From The Peopling of New York City

V:I see that your combining both Nepalese and Tibetan foods here. What started first actually? Was it all together as one?

Yes it started as one.

V:Did you originally have Indian food?

Yeah we had Indian food before, but we stopped it. There are a lot of other Indian restaurants and so we really wanted to concentrate more on Nepalese and Tibetan dishes.

V:Is the reason why you dropped Indian food because of competition around you?

One thing is that there are other known Indian restaurants so people really don’t have to come to my restaurant to eat Indian food you know. They wouldn’t come to my restaurant, they would go to some older and more famous restaurant.

V:So the main reason why you focus on Tibetan and Nepalese food is because its more original right?

Yes

V:Is your business run by a family.

Yes

V:Do you also hire outside workers, like to do deliveries?

Yes.

V:Have your dishes changed in response to the community? Like if people want spicy foods, do you adjust to that?

Yes. Normally people have the same food we cook, but there are some people who like it spicy and we adjust it.

V:So do you find more people eating Nepalese food or Tibetan food.

Mostly Nepalese. We have a few people who order Tibetan foods. They have both.

V:V:Would you say that the customers is more Nepalese or Tibetan?

Yes. Its mixed actually. I really can’t say. Sometimes there are more Nepalese and sometimes there are more Tibetan . We don’t have a constant ratio.

V:Do you find like other people, who are not Nepalese or Tibetan coming here as well.

A lot. It’s a new thing on the avenue. Its been increasing in business. It’s picking up. As you know the restaurant business is not that easy.

V:Do you think that it could be picking up because of the increasing Nepalese community?

Could be, could be not. I can’t guarantee anything.

V:So based on the community, do you think that it is increasing?

Based on what? Our community?

V:Yeah.

Yes.

V:For your restaurant here, do you hire a chef specifically to cook Nepalese food?

My aunt is the chef. We don’t have problems.

V:You said that your one of the only Nepalese foods restaurants.

On this block.

V:How does your business compare to the other business, because there are other ones right?

There are. Recently the village voice came here and from that day it really picked up. Other people in the community have started coming in.

V:How original are your dishes?

Very original. We haven’t changed a bit. We haven’t mixed Tibetan food and Nepalese food. Some restaurants they mix and match creating their own.

V:So you think that its very important to maintain originality right? If you go back to Nepal, would you find this food there?

Yes.

V:I know for Chinese food, for example, you order beef and broccoli here in America, and you won’t find it in China.

Its not the same as Chinese food. Im sure that if we mix it, people wouldn’t like it

V:So its important for originality. Now a days, people want fast food. How has your restaurant adjusted to it. Do you feel that its okay if it takes a while as long as it is original or do you feel like you should get it out there?

Well this restaurant is not fast food, so we give them what we have.

V:How long has this restaurant been in business?

Nine months now.

V:Was this restaurant originally Nepalese, and Tibetan?

No, it was originally an Indian restaurant.

V:Its good that your business is picking up.

It is. A lot of people from Manhattan come here too. Something different.

V:In our class we discussed how this neighborhood is mostly Indian.

We have a mix right now. Like down there, its mainly Bangladesh. We have fewer Indian people. Many have moved to Long Island or New Jersey. Out here they’ve done enough. Right now, its becoming less Indian and more Bangladesh and other people.

V:With that comes a wave of different kinds of food. Especially like where this restaurant comes in.

What does your family business sell again?

V:Mexican Japanese and Chinese food.

Don’t you have a problem serving all three?

V:Yes its difficult to keep up with it. Right now we lack workers.

Fusion is really good but, the more variety, the higher the cost of food, and you have to higher more workers, so you have to really concentrate, like what does your restaurant want to be known as.

V:That’s very important. Does your restaurant face competition?

Umm not so far. But there’s competition everywhere. Once a Mexican restaurant opens down there, I’m sure other people want to open a Mexican restaurant. You have to maintain the restaurant.

V:It’s really great to maintain the integrity and originality.

You have to maintain the service in food. It can’t go up and it can’t go down.