Eating out in Minsk is no longer the outright horror that is once was. There now seems to be two kinds of restaurants: those that get it, and those that don’t.
—Minsk Belarus In Your Pocket guide
Jomolungma, the only Tibetan/Indian/Chinese restaurant in Minsk and greater Belarus, “gets it.”
Jomolunmga, the Tibetan word for Mt. Everest, translates loosely into English as “mother goddess of the Earth.” Located a comfortable walk from the Yakuba Kolasa (Якуба Коласа) Metro Station, Jomolungma just celebrated its fifth anniversary, throwing a month-long fiesta from 8 October to 8 November 2009.
It was May 2009, my first afternoon in Belarus. The drive into Minsk was picturesque. Wide, lick-ably clean streets and monolithic Soviet facades, the grandiose aesthetic of Stalin’s massive post-war rebuilding. During WWII, Belarus was invaded by Nazi Germany and suffered greatly during the occupation; 25% of the entire population was killed, and by the time the war was over, barely a stone was left standing. Jomolungma, a quirky first-of-kind restaurant represents new Minsk, a progressive and increasingly global city.
When I walked in, there was one other couple in the corner. I was immediately greeted.
Zdrasvootyeh…(pause)
Hello hello! Welcome please!
The main dining room is cheerful and colored in soft ochre hues. Images of Nepal and Tibet adorn the walls—places like Boudhanath Stupa, Pashupatinath temple complex and the Tibetan city of Lhasa. Hip, artsy tealight containers are on each table, and warm towels and green tea precede each meal. The menu is large, more of a book actually, with separate sections for China, India, Tibet and Nepal. Jomolungma is spacious—between the Kama Sutra tea room, Shangri-La karaoke room and Annapurna hookah room, there are plenty of tables.
When I asked the owner, a multi-lingual Tibetan that speaks Hindi, Tibetan, English, Nepali and Russian whether or not Belarus even had an Indian or Chinese community, he said, “the three other Tibetans in the country are all right back there, in the kitchen.” The owner is jovial and gregarious. He has traveled extensively throughout America and, after seeing a New York friend’s success with a Moscow-based restaurant, he researched different cities and found Minsk an appropriate and virtually untapped market for Asian cuisine.
Maria Carey’s Without You was on its third cycle by the time my food arrived—a smooth and creamy chicken makhani with requisite naan and white rice. It was delectable.
If you’re craving curry in Belarus, look no further than Jomolungma.
Restaurant Details:
Jomolungma (Джомолунгма)
G-4, Gikalo 7 (Гикало 17)
Closest Metro station- Yakuba Kolasa (Якуба Коласа)
+375 17 280 53 88
http://jomalungma.by
Hours: open every day 12:00-17:00
Entertainment on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday nights after 20:00
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I dug the particular detail on this entry. I felt I could see the place with my mind’s eye. It helps that there were plenty of pictures too.