Rara

Such a quaint restaurant, we found parking in a structure about a block away. We made a reservation but there were maybe only two other parties so it wasn't necessary. Unfortunate that they didn't have much business, the food and service is very good!

Apart from the traditional momos, we weren't super familiar with Nepali food. So we asked our server for recommendations. We settled on the buff momos, seasonal vegetable curry, goat taas, mushroom choila, and mango lassi.

Everything was absolutely delicious and came out with great timing. Nothing was too spicy! The service was phenomenal. We told the waiter that the pickled vegetables that came with the goat taas were really good and he brought out more, telling us that they were made in-house!

Absolutely would come back and try their other offerings!

We arrived on a Friday evening around 7pm. The restaurant was relatively full on left hand side upon entering.

It was also very loud for most of the night so it was hard to converse.

We ordered cauli 8848, Veg Dal Bhat Khana Set, kids fried rice, Kids Chicken Wings with Aalu Wedges, chicken momos, lamb chop sizzler and chicken chow mein.

The cauli 8848 was the best part of the entire meal. Everyone enjoyed it. It had a hint of sweetness and wasn't spicy. So, it is perfect for those who can't handle the heat!

The chicken momos were bland and warm. It comes with ketchup and some sesame sauce. But because the person eating it was expecting it to taste like xiaolongbao, they didn't enjoy it. It also took a really really long time to make. Everyone was mostly done eating by the time it arrived.

The kid's chicken was ok maybe a little too spicy for the kids though. :( He had to drink his enter glass of water after he took a bite of it. But it did look like he enjoyed the potato wedges since he only ate those.

The fried rice, as it was too much food for the kids, wasn't eaten. It was later finished off by the parents.

I myself ordered the lamb chop with noodles. I thought that it was pretty good. I enjoyed every tiny bit of it. It also retained heat very well because of the heated platter. I would get this again if I ever came back.

I don't know much about the dal khana set since I didn't taste it. But @ least the presentation was good!

I was told the chicken chow mein was curry style if that is your kind of thing. I personally didn't try it so I don't have much to judge on that part. We were able to take most of that home for our family member to finish off though.

I also didn't try the soup but it looked like a healthy home cooked soup.

In summary, most of the foods we tried were ok. I did enjoy my lamb plate though. We thought the service on the slow side though. The average cost per person was about $33. We probably may not come back any time soon. But if you do come, do try the lamb.

The appetizers were the star of the show for me - the cauliflower especially was so flavorful and the texture was great. The momos are great too!

I ordered the lamb sizzler for my main, and the portion size is huge. You get a decent amount of meat, a sparse amount of veggies, and a HEAPING portion of noodles. The dish was a little too oily for my liking - but I believe that's how it's supposed to be.

They let you reserve for big groups - kudos to them for that, and there is a nice spacious parking garage a few mins walk away.

We had an exceptional dining experience at RARA Nepali Restaurant in Palo Alto! The authentic Nepali Himalayan flavors truly set this place apart. Every dish we tried, from the rich, flavorful curries to the delicate momos, was perfectly seasoned and beautifully presented. The diversity on the menu caters to all tastes, whether you're looking for something mild or adventurous with spice.

The atmosphere is cozy and welcoming, with a clean, modern decor that still reflects the warmth of traditional Nepali hospitality. The staff were incredibly attentive, offering great recommendations and ensuring our meal was enjoyable from start to finish.

Whether you're familiar with Nepali cuisine or eager to explore the bold flavors of the Himalayas, RARA is a must-visit. I will definitely be returning!

Was excited to try out this new Nepalese restaurant in Palo Alto! There was no wait for a party of 2 on a Saturday night. Overall, the food was delicious and generously portioned for the prices.

We got the buffalo momo sizzler, and it was incredibly flavorful and juicy. The noodles and vegetables were an interesting indo-Chinese flavor and very delicious.

We also got the non veg dal bhat khana set with chicken, which came with buttermilk and a rice pudding dessert on the plate. Everything tasted very authentic and was very filling!!

Yummy Nepalese restaurant in Palo Alto! Came here on a Thursday evening. It was not too busy so getting a table for 2 was fast.

