Dal bhat in Melbourne
Dal bhat is the meal Nepal runs on: lentil soup and rice with tarkari, greens, pickles and often a curry on the side. Most Nepali homes eat it twice a day, and every trekker comes home repeating the same line about dal bhat power lasting 24 hours, because it does.
At a restaurant it arrives as a set, and the good ones keep refilling the rice, dal and sides until you surrender. If a Thakali kitchen is doing the set, expect a darker black dal and a longer row of pickles.
We have mapped 6 spots for dal bhat in Victoria, with the most around Glenroy, Sunshine and Melbourne.
What to order
Dal bhat set with meat
Usually a goat or chicken curry alongside the dal, rice and sides.
Veg dal bhat set
Dal, tarkari, greens and pickles. A full meal with nothing missing.
Gundruk
Fermented greens, sour and moreish. Ask for it if it is not on the plate.
Old Durbar Nepalese & Indian Restaurant in Flinders, Melbourne
4.4(1279)
Momo Central Glenroy
4.0(738)
Tinkune Momo & Sekuwa House
4.6(698)
Galli Kitchen
4.7(501)
Baar Pipaal - Restaurant & Bar
4.4(493)
A1 Tandoori n Momo Restro Bar
4.6(297)Frequently asked
What is dal bhat?
Nepal's national meal: lentil soup (dal) over rice (bhat) with vegetable curry, greens and pickles. Most restaurants serve it as a set with refills.
What is the difference between dal bhat and Thakali dal bhat?
Thakali is the deluxe version: a darker black dal, gundruk and more sides on the plate. Any dal bhat is a full meal; the Thakali set is the one worth crossing town for.