Yak and Yeti

When I was invited last week to review the new branch of Yak and Yeti in Finsbury Park I have to admit that I was sceptical. I needn’t have been; my experience proved the old adage that you should never judge a book by its cover. 

From the outside Yak and Yeti looks like a chain and in a busy strip of mostly independent restaurants, I am more likely to choose somewhere that looks original. The décor doesn’t improve much when you step inside, but the service and food more than make up for it. All the staff are extremely knowledgeable about the food and very passionate about the dishes from their native Nepal.

Two of the waiters recommended the momo lamb, so we thought we had better try that. Good choice! It was the most interesting dish we had. Momo is a typical Nepalese street food that epitomises the mix of influences on Nepalese cuisine from its neighbours, Tibet and India.

Dumplings reflect the Tibetan influence, while the flavour is more reminiscent of Indian cuisine. The delicious lamb filling, rich and gamey, was nicely offset by a sweet tomato sauce with a hint of spice.

My date, Uzo, was keen to try the venison kebab. I was a bit wary of this. Venison is a tricky meat to get right and cooking it in a tandoor is only going to make it more of a challenge.

I thought they did a good job considering. It wasn’t pink, but it was quite tender, and the marinade was lovely, similar to a chicken tikka and well seasoned.

The highlight of the main courses was the jhaneko masu, a traditional Newari dish of lamb marinated in ginger, garlic and crushed chillies and stir-fried with red onion, spring onion and fenugreek seeds. 

The marinade had a sweet and sour flavour with a hefty kick from the chillies. I particularly liked the fenugreek seeds, which added both texture and a little burst of flavour, as they popped and crunched between my teeth.

Uzo chose the other main, seafood miasmas, a dish of king prawns, scallops, mussels and squid cooked with ginger, garlic and coconut milk. I was dubious, but I was trying to keep the food nazi under wraps at this early stage, so I didn't try to talk him out of it.

The dish reminded me of an Indian korma, something I have never been a big fan of, but looking at it objectively it was well executed. The flavour was light and delicate and the seafood was extremely tender, especially the scallops, which is rare to find in a curry.

We were both too stuffed for dessert, but our waiter convinced us to try a Nepalese tea "to aid our digestion". It was a nice note to finish on, similar to chai but milder and more refreshing.

Overall it was a great introduction to Nepalese cuisine. The food was enjoyable and reasonably priced and the service was exceptional. The only thing that was lacking was atmosphere. I hope this review encourages people who might, like me, have judged on appearances, to give Yak and Yeti a go. Their staff were so friendly, accommodating and passionate, I wish them every success.

Yak & Yeti – 143 Stroud Green Rd, London, N4 3PZ; 020 7263 2112; finsburypark@yakyeti.co.uk

Mon-Thurs 5pm-11.30pm, Fri-Sat 11.30am-11.30pm, Sun 11.30am-11pm.

Starters from £3.25-£7.45; Mains from £7.95-£13.95.