Connecting Bridges: An interview with Ash Chipula of Bridges Restaurant
Hello! This is Sheryl Rajbhandari, Heartfelt Tidbits Founder and Executive Director.
I had the pleasure of interviewing Ash Chipula. A Newari man from Nepal, just like my husband. The people in Nepal know the tribes they originate from; and they generally know those individuals. So, imagine my husband’s surprise when he took a Nepali college student to a downtown stand to get Nepali food, and the person serving the food was a childhood friend of the college student! This led to a visit from Ash and his father as they joined in our annual tradition of making Nepali momos for Christmas. Since that meeting the friendship has remained. As our relatives visit us from Nepal, we’re always sure to take them to Bridges so they can meet with their friends. Bridges has been a wonderful supporter of Heartfelt Tidbits and welcoming our newest neighbors.
Sheryl Rajbhandari: I would love to know more about Bridges, can you tell me the history of the restaurant, when and where it first opened, and who founded it?
Ash Chipula: We began in Findlay Market, Sept. 2015, we cooked the food in a kitchen in Newport but served and sold the food from Findlay Market. Later we began to serve customers at Fountain Square for 8-9 mos. Due to tremendous customer support and enthusiasm we began to look for a location to expand our business to a brick and mortar. In 2017 we opened Bridges Restaurant in Northside and expanded to our second site on Court St. in July 2018.
S: Who is the “we”?
A: Myself, my mom, Rose, and my father, Manoj.
S: How long have you been interested in food?
A: I was and still am a fan of my mothers cooking. As I was growing up I looked forward to our Newari family meals. I moved to the Omaha, Nebraska from Nepal when I was 19 for college. I longed for food that tasted like my mothers with the variety of flavors and textures.
While I was in college, I worked in a restaurant serving and knew I would never find a place like my mothers. I began to spend my weekend hours cooking for friend. They continually begged me to do it more often. I knew if I sold this food using the recipes, she was sharing with him, he knew others would love, appreciate and enjoy her food.
People commented that it looked different, tasted great, and they would crave it. It’s so healthy.
S: Did you get a degree in Omaha?
A: Yes, I completed my RN. During this time Nepal suffered a horrific earthquake and decided to move to the USA with me.
S: So, you are a nurse? Do you feel this helps you with the restaurant?
A: Yes, I am a nurse and I became one because I love people and health. This does help at the restaurant and I enjoy sharing information about the healthiness of our food and how the spices are beneficial.
S: I saw on your website that you specialize in Nepali food, what are some of your most popular dishes?
A: Our most popular items is rice/lentils, chicken tikka masala with veggies. Another Newari dish is Hawkwa Chihula with yellow lentil or chickpeas. The chow mein, which was recently introduced is popular. All our dishes use my mom’s recipes.
S: What are some dishes you think more people should try?
A: Since the menu is so simple people are willing to try and we allow them to sample a bite and we find people love to try.
S: I noticed from your yelp and Google reviews that people love the authentic Nepali food and hospitality?
A: We love to make people feel welcomed. I grew up in a culture that was very welcoming, and food is a part of it along with chai tea. Our Newari traditions of how we greet guests in our home have extended and influenced my hospitality side, along with my service experience.
S: With immigrating to America, what surprised you most about?
A: How well maintained the roads were and it was so easy to travel amongst states and different locations. In Nepal many roads are still dirt without marked lanes and travel can be extremely hard.
S: Is there anything else you would like to say about that you want us to post?
A: We are so grateful for those that love our food and we so appreciate our loyal customers. During the pandemic we’ve been able to survive. Our main goal is to remain consistent and serve the same food. We’d love to expand to a few more locations. So please continue to support us and love our vibe.
The restaurant business is hard because it requires cooking each day. It is a family owned business along with an ethnically diverse staff who believe in the food. Without them we wouldn’t be anything.
https://www.bridgesnepalicuisine.com/
LOCATIONS:
Northside: 4165 Hamilton Ave. , Cincinnati, OH (513) 374-9354;
Down Town: 133 E. Court St., Cincinnati, OH (513) 978-9055
Ash.connectingbridges@gmail.com