Himali Cha Cha I

This restaurant is the final work of Cha Cha, who spent over 40 years cooking about the world before establishing Himali Cha Cha in 1980. One of his first jobs was on the staff of Lord Mountbatten of India in the 1940s, which set the high note his career was to follow; cooking for the rich, powerful and famous. After Indian independence he spent a career as a cook to Indian Ambassadors abroad. His last diplomatic posting was in Laos, where he married, then set up a small restaurant by the morning market. His name spread among the Indian food lovers, though his old friends, Ambassadors and diplomats remained prominent among diners there. In 1977 Cha Cha and his Thai family fled communism in Laos. In Bangkok, Himali Cha Cha grew from demand for Cha Cha's cooking, his rare skill with spices and flavors. The restaurant is now in the capable hands of his son Kovit.