Kaiser Lashkari came from Pakistan, earned a master's degree at the University of Houston's Hilton College in 1989, worked for Westin hotels and taught at Houston Community College before opening his own place. Himalaya followed in 2004 on the Hillcroft strip known as the Mahatma Gandhi District, and it has been a fixture on critics' lists ever since. The room is plain and cheerful, Lashkari greets tables himself, and the cooking is anything but timid. Hunter's beef, his Indian-style pastrami, is the signature; steak tikka and green curry chicken were on the table when Anthony Bourdain filmed here for Parts Unknown in 2016. Lamb shank and a buttery Punjabi dal fry round out the essentials. Bring your own beer or wine.
What to expect
- Lashkari keeps his office desk in the middle of the dining room.
- It can get noisy.
What to order
- Hunter's beef
- Steak tikka
- Green curry chicken
- Dal fry
- 2004Since
- Kaiser LashkariChef-owner
- BYOBDrinks
- Parts Unknown, Houston (2016)On TV