Delicate heat

Himalayan Heritage
4925 Bethesda Avenue
Bethesda, MD

Certain retail locations seem to have an aura of doom, with businesses cycling through, soon disappearing. I'm hoping this doesn't happen to Himalayan Heritage, an attractive new restaurant serving Nepalese and Indian cuisine in downtown Bethesda.

This spot has been occupied by at least three restaurants in the last few years. Maybe the delicately spiced sauces and the "delights of Nepal" scattered through the menu will attract some attention and achieve permanence.

As we looked at the menu, we were offered a complementary small plate of spicy edamame, served with puffed rice. Our friendly server warned us that the dumplings we ordered might take some extra time. But the food arrived promptly, perhaps because we were the only diners having a late lunch.

I enjoyed the sunkoshi steamed momo, good-sized steamed dumplings filled with seasoned ground chicken. The aachar, a tomato-based sauce, carried some heat, but not at the expense of flavor. The generous portion was listed as an entree; I think it would be best as a shared appetizer.

The lunch special was a bargain, combining tender lamb kadai (cooked with tomatoes, coriander and ginger) and a well-seasoned dal made with small black lentils. Plain naan was soft and buttery, good enough to eat by itself.

Check in on Yelp and get a welcoming deal, or find coupons on the restaurant's own Web site.