Nepalese cuisine is rather a rare find in Luxembourg, which is why I wanted to test out AAYAM, located in the Gare district.
The restaurant was founded by Deeplove Baraily and his wife Anita Khatri-Baraily, and was later joined by their business partner Indra Kumar B.K. They wanted to present Nepalese food in a more "refined way". As they put it, the concept is about "unity in diversity, served on a plate", meaning blending Nepalese roots with Indian, Southeast Asian, and international influences. The menu is primarily curated by Deeplove based on his experience as a chef, but continues to evolve with the input from the kitchen team.
We went there on a Sunday evening, and it was rather calm. The place itself tries to keep it minimal. Green walls, soft lighting, nothing too overdone.
I ordered the Paneer Butter Masala (€24) with naan, plus a mango lassi (€6.90). Now, this isn't a traditional Nepalese dish, but it's one that I've had many times so it's easy for me to compare. The naan is already included in the portion so you don't need to order extra. The dish was solid, slightly spicier than what I'm used to – I definitely had milder versions before, but I'm a softie when it comes to spices!
My friend had the tofu & peppers (€18), stir-fried with bell peppers and onion in a lemon soy glaze, served with jasmine rice. It was a nice and fresh option, leaning a bit on the spicier side.
Other highlights on the menu included some interesting sides to share such as AAYAM Croquettes – crispy scampi croquettes with Nepalese-spiced filling and house tamarind chili mayo (€16.00) – or the Machha Fingers, panko-fried tilapia with a Nepali-spiced marinade and mint yoghurt dip (€12).
For mains, the AAYAM Kofta Curry would’ve been my second choice: chicken thigh meatballs simmered in their signature Nepalese spiced curry with jasmine rice (€23).
I finished my plate, but I did not have much space left for dessert, which was a shame because I was very curious about them. The AAYAM Khuwa Tart – a shortcrust tart with baked Nepali milk fudge and salted vanilla caramel (€9.50) – or the Jalebi Ice Cream (€9) sounded very tempting.
Jalebi is a popular south Asian sweet made by deep-frying flour batter into pretzel or circular shapes, and then soaking them in sugar syrup… here, it's layered with caramel ice cream, cookie crumble and pistachios… Convincing enough for me!
Overall the menu reflects the fusion approach that they want to offer, mixing different influences, while offering Nepali dishes.
AAYAM is a calm and unfussy spot with a more modern take on Nepalese cuisine, though it sits on the pricier side. If you're curious to try something a little different, it's definitely worth checking out.
Food quality: 4/5
Family-friendly: 4/5
Budget-friendly: 3/5
Date-friendly: 3/5
Veggie-friendly: 3/5
Carolina Reinertz, former RTL Today editor turned contributor, is testing every hotspot in Luxembourg with honest reviews on whether a place is date-friendly, budget-friendly, or worth the hype – so you can spend your money wisely.