My partner and I decided to get the following:
- Momo Sizzler (4/5): This came with chow mein underneath. We got the momo with buffalo inside since we've never had buffalo. It tasted similar to lamb. It was a tad spicy but nothing too bad. Lots of flavor and comes out sizzling hot!
- Chicken 8848 (5/5): If there's anything you need to order here, it is this! So creamy and delicious. Chicken is cooked tenderly.
- Tawa Paneer Paratha (4/5): I like paneer so we decided to get this as a side. Delicious and a lot thinner than I expected. Paired with the sauce from Chicken 8848, this was good. However, nothing mind blowing and could be passed on it's own unless you want something to pair with another dish.
- Asan Indrachowk ko Lassi (4/5): Creamy yogurt drink! Very thick and not too sweet, but provides a refreshing taste. Seemed to be topped with nuts, likely pistachios.

Service was good, except for one part, which is the reason why I gave 4 instead of 5 stars. Upon ordering, we asked the server if any of the items we ordered contained nuts because my partner is allergic. The server said no. At some point, my partner started to have an allergic reaction, which kind of ruined our dining experience. We discovered it was likely from the yogurt drink, which I realized had small chunks of what looked like pistachio. It would be good practice to include any allergy information on the menu itself, since the description of the drink also did not mention nuts.

I would come back again, since I enjoyed the food, but I'll be extra careful with ordering and maybe steer away from any drinks I'm not familiar with.

New Nepalese restaurant- have been around for 6 months.

Went here on a Sunday for lunch with previously made reservation and yet it took us ~ 20+ minutes to get seated. There were empty tables but the cleanup was pending for a while.

Were super hungry group of 4.
Ordered

Momo sizzler - rating 4/5
Chicken momos served on a sizzling bed of veggies and chow mein and drizzled with the common momo dressing. One of the good dishes on the table

Goat curry - rating 3.8/5
The curry was good, reminiscent of flavors back home in India. Goat meat was hit and a miss - few pieces were ok, most were chewy

Gorkhali yakhni pulav - rating 2/5
Mild flavored non spicy pulav made with meat, made a good companion for goat curry. I was super surprised at the little quantity of the rice dish served. Almost 1/4th or 1/2 of what you generally get in a plate of rice dish at any other restaurant.
Main complaint - the goat that came with it was so chewy ( adult goat meat ) that you'd need pliers to pull the meat out. Very disappointing

Shrimp chilli - rating 4/5
Crispy fried shrimp in a saucy gravy - little hot from crushed red chilli paste but nothing overboard.

Cauli 8848 - rating 3/5
Crispy batter fried cauliflower chunks in a gravy similar to what you get with butter chicken. Was too mild for my pallete.

Food came after ~20 mins of ordering. Enjoyed our lunch here, they had more Nepalese dishes on the menu that looked appetizing, wouldn't mind trying them out again.
Plenty of parking spots were open outside the restaurant.

This was such a cazy gem find!!!! The first time coming to a Nepali restaurant that is entirely Nepali menu. Service was great. Server was super friendly and courteous. Background music set a nice feeling and atmosphere. Every dish brought out was packed with amazing flavor starting with the chicken choila to the special traditional dessert.
If you love Nepali food you have to come here. If you don't know about Nepali food then you have no choice but to come here!!!!

I had a reservation at 1:30 on a Sunday/holiday (Mother's Day) but since we finished our previous event early, we ended up arriving at 12:45. We were still seated immediately since the restaurant wasn't too full.

The water tastes amazing. I wonder if there was some mint or cucumber or some other "refreshing" enhancer but it's very subtle. We ordered the gorkhali lamb shank and veggie (vegetarian) momo sizzler which came in about 15 minutes. We both thought the dishes were fairly spicy (on the tongue but not enough to sweat or be in pain) but very well-seasoned and salted. Since the noodles were on a sizzling stone plate, we had to transfer them to our plates quickly to avoid burnt noodles.

The lamb was covered in some kind of tomato-based sauce (like a thick curry) that paired well with the cumin rice. It fell off the bone easily too.

We'll definitely come back if we visit Palo Alto again!

Pretty dang good! Biggest takeaway is that the Buffalo Momo is lit and I will def be getting again, and that overall I was surprised by how not-spicy it was. The red sauce w the momo was described as a hot sauce but it was like a muted chili sauce. This isn't a bad thing and maybe it's a Nepali thing, just fyi. The chicken Chhoila was so yum!!! Love the strong herb flavors. Lamb was a good flavor but could've been a touch more tender.