The Mill City Times Interview: Rashmi Bhattachan of Gorkha Palace

Article by Becky Fillinger

Gorkha Palace's 10th anniversary will be commemorated in September. We talked to co-owner Rashmi Bhattachan about her celebration plans and menu recommendations.  

Rashmi BhattachanQ:  You’re about to celebrate Gorkha Palace’s 10th anniversary. What do you have planned for the event?

A:  We have some exciting promotions planned. Because it is our ten-year anniversary, we will be doing lots of giveaways throughout the third week of September through our social media channels. We will also be offering 15% off on Monday, September 10, which is the day of our tenth anniversary.

Q:  We’ll mark our calendars! You’re a leader in serving locally-sourced, 90% organic food. What are the challenges in maintaining those quality standards?

A:  We have a very reliable supplier who has been providing us 80% of our organic produce. Thankfully we have not had any challenges in maintaining the standards. We also buy from our local farmers market vendors on a regular basis in summer. In case our regular supplier runs out of any ingredients, we have the farmers market as a resource.

Chef SaralaQ:  Your menu changes seasonally. What’s available now that we should try before summer ends?

A:  Actually, our menu changes seasonally for the lunch buffet. Pre-COVID-19, our Chef Sarala and her team used to prepare seasonal vegetable entrees for the buffet. We hope that once everything comes back to normal, we shall once again serve our popular buffet.   

Q:  Is there one dish on your menu you wish more people would try? 

A:  I wish more people would try our Aaloo Bhindi, which is okra sautéed with potatoes, tomatoes, garlic, ginger and spices. On the non-vegetarian side, I wish more people would try the Goan Lamb Chili, which is Tandoor grilled lamb sautéed with bell peppers, red onions and tomatoes and served with Lentil soup. These are hidden gems of our menu. But I do recommend that customers take a look at our menu – we have many authentic Nepali, Indian and Tibetan dishes to try.

Aaloo Bhindi

Momo serving at the Mill City Farmers MarketQ:  What food items do you offer at the Mill City Farmers Market?

A:  We offer Turkey Momo (Ferndale Market turkey potstickers), Vegetable Momo and Mixed Vegetable Curry with Jasmati rice (Jasmine and Basmati rice blend).

Q:  Do you anticipate the restaurant will open for indoor dining in the near future?

A:  We are not sure about this year, however we are keeping up to date with the national and local news and the restaurant industry rules, regulations and suggestions from the Hospitality Association. Even though we’ve had no dine-in operations and no alcohol sales, and our revenues have gone down - we feel incredibly fortunate to have had immense support from our community, our patrons. We would not have been able to sustain had it not been the outpouring of love and support from our loyal patrons who keep ordering curbside takeaways, some more than twice a week! My Chef Sarala and I, as well as our entire staff, are deeply touched as well as grateful to all our patrons. This is another reason we really want to celebrate our Ten-Year Anniversary in a special manner this year. Lots of giveaways are in store!

Q:  How may we stay up to date with happenings at Gorkha Palace?

A:  Facebook and Instagram are two ways we provide updates on a very regular basis. And twice or thrice a year we send out our newsletter via email. Sign up for the newsletter on our website at www.gorkhapalace.com. Also, please feel free to give us a call at 612-886-3451 or email at info@gorkhapalace.com.

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About Becky Fillinger

I’ve been a resident of the Mill District only since July 2019, but have visited the Guthrie, the Farmers Market, restaurants and friends in the area for many years prior to making the leap to Minneapolis. I’ve lived in many places (and climates) in the US and can testify that our cultural events, bicycle and hiking trails, parks and green spaces, museums, diverse neighborhoods and wonderful restaurants put Minnesota and Minneapolis high on my best places list. I’m a member of the Mill City Singers and look forward to our choir practices and performances.

One of my main interests is community - a very broad concept. For me it means bringing people together with common interests to form meaningful relationships. I look forward to reporting on businesses and individuals in our neighborhoods. Feel free to drop me an email at becky_fillinger@hotmail.com with your thoughts and ideas for stories.