Hidden Gem: Namaste Shangri-La

Amid the chaos surrounding DEI practices recently in the U.S., we here at The Northern Light have decided to broaden our horizons — especially when it comes to cuisine. 

Located in a strip of stores off of Tudor Road and Lake Otis Parkway, Namaste Shangri-La is a Nepalese restaurant that has proudly served Anchorage for the last 14 years. 

You may recognize this strip of stores from one of our previous articles about Ichiban Japanese Restaurant. 

Similar to Ichiban, Namaste Shangri-La is also close to campus. Proximity is an important detail for any restaurant hoping to garner the attention of college students. 

In addition to the location, Namaste Shangri-La is reasonably priced for college students who want to go out and have a nice dinner while still adhering to a budget. 

Namaste Shangri-La is another classic Anchorage hole-in-the-wall restaurant that offers cozy vibes and house-made dishes.

Restaurants like Namaste Shangri-La are becoming less common in town, as economic struggles raise food prices and the city’s population continues to decline.

As with any restaurant, this place is popular on weekends — so it’s wise to show up early. 

The dining room is homey and dimly lit. A row of booths rests against the wall. They sit low and bring you close for intimate conversation. 

Lining the walls of the dining room are very appealing paintings of Nepal, which provide a gorgeous view and can spark an engaging conversation while you wait for your food. 

To begin our meal, we decided to try the vegetable samosas as our appetizer. These samosas are golden brown fried pastries with a seasoned potato and pea filling — an excellent choice to start your dining experience at Namaste Shangri-La. One order includes two samosas and two accompanying sauces.

The mulligatawny soup is a satisfying entrée option. It consists of lentils, shredded chicken, herbs and spices. This soup has a balanced consistency and a comforting umami flavor. It’s even better if you order it extra spicy.

Finally, we ordered the lamb momo, traditional Nepali dumplings filled with seasoned lamb. If you place a full order of the dumplings, you may find yourself struggling to finish it alone. Whether you choose beef, lamb, chicken or the vegetable option, you are sure to leave the table feeling satiated. 

Namaste Shangri-La has a plethora of options for those who may be vegan or vegetarian. 

This should come as good news, as we here at The Northern Light understand how difficult it can be to find restaurants that are able to accommodate dietary restrictions. 

There are several factors that play into our decisions about which restaurants deserve to be featured in one of our Hidden Gem articles. 

Affordability, location, coziness, convenience and of course taste, are all high on that list. Namaste Shangri-La managed to impress us on all fronts. 

Considering its proximity to campus, the more-than-reasonable pricing, the atmosphere and the delicious dishes, Namaste Shangri-La will be a restaurant that we frequent more often moving forward. 

We hope to see you there one day.