[Osaka Kansai Expo] We tried various Nepalese dishes at the finally opened Nepal Pavilion. What does the mysterious dish called 'boiled paratha' taste like?
The Nepal Pavilion at
EXPO 2025 Osaka Kansai Expo Official Website
https://www.expo2025.or.jp/
The Nepal Pavilion can be reached by turning right after entering the inside of the large roof ring from the East Gate. On the official map, it is marked as 'C01' in the upper right corner of the inside of the large roof ring.
This is an exterior photo of the Nepal Pavilion taken on April 17, 2025, the fifth day of the Expo opening. At this time, it was surrounded by red traffic cones and we couldn't go inside.
Below is a photo taken on June 24, 2025, more than two months after the opening. The triangular cones have been replaced with green ones.
Construction resumed in June, with work progressing inside.
The Nepal Pavilion is scheduled to open on July 19, 2025. When I visited on July 23, 2025, it was a huge success.
You can enter the Nepal Pavilion without making a reservation. I visited around 5pm in the evening, and there was a line that stretched all the way to the inside of the large roof ring.
The queue was smooth and we were able to enter the museum within 5 minutes. The exhibition area is divided into two levels, so you have to go up the stairs.
The exhibition area looks like this. The exhibits are lined up in a simple rectangular area.
There are many items related to Nepal on display.
Himalayan crystals were also on display.
There were few explanations, and many of the items looked interesting but I had no idea what they were.
The building is surrounded by a courtyard, with food and souvenir booths lined up all around it.
A stupa-style monument stands in the center of the courtyard.
I checked out what was being sold at each of the food booths. At the booth on the edge, shaved ice called 'HIMALAYA Ice' was being sold for 1,200 yen including tax, and 'Fruit Tea' was being sold for 900 yen including tax.
At 'Biryani & Momo House,' 'Jhol Momo' was 1,600 yen including tax, 'Steam Momo' was 1,500 yen including tax, and Biryani was 2,000 yen including tax.
Other items available include the Grilled Chicken Kathmandu Roll for 1,600 yen including tax, and Chicken Curry with Rice or Naan for 2,000 yen including tax.
'Namaste Nepal'.
'Biryani' is sold for 2000 yen including tax, and 'Keema curry and rice' is sold for 1800 yen including tax. In addition, there was a mysterious food called 'boiled paratha' for 1700 yen including tax.
The lineup also includes the 'Chow Mein Combo' for 1,900 yen (tax included) and the 'Kebab Cheese Roll' for 1,600 yen (tax included).
'NEPAL KITCHEN' is still under construction, and the inside is being used as a rest area.
In addition to the Nepalese national dish '
'Uwasa no Pankama' offers sweet treats such as 'Pankama' for 900 yen including tax and 'Fresh Chocolate Naan' for 600 yen including tax.
At Nepal Snack Fairies, you can enjoy 'Ice Cube Lassi' for 900 yen including tax. There are also snack dishes such as 'Tandori-kun' for 1000 yen including tax and 'Bite-sized Samosa' for 1000 yen including tax.
There was also a store selling 'Stupa Parfait,' which was inspired by stupas.
This time, I ordered 'Biryani' (2000 yen including tax) and 'Boiled Paratha' (1700 yen including tax) at 'Namaste Nepal', and 'Johl Momo' (1600 yen including tax) and 'Chicken Tikka' (1100 yen including tax) at 'Biryani & Momo House'. The wait time was short because the food was packed in a container.
You can eat the food you received on the benches lined up under the large roof ring. The following photos are, from left to right, 'Biryani,' 'Boiled Paratha,' 'Chicken Tikka,' and 'Jhol Momos.'
Biryani is a dish made by cooking rice with spices and ingredients in soup. The rice used is long-grain basmati rice.
The rice is light and fluffy, and the overall flavor is slightly spicy. The dish is also packed with chicken, which is a nice touch.
This is 'boiling parathas'.
The Japanese translation of 'boiled paratha' is puzzling, but the English translation on the menu is 'Keema Paratha,' and the explanation below it also says 'Keema Paratha' in katakana. It's unclear how the mysterious 'boiled paratha' came about, but the explanation says it's 'a delicious, hearty South Asian flatbread stuffed with plenty of spiced minced meat.'
This thin bread is called 'paratha'. There are two slices.
I decided to eat it by putting the ingredients between paratha.
When I tried it, the ingredients were seasoned with Nepalese spices, and the dish tasted like 'Nepalese tacos.' I was expecting the paratha to have a crispy texture, but it was soggy that I had to bite into it.
Jhol momo is a steamed dumpling called momo, which is widely eaten in Nepal, served with sauce.
The sauce is quite dry despite its appearance, and its strong spiciness and umami of tomatoes go perfectly with the thighs. The thighs have a thin skin, so you can fully enjoy the texture of the meat. It is quite salty, so if you're sweating after walking around the Expo site, the saltiness will seep into your body.
The inside of the momo looks like this. I have eaten momo at many Nepalese restaurants, but these momos are of the highest quality. Of all the dishes I ate this time, this was the one I would most like to recommend to others.
Chicken tikka is a dish of grilled chicken seasoned with spices. It came in a pack of two.
When I tried it, it had a dry texture, and I couldn't help but think, 'The chicken tikka I can get at Nepalese restaurants in Japan is of much higher quality, so I don't think I'd go out of my way to eat it at the Expo.' It's a bit disappointing.
There were also bracelets and ornaments on display in the souvenir corner of the Nepal Pavilion.
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