Nepali and Indian Restaurant Planned For Bay View
Himalayan Yak aims for summer opening in vacant building along Kinnickinnic Ave.
2321 S. Kinnickinnic Ave. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.
Bay View is one of the most culinarily diverse neighborhoods in the city, boasting an ever-growing range of restaurants that run the gamut from Serbian cuisine to authentic Thai — and most things in between.
But restaurateur Laxman Gurung still sees potential for growth.
This summer, he and his four partners plan to open a new restaurant, Himalayan Yak, with hopes of introducing a range of lesser-known Nepali and Indian flavors to diners in the neighborhood.
“It’s going to be different than what people are having right now,” said Gurung, who is part of an ownership group along with Surakchha Lalchan, Sandip Bhandari, Bal Dhoj Gurung and Chef Padam Bahadur Gurung.
The upcoming restaurant is slated to open at 2321 S. Kinnickinnic Ave., the former site of Riviera Maya, which shuttered amid the pandemic.
On the menu at Himalayan Yak guests can expect appetizers such as momos, steamed dumplings filled with meat or vegetables; thukpa, a comforting noodle soup; and entrees like Nepali-style chow mein, along with Indian dishes such as dal makhani, tikka masala and others.
If granted its liquor license, the restaurant also hopes to serve a variety of Nepali and Indian beverages to pair with the food menu.
Gurung said the restaurant’s first several months will act as a trial run for its Nepali cuisine. After gathering feedback from diners, the restaurant could grow its menu with additional South Asian offerings.
“If people like those kinds of things, we’re going to expand on it — kind of bring more and more Nepali food to the area,” Gurung said. “I know there is a lot of choices for Indian food … but we are trying to create a restaurant that stands out from the others.”
Bay View’s Himalayan Yak will share similarities to a same-titled restaurant in Fargo, North Dakota. Both establishments are led by the aforementioned chef Padam Bahadur Garung, an industry veteran with more than two decades of experience.
The ownership group also runs a restaurant in Sheboygan called Nanglo Momos & Curry. If Himalayan Yak sees success in Milwaukee, Laxman Gurung said he has a long-term vision for expansion throughout Southeastern Wisconsin.
For now, though, the focus remains on Bay View. Renovations to the 3,425-square-foot restaurant space are already in progress, with a completion date tentatively set for mid-June.
Gurung said he hopes to open the restaurant by early July. A liquor license for the business is pending before the Milwaukee Common Council.
Once open, the proposed hours of operation for Himalayan Yak are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.
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