Where — and what — to eat in the Bay Area

With more than two dozen Nepalese restaurants in the Bay Area, and new ones appearing every day, cataloging the best, most distinctive dishes is a nigh-impossible task. A few suggestions:

Bini’s Kitchen: 1 Post St., San Francisco, http://biniskitchen.com. Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays. Highlights from the stand: turkey and vegetable momos, kwati (sprouted-bean stew) and Gorkha chicken.

Himalayan Grocery: 10340 San Pablo Ave., El Cerrito, 510-679-5101. Open daily. Source for Tibetan and Nepalese products, including rare spices such as timur (a variety of Sichuan peppercorn) and jimbu (Nepalese allium).

Himalayan Pizza and Momo: 288 Golden Gate Ave., San Francisco, 415-658-7696, www.himalayanpizza.com. Open lunch through dinner 7 days a week. Highlights: jhol momo (dumplings in spiced tomato broth), Himali chicken, vegetable chow mein.

Kathmandu Restaurant: 1410 Solano Ave., Albany, 510-526-3222, www.kathmandu-restaurant.com. Open for lunch and dinner Tuesday-Saturday. Highlights: chatamari (rice flour crepe), moo wo (rice flour crepe), khashi ko chhwela (smoked, marinated lamb), chhaang (rice beer).

Red Chilli: 522 Jones St., San Francisco, 415-931-3529, http://orderredchilli.com. Open lunch through dinner daily. Highlights: Nepali thali with chicken curry, lentil dal, potatoes with black-eyed peas and bamboo shoots, stir-fried mustard greens and radish pickle.