Base Camp

When my family comes to visit, I am usually pretty organized about places to eat. I want to take them to my favorites, but I also want to try new things with them so we can experience stuff together. On a visit from my parents, I found a great new place to try, but I had left a few meals open. We were returning to one of my parent’s favorite restaurants on one of the planned nights, and as we were getting off the bus, my mother and I both saw something on a street corner that we were very curious about. Enter Base Camp. As we peered through the window, it looked like people were enjoying themselves, and honestly, none of us were that familiar with Nepali food, so after dinner, I decided to see if there was any availability for the last couple of days they were in town. Success! So on their final night here, we headed over to see what it was all about.

It was fairly busy when we arrived, especially for a Tuesday night, so it started out very promising. We were shown a table in the back, and took a look at the drinks menu. They had some wines on the list, which we tried, but we were also very interested in the traditional Nepali rice wine drink. Sadly, they were out on the night, so we also made due with some Soju.

So many things on the menu looked terrific, and as it was our first time, we asked to see how many small and large dishes would be appropriate. As there were four of us, we ended up with four of the small dishes, two curry dishes, one chow mein and some naan and roti to share. One things that surprised us all was that chow mein is quite popular in Nepal! While most of the rest of the menu felt more similar to Indian cuisine, clearly there were also influences from its other neighbor as well.

The first two small plates to arrive were the spicy cauliflower and some tandoori octopus. I always love octopus, but it can be a tricky dish to do correctly, and this one was really well prepared. There was lots of flavor, and it was not at all chewy. The spicy cauliflower came with a warning when we ordered it, but most of the table could handle spice so we went for it. The heat wasn’t too bad for me, and the crunch and cook on the cauliflower was perfect. Yes, the heat was there, but it was definitely a great dish too.

Of course, we had to get momos at a Nepali restaurant. We went for the pork dumplings, and they are served with a rich tomato and soybean sauce as well as a bit of chili sauce on the side. They were another great burst of flavor in the mouth, and everyone was enjoying the meal so far. Finally, we went with the onion fritters, and they came out looking crispy and mouth-watering. They are served with the standard sides of a mint chutney and a tamarind chutney, and again the table was pleased.

Then the mains arrived. They looked so great that we dug in right away. They actually brought us one of the wrong curries to start, as we wanted the shrimp cashew curry, but they made it with chicken. As it turns out, the chicken was tastier, so we were glad they still gave it to us to try. We also had to get the goat curry, which was also a great dish. The chow mein is incredibly delicious, so if you are going to Base Camp and plan on skipping that part, please don’t! The breads are also well made, although we made the mistake of not getting any rice to help soak up all the amazing curry sauces, but I also imagine that rice would have been too much.

Finally, they decided to give us a cheesecake to try. Honestly, while it was nice, it was really the least exciting thing we had. Although to be honest, I wouldn’t know what I would get for dessert if I was eating in Nepal, so it was nice to have something at the end regardless. Overall the meal and the food was spectacular, and the service was really next level. We found out they opened right at the beginning of covid, so it was great to see they managed to pull through with deliveries and make it through. I’m incredibly glad we saw it next to the bus stop, and I definitely see coming back here again and again to try out more of their delicious food.

Score: 5/5
Recommendation: The chow mein and momos are definitely dishes you shouldn’t miss!

Base Camp
2400 Folsom Street
San Francisco, CA 94110