Story and photos by Sarah Golibart Gorman
Foodie Q&A is a series showcasing the Harrisonburg food community. Food enthusiast and storyteller Sarah Golibart Gorman interviews food and drink makers behind the Friendly City food scene. You’ll read about their origins, creative processes, aspirations, and go-to spots in town. Fresh articles drop the second Tuesday of each month from June 2024 to June 2025.
This month, Gorman sat down with Bijaya (BJ) Dulal, one half of the pair who took over care of Indian & American Cafe when the original owners retired in 2022. Dulal shares his order recommendations, details about the restaurant’s made-from-scratch cooking, and his relentless work ethic.
Gorman: Can you tell me where you grew up and about the food you grew up eating?
Dulal: Actually, I’m from Nepal, close to Kathmandu. My city is an agricultural city, my parents and grandparents were farmers. We have similar spices to India, cumin, coriander, but spices are more mild in Nepal. When I was a child, my grandma cooked and then my mom took over. We got 90% of things organic, grown in our own garden or farm. You can smell the difference when it’s cooking. I remember those days, the vegetable curry and aloo gobi. We got the aloo, the potato, from the farm, and the gobi, the cauliflower, from the farm as well. We bought the spices, but grew the onions, ginger, and garlic.
Gorman: When did you begin cooking and who taught you?
Dulal: I started cooking in 2005. When I finished high school, I had culinary training in Nepal for three months. I got hired at a resort in Kathmandu and worked there for a year and a half. We followed recipes from the chef or sous chef. We couldn’t express our own way of cooking, but I learned a lot from them. In 2006 I started working in Patna, India at a hotel called Ganges International Hotel. Then I went back to Nepal, I was still studying for my bachelor’s degree in business studies.
Gorman: What brought you to Harrisonburg?
Dulal: I applied for the DV (Diversity Lottery), which was the easiest way for me to move to the U.S. and get residency. I got the visa and moved to the U.S. on April 17, 2007. It is really different from Nepal. In Nepal we have big hearts, family is everything. But technology is not advanced. I learned English, but I cannot always express myself because my words are limited. The pronunciation, the tones, it’s hard to catch up with the people, but I’m surviving.
I started in New York City, getting jobs through agencies. I worked as a kitchen helper first at a Thai, Malaysian, Indonesian fusion restaurant for almost four years. Even though my background was in Indian cooking, I told them, “Show me whatever I have to do. I’m going to catch up.” I worked from the basic level, helping in the kitchen to working on the line, making sauce to helping develop recipes. Every single day I tried to catch up.
In 2011, I returned to Nepal to get married. When I went back to New York I worked at a smoothie bar for almost two years, but my mind was not satisfied. I knew that was not what I wanted. I found work in an American kitchen, Legasea in the Moxy Hotel with chef Jason Hall. He ended up opening a couple restaurants and he took me with him because he said I was honest and knew I wanted to work hard.
I’m a workaholic. I like to work. And I have to be honest. That’s why God sent me to work. To be honest and try my best. In 2020, COVID changed everything in New York. A friend called me about moving to Harrisonburg. I couldn’t find full time restaurant work, so I worked a warehouse job for a year, but didn’t like it at all.
Gorman: What led to you taking over Indian & American Cafe from Rama and John Shrestha?
Dulal: John and Rama are family friends from Nepal. They told me and my business partner Shiva Lamichhane about how they were so tired, working more than 10 hours a day, 6 days a week in their 80’s. I can’t imagine how they did that for such a long period. They were doing things the traditional way, cash only. Now we can take credit cards and manage the third party services, GrubHub UberEats, DoorDash.
We worked with them for two months and they told us to take it over. That was on January 1, 2022. The restaurant was their baby. They spent more than 20 years in this space. At first, it was hard. Customers expected a certain taste. John and Rama had their own way, but we learned it. We try to improve every single day. We are looking for the feedback from all our customers. We respect all the customers as equals, whether someone is coming in just for tea or a whole party.
Gorman: If a customer is new to Indian & American Cafe, what would you suggest they order?
Dulal: Start with the momo, the Nepalese dumplings, stuffed with mixed vegetables and fresh herbs. They are very good with the tomato chutney. Then for the main course, you can choose between our saags, or spinach curries. They are the best sellers. Chicken tikka masala is also very popular. People like to dip the garlic naan, our fresh baked Indian bread, in the dishes.
Our chai is also special. We make it the traditional way, simmering loose leaf tea and spices on the stove top. Our chai is never from a box or tea bags. For dessert, you can order rice pudding with Indian spices. People like our mango lassi as well. We make the yogurt here and add the mango and spices.
Gorman: What aspirations do you have for the future? What’s next for you in your food journey?
Dulal: Our restaurant has a strong legacy. We want to keep attracting young people to try our food. We would like to serve large groups and parties. We also want to cater more and more events.
Gorman: What are some of your go-to spots in town to eat or drink?
Dulal: We do not go out to eat very often, we are working all the time, but I do like Taste of Thai’s green curry.
Gorman: Who would you love to cook for? Anyone in the world who you admire.
Dulal: My mom. We are a joint family, my parents live with me, my wife and kids. I am so thankful for their support. My son has autism and he loves my mom so much. We have a small garden in our backyard where my mom grows vegetables. She uses them in her cooking.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Stay up to date about Indian & American Cafe here. Order online or visit the restaurant 7 days a week at 91 N Main St.
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