After working his way up in the restaurant industry for 15 years, Nabin Chhantyal has enjoyed considerable success with his upscale Nirvana Indian restaurants in Lafayette Hill, Blue Bell, Chestnut Hill and Philadelphia. Now, you could say he’s returned to his roots with a new location in Bryn Mawr.
A native of Nepal, Chhantyal first fell in love with the industry as a waiter at the now-defunct Aman’s Indian Cuisine in East Norriton. He worked hard for 11 years, got his green card and opened his first restaurant in 2013. With little business experience, he often put in 70 hours a week in pursuit of his vision for the Nirvana brand, honing his kitchen skills, gaining a true sense of classic interior design and cultivating a relationship with the dining public.
All that real-life experience can only benefit guests at Nirvana’s Bryn Mawr location in the former Tip O’Leary’s. Chhantyal and his wife, Sonia, removed the old booths from the front windows and replaced them with tables. They updated the bathrooms and cut the bar in half to make room for a sleek hostess station. Stained-glass panels, golden Buddhas and a large wall of mirrors bring style and elegance to the dining room.
The food is exceptional. The measured use of traditional spices like cumin, coriander and turmeric enhances flavor profiles without overwhelming them. We savored the popular gobi Manchurian appetizer—light and crispy deep-fried cauliflower in a chili-garlic soy sauce. We loved the chicken momos (Himalayan steamed dumplings) and the creamy butter chicken, loaded with marinated thigh meat grilled overnight in a clay oven.
Also quite tasty were the vegetable samosa (pastry stuffed with potato and spices), the lamb madras curry (South Indian-style lamb curry with roasted dry chili and mustard seed in a coconut-based sauce) and anything made with marinated jumbo tiger shrimp. Spice levels were perfect for us, but the kitchen will accommodate to customers’ tastes.
Nirvana makes its own desserts—and if you’re going to pick one, try the gulab jamun. This traditional Indian favorite consists of tender fried dough balls made from milk solids bathed in a honey-sweet sauce.
Cost: $6–$30.
Atmosphere: Elegant, but not stuffy.
Hours: 11:30 a.m.–9:30 p.m. Sunday–Friday, 11:30 a.m.–10 p.m. Saturday.
Attire: Casual.
Nirvana Indian Bistro
610 Lancaster Ave., Bryn Mawr
(215) 647-2055
Website
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