My other half isn’t as adventurous as I am when it comes to proteins outside of the big three (chicken, beef, and pork). Really, who is? I’ve had meals around the world that look like something out of The Freshman. I’ve often said that I love bear, when prepared correctly, as much as my favorite, duck.
Yak, which I first tasted as a stroganoff more than a decade ago at an event in Vermont, falls somewhere in the middle of my continuum of edible animals. But for the sake of novelty, I ordered the appetizer pictured above this weekend. It’s five ounces of marinated, sous-vided, then grilled yak. My other half was skeptical, but commented with a smile that it tasted like buffalo. Pretty accurate. The meat is milder than beef, but still reminiscent of a leaner version of it. It’s worth a try, even for the not-so-adventurous, especially dipped in the spicy sauce accompanying the steak at Himalayan Wild Yak.
But the slightly tough steak was quickly eclipsed by a menu full of hits. Crispy kale disappears in an oily puff of air, flavored with tamarind, yogurt, and mint sauces, and a sprinkling of pomegranate arils. A pork and mustard-green curry tastes like a greener, lighter chili verde. I almost craved tortillas to go with it, but I had fortunately already ordered crisp garlic naan, which was even better. And the butter chicken? It may be a gateway drug for the yak-shy. Its yak butter betrays nary a hint of gaminess, but brings an exceptional richness to the sweet, tomato-flavored sauce.
All of this is served in a bright, spacious room by staffers who are actually interested in your enjoyment. Whether or not you’re there for the yak, this is a restaurant worth adding to your regular rotation. It’s now part of mine.
22885 Brambleton Plaza, Ashburn
Feature image by Alice Levitt
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