In Nepal, the number 8848 has special significance.
That’s because it is the height in metres of Everest, the world’s tallest mountain with a summit that straddles the China/Nepal border.
To many in the UK, Everest is the peak that mountaineers Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay first climbed in 1953, but nowadays seems to be attempted by anyone with a sense of adventure and the money for a plane ticket to the Himalayas.
To the Nepalese, however, it is a place of deep spiritual meaning; a holy mountain whose name translates to Goddess of the Sky.
Its height, therefore, holds profound significance, and the number 8848 in Nepalese culture equates to the idea of perfection.
Nothing is taller, and therefore as perfect, as Everest.
Or at least, that was until 2020, when a geological survey carried out by Chinese and Nepalese authorities discovered that the mountain was a bit taller than everyone thought.
It wasn’t by much, but overnight, the number 8848 no longer meant perfection – because the height of Everest was actually 8849 metres.
Back in Aberdeen, the orological shenanigans were of little concern to the owners of 8848. The name would stay the same.
After all, what’s a solitary metre between friends?
And I’m glad the owners stuck to their guns. Because a meal at 8848 is as close to perfection as makes no difference.
The Union Street restaurant has been serving up quality Indian and Nepalese food for almost a decade, and seems to outdo itself every Aberdeen Restaurant Week.
Once again, the menu for ARW is a tasting menu that delivers a seismic bang for your buck.
£25 per person gets you a five-course tasting menu (drinks are extra) that starts small and builds into a substantial meal that both me and my friend Jo had trouble summiting.
The food
The first taster to arrive was the nugget-shaped Sweet Surprise, a spicy masala mix of sweet potato and chickpeas finished with tamarind and a beetroot raita.
The heat came from deggi mirch, a blend of capsicum and chillies that gave it a bit of a kick – slightly too much for spice-resistant Jo but delicious for me.
The pre-starter that swung our way next also had a bit of heat. The pan-fried vegetable manchurian was an appetizer that had us hungry for the main course.
Next up was a selection of tandoor-cooked meat and vegetables – a spiced cauliflower, a pakora-style chicken and a kebab made from Aberdeenshire lamb.
Across the table, Jo purred and took a sip of her mango mojito mocktail. This was her favourite plate of the night.
My favourite was next – a selection of Indian and Nepalese curries plated together with an Indian yogurt and nan bread and rice.
Our waiter – a Kolkata native who told us that in a previous job in India had had both former US secretary of state Colin Powell and Tom Cruise in his restaurant – said the curries were meant to show off India and Nepal’s breadth of styles.
We had curries from all points on the compass, and all of them were delicious. Special mention to the lamb curry, which was a stand out for me.
There was room at the end for tea (peppermint for Jo) and coffee (Americano with milk for me), though not much else.
When it comes to food, I’m very much from the ‘because it’s there’ school of eating but even I had to leave a few morsels behind.
Like those that fail to scale Everest in the short summer climbing window, I’ll just have to come back and try again next year.
The verdict
The food was fantastic; a flavourful journey through India that stops at some of its most delicious locations.
Meanwhile, the staff gave us the sort of attention that Colin Powell and Tom Cruise are no doubt accustomed to, topping of the excellent dishes with great service.
8848 scales the heights.
Information
A: 347 Union Street, Aberdeen AB11 6BT
T: 01224 595588
W: 8848restaurantonline.co.uk/
Price: £25 not including drinks (except tea or coffee to finish)
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