CLEVELAND — At Cafe Everest, a restaurant serving up Nepalese cuisine in Cleveland, co-owner Tarah Baraily is hoping to introduce the food of his homeland to others, while providing fellow Nepalese community members familiar flavors to turn to.
Baraily, more than most, understands the importance of food in reminding you of home, especially when home is far away or out of reach.
Baraily was born in a refugee camp in Nepal in the 1990s. He said his grandfathers were Nepalese, living in Bhutan when the government there pushed them out of the country. His family fled back to Nepal, living in a refugee camp.
“We didn’t have any house, we had to struggle to find food, you know what I’m saying,” he said of his childhood at the refugee camp. “It’s not easy in a refugee camp. We wanted to be out of that.”
Despite the hardships of his living situation, Baraily’s love of food began. While his mother was out during the day, Baraily would cook for his siblings, and came to love the flavors of Nepalese street foods. He recalled eating momos, steamed or fried dumplings filled with meat and vegetables, and sel rotis, a type of sweet bread with spices.
At 16 years old, Baraily and his family moved to the United States, first to San Antonio, Texas, then to Cleveland.
“I was kind of sad, but at the same time, I was happy and I was afraid too, we are going [somewhere] completely new, different world, and everything we knew there is going to be different,” he said. “But still, we were happy, maybe we will have changes. We were sad and afraid at the same time, not just me I think - most of the Bhutanese refugees feel that way.”
When Baraily arrived in Cleveland, he said he would sometimes drive up to 45 minutes in search of a restaurant that offered food that reminded him of the robust flavors and spices characteristic of his beloved Nepalese food. It caused him to wish he had more options to access these authentic flavors more easily. When the opportunity to open a restaurant came up, he and his family seized it.
“I’m so happy, I feel great,” he said of his success with Cafe Everest. “I always wanted people to try our food, but I never thought I was going to sell my food. I used to invite my friends and family from different cultures and try my food, they used to like it. And now when I'm actually serving to other people, I feel happy.”
Baraily described Nepalese food as spicy and full of flavors. The dishes at Cafe Everest, all homemade, often include cumin, paprika, turmeric, ginger, or garlic. Diners can expect a complimentary cup of lentil soup, and can find menu items like momos, either steamed and served with a special soup or fried and smothered in chili sauce, or noodles like chow mein.
The rich and layered flavors of this cuisine are highlighted in one of Baraily’s favorite dishes, goat choila. Goat is marinated then cooked over flames on a grill until slightly charred, tossed with vegetables like onions and herbs, seasoned with cumin, coriander, and garam masala, dressed with a chutney made of tomatoes and chilis, and completed with an oil infused with spices, garlic, and ginger.
Baraily said these flavors have transported some of their diners back to their roots.
“They told us ‘hey, this is actually reminding me of those 10 years back or 20 years back to Nepal,'” he said.
From living in a refugee camp where there were difficulties finding food, to now sharing his culture with others through cooking and serving dishes, Baraily’s story and that of his restaurant, are full circle.
“I’m speechless, you know. When I see back when I didn’t have food, and now I’m serving food to people - and when they are liking my food, I just feel happy,” he said. “We work with our heart here. We feel great.”
Cafe Everest is located at 14304 Puritas Ave, Cleveland.
Editor's note: This video is from a previous Taste of Home story published on April 10, 2022.