The other day i discovered a treasure in North Berkeley: Karma Kitchen at Taste of Himalayas restaurant, "a volunteer-driven experiment in generosity." Karma Kitchen has been happening since Spring of last year. My first time there was an awesome experience for my whole family.
The KK website intones "Imagine a restaurant where there are no prices on the menu and where the check reads $0.00 with only this footnote: Your meal was a gift from someone who came before you. We hope you will pay-it-forward however you wish." This was exactly my experience there, as the volunteer staff truly shined with enthusiasm, and the flow of generosity and gratitude were palpable.
The food was great, fresh ingredients crafted into fine vegetarian Indian-style dishes. Chef Chatra Lamichaney, who has cooked in restaurants in Cyprus, Iraq, India, and Vietnam, truly 'puts it down' for All the homies at Karma Kitchen. Incidentally, a good friend who's had alot of diet restrictions has sung the praises of Taste of Himalayas' quality ingredients for years now.
I'd highly recommend, to anyone, checking out Karma Kitchen and jumping into the cycle of giving at any and multiple points. As for me, I felt very much that I would like to volunteer there sometime as a server or dishwasher or whatever, so maybe I'll serve you at the next Karma Kitchen!
