GurkhaChef Nepalese Restaurant

Tucked away behind Union square is a little gem. Due to its location, it’s footfall isn’t great, I shared the restaurant with only 1 other table, but the food was beautifully traditional and well cooked. I tried one of the more Nepalese rather than Indian starters and it was spiced perfectly. The prawn curry I had for main was solid but nothing overly special.
If you don’t mind a quiet atmosphere, with friendly service and great value authentic cuisine. This is for you. Starters wee under a fiver and mains between 7 – 14.

I’ve been doing a fair bit of business in Aberdeen for longer than I care to mention and I’ve scoured the dining scene throughout the years, but somehow, I have managed to completely overlook this little beauty of a restaurant.
Aberdeen is notoriously expensive, and I’ve been to many eateries in this city where I have paid over the odds for poor quality food. However, Gurkha Chef most certainly does not fall into that category.
Nepal is the land of the Himalayas, Mount Everest and home to the great Lord Buddha, so I thought to myself, for a small country they have some pretty awesome things, therefore the food must be good, right? Strange thought process, but hey, these are the weird things that go on inside my head.
I knew there were some difference between Indian food and Nepalese so I wanted to try it out first hand. Also there are hardly any Nepalese restaurants in Scotland so when I saw this existed in Aberdeen I jumped at the chance to try it.
The place doesn’t really look like much from outside, so you’d be forgiven if you though it looks a bit, well, crappy. However, do not be fooled. Gurkha Chef has plenty of rustic charm with some amazing food to be found. Please do read on…
For starters I went for the the classic Nepalese dish of Momo, which is a meat filled, steamed dumpling. Its fair to say that Nepalese food has some Chinese influences and this was similar to dumplings I have had in Chinese restaurants. The difference on this occasion where their MAMMOTH size. After tackling these four massive dumpling beasts, served with a nice chutney sauce I was feeling almost full, unbelievably. They were really succulent and, as mentioned, generously filled, very enjoyable indeed!
For my main I was torn between the Nepalese style curries, mostly featuring lamb and the tandoori dishes. I wasn’t in a saucy mood so went for the grilled Chicken Tikka Kalimiri, which was excellent. A double skewer of succulent chicken marinated in spiced yoghurt and black peppercorns, served with mint chutney, pilau rice, potatoes & peas, sauce and salad. Its fair to say my meal was MASSIVE.
Having paid under £4 for my starter and under £10 for my main meal I honestly was expecting some sort of catch. Not only was the food top notch, but I myself, a self-​confessed greedy get, could barely finish. (Naturally I did of course finish my meal, but it was quite the struggle).
The Nepalese people are said to be some of the friendliest in the word and indeed the hospitality shone through on the night. I can see this place becoming a strong favourite of mine while up in the North-​East.