After last year’s election, many people disappointed in the results found different ways to cope. Some decided to volunteer, some chose to donate, and some continue to sulk.
Manish Pokhrel turned to food. “America is built with all different kinds of people, and our flavors are supposed to reflect that,” says Pokhrel, who opened the globally inspired Wild Harmony this weekend.
His vision for the Ashburn restaurant includes a multitude of cultures and flavors that he says work together, giving a space for different cuisine to be comforting to all the different communities he hopes to serve.
Pokhrel’s own background is reflected in many of the dishes, including one common ingredient: water buffalo. Pokhrel, who was born in Nepal and moved to the States over two decades ago, uses the lean meat, because it is so prominent in his homeland. It’s in a variety of dishes—from a water buffalo cheeseburger to water buffalo momos, a Nepalese-style dumpling—blurring the line between cultures. The eclectic menu includes a butter chicken burger, parsley salad, beet cutlets and paneer skewers.
A restaurant manager for over 10 years, Pokhrel hopes to bring people together with his first restaurant. “What we really want,” says Pokhrel, “is for everyone to be in harmony.” // Wild Harmony: 166 Broadlands Center Plaza, Ashburn
