Pakistani/Indian · Sharpstown, Southwest Freeway
By Monty Khas, Anonymous Critic. Pays every bill.
Kaiser Lashkari was three and a half years into medical school in Karachi when he decided to become a cook instead. After earning a hospitality degree at the University of Houston and years catering Indian weddings, he and his wife, Azra, took over a strip-mall space off the Southwest Freeway in Sharpstown. What they built there, Himalaya, has become one of the most beloved desi restaurants in the United States.
The room
Himalaya is not about the decor. It's a cluttered, informal strip-mall room, next to the tailors and grocery stores of Houston's Mahatma Gandhi District, with walk-in service and a crowd that ranges from local families to food pilgrims. Anthony Bourdain visited in 2016, Andrew Zimmern has sung its praises, Lashkari was named a James Beard semifinalist in 2019, and it's a regular on the Opinionated About Dining list of North America's best casual restaurants. None of that has changed the place one bit.
What to eat
Start with the hunter's beef, Himalaya's signature. It's a block of beef brined and spiced for days, the Pakistani cousin of pastrami, served either cold with tomatoes and mustard sauce or diced and sautéed hot in butter, chili and spices. It's unlike anything else in Houston.
Then the fried chicken, Lashkari's most famous Texas mashup: chicken marinated in Indian spices, fried Southern-style until shatteringly crisp, and served with a white gravy made from cashew, almond and coconut. The chicken hara masala gets its bright, tangy green sauce from Mexican tomatillos and cilantro, another nod to Houston's melting pot.
The menu keeps surprising. Steak tikka is smoky and tender. The paratha-dilla, a quesadilla made with paratha, is exactly the kind of Pakistani-Tex-Mex hybrid that only Houston could produce. On weekends, look for specials like the chultz, a chicken-fried steak with coconut masala gravy, and the Indi-Pie, a shepherd's pie built on lamb curry. Goan shrimp and salmon curries bring coastal flavors, and the biryani and saag paneer are reliable classics.
Dessert
The mango tres leches is the perfect finale, a Latin American classic soaked in mango and given a desi twist. Don't leave without it.
Before you go
Himalaya is closed on Mondays and open for lunch and dinner the rest of the week. Walk-ins are the norm, so arrive early at peak times. Bring a group and order widely; this is a menu to explore.
Why it matters
Houston is one of the most diverse cities in America, and Himalaya is what that diversity tastes like. Pakistani, Indian, Southern and Mexican flavors share a plate here not as a gimmick but as an honest reflection of a chef who loves his adopted city. It's a Houston rite of passage, and it hasn't lost an ounce of its personality.
The Quick Fix
What to order: Hunter's beef; Indian-spiced Southern fried chicken; chicken hara masala; steak tikka; paratha-dilla; lamb or mutton biryani; Goan shrimp curry; mango tres leches
Pricing: Wallet-friendly. One of Houston's best-value desi meals.
Best for: First-time visitors to Houston, food pilgrims, families, adventurous eaters and anyone who loves a Pakistani-Texan mashup
How it compares: The most characterful desi kitchen in Houston; Aga's is better for goat chops, but nobody beats Himalaya for originality; hunter's beef has no rival in the city
See where Himalaya ranks: The Best Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi Restaurants in Houston: Our Top 10 for 2026
The food was always this good. We're just paying attention.