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From the Himalayas to State StreetBy Pamela Cotant
She had often cooked for student get-togethers when her husband worked in the Southeast Asia department at UW-Madison, where he taught Nepali language classes and headed up the Nepal abroad program. On the road to opening her restaurant, she took a first step by opening a food cart on Library Mall for a couple of years in the mid-1980s. In 1986, Himal Chuli was opened in a small building with terrazzo floors at 318 State St. The three menu items were handwritten on a board: dal bhat tarkari (soup, rice and vegetables), momo (dumplings with tomato sauce) and a chicken curry dish. Himal Chuli is named after a glacier-covered mountain peak towering north of Bandipur, the Pradhan family's hometown in the Nepal Himalayas near Kathmandu. Chuli refers to kitchen. The restaurant thrived; its crowded tables, view of the kitchen and presence of the Pradhan family created an uncommon intimacy. "Madison kind of embraced us when we opened Himal Chuli," said Bishnu's oldest child, Rajan, who worked in the restaurant while studying art at UW-Madison. "There was very little investment and it kind of took off from there," he said. In 1992, Rajan Pradhan opened a more upscale and bigger restaurant at 334 State St., two doors down from Himal Chuli. It's called Chautara, which is a platform constructed under trees as a respite for travelers, farmers and others -- a common site in Nepal. Chautara also is a word used for gathering place. To further build on his success, Rajan Pradhan opened a third restaurant on Valentine's Day of this year: Dobhan, which means a confluence of two rivers or a crossroads. It's located in a former martial arts studio at 2110 Atwood Ave. where it meets with Division Street. Besides the crossroads location, Rajan Pradhan shapes the menu to reflect the idea of many parts of the world coming together. Employees from other countries have helped broaden the selections. Located close to campus, Himal Chuli and Chautara have become places for family members, which now number about 40 in Madison, to work as they go through school. Rajan's father came to Madison in 1972 to get a degree in linguistics; his family, which included four children, followed and then others came. More than 30 years later, the family's strong bond and Hindu traditions continue to govern how the restaurants are run. When the family discussed opening the third restaurant, Rajan Pradhan, who admits he is "stubborn," had a tough sell. "My mother was very against it," said Rajan Pradhan, who came to Madison when he was 11, graduated from West High School and went on to play soccer at UW-Madison. She was afraid it would be too much work for her son, who already shoulders much of the responsibility for the business and is the father of three sons, 21, 14 and 9. Asked how he was able to change her mind, he said: "She's still against it." "I just said, 'I have to do this,' " said Rajan Pradhan, who has found his passion in the restaurant business. He had already cut his teeth opening Chautara, where he also painted the wall murals. He proved he was capable and has the status of being the family's oldest son. That's another reason he is here running the restaurants; it's customary in Nepali culture for the oldest son to stick near his parents. Rajan Pradhan, who is divorced, finds it easy to talk things over with his parents, who live a block away. He goes over to have breakfast with them and then starts his day. The family tries out recipes by gathering at someone's home to sample. Or, Rajan's aunt, Jamuna Shrestha, who manages Himal Chuli, will take a plate of food over to Chautara for her nephew to try. The family doesn't follow strict recipes. "In my country, nobody measures," Shrestha said. When tasting a dish, it's customary to put a spoonful in your hand and then taste it because it puts you "in touch with food," she said. Shrestha is married to Stephen Mikesell, an anthropologist, and has two daughters, 25 and 23. The youngest, Ritika, works with her at Himal Chuli. The bookkeeping for the family business is handled by Rajan Pradhan's father. Rajan Pradhan's mother is still involved, especially with the food, and maintains a presence at Himal Chuli. Rajan Pradhan often consults his mother about the cooking end of the business. Dobhan's menu is constantly evolving, and after the restaurant opened for evenings only, a lunch and brunch were added for the weekends. This spring, Rajan Pradhan took his sons morel hunting and then made an omelet with the harvest. It allowed him to offer an omelet for a lot less than if he had to buy the expensive mushrooms. A hands-on person who likes to work, Rajan will comb the Dane County Farmers' Market for items for his restaurants. One of the advantages of working with family is the debate that's not possible with non-family workers. "You can tell them what to do but you can't really argue with (non-family members)," he said. "If you don't have an argument, it would be dull," said his aunt. But this also could be seen as a disadvantage of a family business. "With family, they all want to be right. Nobody will budge," Rajan Pradhan said. He said most of the arguments are over the long days required in the restaurant business and the stress it can cause. "A small business is hard," he said. "We have arguments but we all come to our senses and we go forward instead of going back." Rajan Pradhan said another advantage of a family business is the chance to create something tangible for his children and a chance for them to join in the business. "You get to spend time with your mother and you get to eat good food" -- two more pluses, he said. pcotant@mailbag.com madison.com ©2009 Capital Newspapers. 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