Karma, New Himalayan veg restaurant on 6th Avenue in SF

September 23, 2008

Karma, a very small "Himalayan vegetarian fusion" restaurant (one table inside and one bench outside) opened recently at Sixth Avenue & California (200 Sixth Avenue) in the Inner Richmond. Telephone: 831-1088. They have a very limited menu at this point (but the menu says "more coming soon") but EVERYTHING is vegan except the salad (which has feta cheese). The other dishes are "momo" (steamed dumplings with veggies), lentil soup, noodle soup and noodle salad. All dishes are $5.95, and they also offer organic coffee and tea, and cold canned drinks.

I ordered momo and noodle soup to go. The momo (five dumplings in a serving, comes with sauce) was quite tasty. The noodle soup was a bit bland, but good, and there was a lot of it.

I believe this restaurant opened only a week or two ago. The owners are definitely taking a risk with such a small restaurant because there is not a lot of walk-by traffic (as opposed to Clement Street, for example).

When I ordered the momo, the cook (owner?) asked me if I was vegan and when I said yes, he said he had been making two kinds of momo, one with egg and one without, and then he said "I think I'll just stop making the ones with egg." So if you order the momo, ask to make sure there's no egg in them. He seems very open to suggestions!

I live only four blocks away, so I will definitely be going back again for the momo & noodle soup and to try the lentil soup and noodle salad. If you live anywhere in or near the Richmond District, please go by to try the food out. We've got to encourage those veg restaurants, small and large!!

Nadine