gets really boring.”
Kharel opened While in Kathmandu in 2017 and sold off the original Nepalese Indian Restaurant a few years later. The changes, which Kharel announced on Instagram, are more in line with what he originally wanted his restaurant to be and include a cafe in the morning, a bar selling smaller portions and specialty cocktails made with a blend of Nepalese spices and the addition of a stage for live music or other events.
The menu will also be changing, as the small kitchen simply isn’t big enough to accommodate a full restaurant in the middle of a dinner rush. While certain staples, such as the impeccable jhol momo dumplings, will be staying, Kharel plans to focus more on tapas style dishes to be shared among more guests.
“It’s taking what I have available in my pantry, in my cuisine, it’s my culture, plus the American culture that I’m part of. Both are equal parts of me,” Kharel said.
The changes won’t be easy, as Kharel and his wife welcomed a new baby to the family earlier this year and moved out to Long Island where they live with his brother, sister-in-law and their child. But Kharel said it was now or never, and decided to make the shift to be able to compete with other businesses in the area and reinvigorate his own passion for cooking and provide the community with a better experience every time they step foot in While in Kathmandu.
“I feel like I’m slowly starting to fade away in the food scene and the love is not there. So the change is important because I want to be relevant for the next ten years.” Kharel said. “So I do it for the community, to fit in, but also for [my] own artistry, as a chef, cook, owner… my own ability to enjoy the food.”
Kharel’s passion for food is evident the moment you speak to him, lighting up while talking through the different spices and new methods for which he can incorporate them into dishes. Discussing the menu changes, Kharel wants to focus more on the process to elevate the food as he progresses through his career as a chef, likening the current stage of the restaurant to studying for a doctorate degree. Staff members, some of whom have worked there for five years, appreciate Kharel’s hands-on management and the fact he pushes them to be better. Tightening up the lunch menu to just a few items will allow his staff to better prepare for dinner and incorporate the more complex dishes, and the morning cafe will enable Ridgewood residents to try easily the greatest Chai in the city.
After living in the neighborhood for 19 years now, Kharel isn’t intimidated by the gentrification of the area, as he noticed the changes over 10 years ago with the infringement of new-age coffee shops. Kharel sees it as his opportunity to innovate while still providing loyal customers with the same food and atmosphere they’ve come to appreciate. As a small business owner, Kharel recommends any new residents in Queens “spread the love” when dining out or ordering food to help sustain neighborhood staples, like his, and experience everything that the World’s Borough has to offer.
“The restaurant industry in general is already as hard as it is and everybody is trying to sustain [themselves] be it small, big or medium. In all levels, there’s different playing fields and different cost levels,” Kharel said. “You don’t have to discriminate, but don’t just go to select a few places… spread your wings.”
