Aama Nepalese Cuisine has officially made Cochrane a known destination for food lovers after securing top spot in Avenue Magazine’s Best New Restaurants for 2024.
Chef and owner Gyanendra Sharma, better known as Chef G, said both he and his wife Tara Poudel never expected to win the award. Since the publication usually focuses on Calgary, he was surprised to be put on their radar.
“I think that was something big, we were not expecting it,” Chef G said. “I think this is great to showcase ourselves in Cochrane, and we can show that Cochrane does have something to offer for people whoa re looking to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city.”
On March 4, Chef G and Poudel attended an award ceremony where they were formally handed a plaque that they display in their restaurant.
“We both worked very hard, me and my wife, plus my whole team and the whole community that supported us,” he said. “I think now we can see that the sky is the limit and we can take this to a whole new level.”
As featured in their article, Chef G said he served the panel their staple Nepalese cuisine which he simply calls hearty, wholesome, and healthy foods, that emphasize the flavour of the food itself. He also notes that he incorporates a variety of popular street foods from Nepal in his cooking.
“And I support a lot of local farmers,” Chef G said. “So, I do yak, which is kind of our signature meat in the restaurant, and I do a lot of products and cuisine from yak.
“Like the Shyakpa which is stew, we have dumplings, yak short ribs, tenderloin, on and off I do provide experiences to people with (yak) tomahawk, and even yak ribeye.”
With both Chef G and his wife hailing from Nepal, he said they belong to mountain country and opening their restaurant in Cochrane felt close to home for them.
“That plays a big role for us because that, together with the food we put on our menu, it kind of resembles exactly being back home,” Chef G said. “I have also realized that many people in Cochrane have been to Nepal in one way or another, so it has given us an amazing platform to showcase what we do in terms of food and culture.”
Overall, Chef G said community has played a big role for Aama’s and without a doubt he believes that Cochrane will always band together and support local businesses.
“I would really want to thank all the community members that came out to support us since day one,” Chef G said. “Our friends and families too. They are not with me most of the time, but they always help emotionally and big time with recipes. And my staff, without them, it wouldn’t be possible.
“And again, my wife. She has been supportive every day for us. Me and her, we never knew that we would be such a great team, but now I can say – yes, we work very well together.”
