Restaurant Review: Southern Asian Classics at Bhansa Ghar 

• Alex Springer

Though the Wasatch Front has plenty of great South Asian lunch buffets, it's been a hot minute since I indulged in one. This craving for endless plates of savory tikka masala, buttery naan and steamed momos is what initially led me to Bhansa Ghar, a recently opened Nepalese and Indian restaurant that has been making all kinds of waves online. The bar for South Asian cuisine is pretty high here in Utah, but based on my experience, Bhansa Ghar has come out swinging.

Per the restaurant's website, bhansa ghar is Nepali for "house of food," which is definitely appropriate. When I arrived during Bhansa Ghar's lunch buffet ($16.99), the restaurant was already full of fragrant aromas and its interior space was warm and inviting. It was also decently packed; the restaurant opened in early 2024, but it's clearly done its marketing homework. The buffet area had plenty of room in which to maneuver, which I appreciate, and all those platters of curry and biryani were just begging to be devoured.

As is my buffet custom, I took a spin around the buffet table to see what they had to offer. Visually, the chicken boneless biryani, the butter chicken and the veggie coconut korma all stood out as winners. I loaded my plate with a bit of everything, then slapped a few triangles of naan on top of it all—and was pleased with my creation.

While each dish captures the rich flavor profiles you would expect with these classic items, I have to say that Bhansa Ghar has set itself apart from other South Asian restaurants here. Normally, one would think that a restaurant's buffet service might not be bringing its A-game when it comes to regular menu items. That's not the case at Bhansa Gar, where I found that everything maintained the quality I would have expected from a regular menu order.

Starting with the butter chicken, I noticed that Bhansa Ghar's curry preparation leaned a bit more on the sweetness of the tomato, which cut nicely through the rich, buttery flavors. The chicken was great as well, making this one of the best iterations of butter chicken that I've come across. I thoroughly enjoyed making my little naan-wiches out of this flavorful dish.

The chicken biryani is a bit more understated, but no less flavorful. The basmati rice is perfectly cooked, and the subtle curry just wafts a fresh, aromatic flavor across your tongue. I added my scoop of korma to the top of the bed of biryani, which was an excellent complement to the latter's mild flavors. The veggie korma is made with coconut milk, which again imparts a welcome dose of sweetness to the korma itself. It swam with hearty seasonal veggies and was definitely my favorite vegetarian option.

On my second plate, I also loaded up on some malai kabab, which bore the trademark rosy hue of tandoori chicken without the bone-in preparation. Like the tandoori chicken, these kebabs have been slowly baked in Bhasa Ghar's clay oven, and maintain all the rich flavors of the traditional marinade. I am a lazy eater, so naturally I am a fan of boneless options, especially when I can still get those great flavors that the tandoori experience offers. All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed Bhansa Ghar's lunch buffet—and at under $20, this is a steal of a deal for fans of great South Asian food.

Though I was primarily there to check out Bhansa Ghar's lunch buffet, I couldn't pass up the chance to order some momos. The restaurant's menu has a whole section dedicated to this South Asian treat, and it's charmingly dubbed "Momo Corner." It's got five different types of momo that can be filled with either seasoned chicken or veggies, which means you've got 10 varieties of momo here. I want to build a summer home on Momo Corner.

As I was fairly stuffed from my buffet experience, I went with the chicken chili momo ($13.99). I noticed some of the momos are listed as fried in the menu description, but the server asked if I wanted these steamed or fried—good to know if you've got a preference. I went with steamed, and they arrived doused in a gorgeously angry red chili sauce with slices of green pepper and onion. For my palate, these were just spicy enough; you can ask for a spicier variation, and Bhansa Ghar has no qualms about bringing the heat. The chicken filling was well seasoned and had the exact texture you'd want from a momo filling. There will be a time in the near future where I will visit Bhansa Ghar and only order from Momo Corner, mark my words.

While I thought this was one of the best South Asian lunch buffets in town, there are still plenty of other menu options that I'd like to explore at Bhansa Ghar. Based on the restaurant's buffet prep, I have to assume I'll be in for a treat whenever I visit again.