Just outside the busy Jackson Heights-Roosevelt Avenue/74th Street subway station in Queens, sits a small Nepali restaurant that has become one of the most recognisable symbols of Nepali identity in New York City.

Known widely among the Nepali diaspora as “Bimala Didi ko Bhanchha Ghar,” the eatery run by Bimala Hamal Shrestha recently earned a place on the New York Times’ prestigious list of the city’s 100 best restaurants. For many Nepalis living abroad, the recognition felt deeply personal, a rare moment when a small immigrant-run eatery serving Nepali food found itself recognised in one of the world’s most competitive dining cities.

When Hamal first opened the restaurant in 2015, she said she never imagined it would one day receive such recognition. What drove her from the beginning, however, was a determination to preserve and promote authentic Nepali food and the culture attached to it.

“Food and its many varieties not only establish ethnic or regional identity,” she said. “They also introduce a country’s civilisation, originality and culture to the world.”

Over the past decade, Nepali cuisine has gradually expanded its presence in New York, particularly in Queens, where Jackson Heights has evolved into one of the largest hubs of the Nepali-speaking community in the United States. Once known primarily for Indian, Bangladeshi and Latin American food, the neighbourhood now hosts dozens of Nepali restaurants, grocery stores and businesses catering to a growing diaspora population.

But even within that crowded and highly competitive restaurant industry, Hamal’s restaurant has built a reputation for simplicity and authenticity. The restaurant serves Nepali dishes such as momo, sel roti, chowmein and bhutan sukuti, a dried and spiced meat delicacy popular in Nepal.

Hamal recalls that in the restaurant’s early years, many non-Nepali customers were unfamiliar with the cuisine. To introduce them to Nepali flavours, she often served complimentary sel roti, the traditional ring-shaped rice bread commonly prepared during festivals and family gatherings in Nepal.

The gesture, she said, helped spark curiosity among customers and gradually built interest in Nepali food beyond the diaspora community.

Today, Nepali-style thali meals have become among the restaurant’s most popular offerings. Many diners, including non-Nepalis, choose to eat with their hands, embracing the traditional style of eating common in Nepali households.

The restaurant has also won several Momo competitions organised in New York City over the years, further strengthening its reputation among food lovers and within the Nepali community.

Among Nepalis in Queens, Hamal is regarded not only as a successful restaurateur but also as a mentor and community figure. New York-based community leader Krishna Acharya said she has consistently supported social, cultural and charitable events organised by Nepalis in the city.

For Hamal, however, the journey behind the success has been far from easy.

She moved to the United States in 2008, joining thousands of Nepalis who have sought opportunities abroad over the past two decades. Like many immigrants, she faced years of uncertainty and struggle while trying to establish herself in one of the world’s most expensive and demanding cities.

“For Nepalis like us, starting a business in America requires enormous struggle,” she said. “You need courage, patience and honesty as well.”

Over the years, she said, persistence and hard work helped her gradually build trust among customers and turn the small restaurant into both a successful business and a cultural space for the Nepali community.

In recent years, Nepali cuisine has gained wider international visibility. Momo, once largely confined to Himalayan communities, has increasingly appeared on mainstream restaurant menus and food publications across Western cities. Food writers and chefs have also shown growing interest in Nepal’s blend of Himalayan, Tibetan and South Asian culinary traditions.

For many Nepalis living abroad, the rise of restaurants like Bimala Didi ko Bhanchha Ghar represents more than commercial success. It reflects a broader story of migration, cultural preservation and the effort to maintain a connection to home through food.

Running a restaurant business is challenging even in Nepal, let alone in New York, where competition is fierce and operating costs are high. Yet through resilience and consistency, Hamal has turned a small neighbourhood kitchen into a recognised destination and, for many in the diaspora, a source of collective pride.