The Best Momo in Town at the Gurkha Kitchen, Oxted
Eighteen years ago the doors first opened at the Gurkha Kitchen Nepalese Restaurant in Oxted, and today it is still one of the town's most popular restaurants, serving authentic Nepalese dishes - and the best Momo we have tasted so far! The award-winning family team are still serving light, fresh and aromatic Nepalese food made using carefully sourced, natural ingredients.
Saturday nights are regularly booked out in advance and busy evenings are the norm. 
Although the restaurant is fairly open-plan in its layout, the venue boasts some of the best acoustics I have eaten to. While I am able to hear everything that is going on around and in the kitchen, none of this surrounding 'noise' is causing any interference to the conversation we are having with our delightful host, Sirish Gurung.
Sirish explains that Oxted's Gurkha Kitchen has no connection to the identically named restaurant in Reigate, Surrey - and their business was founded in Oxted with this flagship restaurant on Station Road East. The Gurkha Kitchen has since marked the beginning of a growing local empire for Sirish's family, with her uncle, Purna Gurung, at the helm.
The fabulous aroma we are savouring while we chat would suggest it is 'sauce day' Sirish informs us, when big vats of sauce are made fresh, with someone actually chopping all the onions, herbs and ingredients from scratch, ready for the weekend. No tear-saving, pre-chopped, packaged onions in this kitchen!
"Gurkha Kitchen presents a gastronomic experience, which is prepared with great care and attention and has no room for short cut methods."
Originally Sirish was based in Tunbridge Wells where she managed one of the family restaurants, and when this branch closed she made the move into Oxted. Ten years ago she was herself working and waiting tables in the Oxted restaurant.
Today she can be found behind the scene, ensuring things run smoothly with the administration side of business. Over the years Sirish has seen small children, who originally came through the Gurkha Kitchen doors with their parents, returning now as adults and parents themselves.
After a refurbishment about 8 years ago, the interior now boasts authentic Nepalese decor, with the mirrors situated on the far end wall being reclaimed windows from a Nepalese house - and the added tiles and brickwork features are also all original imported pieces.
Considering the bare minimum is set aside for advertising the popularity of the family restaurants is outstanding within Oxted. Sirish tell us that her family feel it is important to contribute to the local community, supporting neighbouring business and events, as well as offering a variety of fabulous food.
The family also own Oxted's Italian restaurant Cucinas Italiana. This was the second restaurant they were to open in Oxted, with head chef Raffaele Bertolo serving authentic Italian dishes the way the English table wants them! And with great meal deals available, Cucinas is a good place to stop for a bite, particularly for lunch.
Thai Pad Tapas Bar & Restaurant has become the latest addition to the restaurant
'chain' and after a few teething problems the menu is now well recommended by many, with great take-away options available to complement dining in.
So what's next for business in Oxted?
Sirish tells us that the mysterious new Cattle and Cocktails bar is not a part of the family's growing collection - but the site that was once home to Kim's Cafe will soon be reopened as the place in town to buy the 'perfect patty', with a high-end burger bar planned for this expanding local company.
For more details and menus visit www.gurkhakitchen.co.uk
THE GURKHA KITCHEN NEPALESE RESTAURANT • 111 STATION ROAD EAST, OXTED, SURREY, RH8 0AX • 01883 72 26 21