Himalayan Bistro

I've been seeing Nepali waiters in local Indian and Southeast Asian restaurants for several years, so it was only a matter of time before there was a Nepali restaurant. ( A second will open soon in Arlington. ) The food at Himalayan Bistro is only part Nepali ; there is also a full Indian menu, with some very good versions of Indian-restaurant food. That said, Chef Dumbar Thapa is clearly a master of the spice palate and tandoor oven. The space is a converted ice-cream parlor, but it looks like it was designed to be a trendy bistro, with high ceilings, well-spaced tables on a polished-wood floor, splendid Buddhist art on the walls, and beams painted pale orange against a yellow ceiling and walls. Sitar music and exotic aromas make it clear that we aren't in Kansas or West Roxbury anymore. But good food makes this restaurant welcome anywhere.