As one walks down Brusselsestraat, Tiensestraat and Naamsestraat in Leuven, the chain of Asian grocery stores, night shops and restaurants is a sight one is unlikely to miss. Even as they serve the specific domestic needs of students from the Indian subcontinent, China and South Asian countries, they also find favour among local Belgians and others interested in Asian food and culture. What is however, very intriguing and suprising, on close observation is that many of these outlets are available thanks to the business enterprise of people from the Himalayan country of Nepal.

The Nepali diaspora in Belgium is estimated at 2,000 individuals, as per statistics obtained from the International Nepal Fellowship mission, which is also Nepal's longest-serving international non-government organization. Of these, a significant number are settled in Leuven. The unstable political situation in Nepal over the last two decades resulted in Maoists fleeing the counter-insurgency drive against the decade long Civil War. Today, Belgium is the second only to Germany in the European Union, in terms of settled Nepali population. While Nepal and Belgium started diplomatic relations on 19th of August 1963, the Embassy in Brussels was set up only in September 1992. For long, until 2006, Nepal was a monarchy, and the people of Nepal travelled abroad with only a piece of paper that established them as citizens of Nepal.

As one steps out of Leuven station, the Himalaya restaurant on the Tiensevest stands out as a speciality restaurant serving delicious Indian and Nepali food. Carry out lunch boxes start at as low as 8 euros. Moving to the city center, we find two grocery stores, Asian Supermarket and Everest on Brusselsestraat, selling primarily Indian food and a selection of Chinese grocery. Also located on this street is the newly opened "Om" snackbar, which has come forth as a low cost student friendly restaurant. Here, one can get all the delicacies that would normally be available in roadside bazaar snack shops in the subcontinent, such as pakora, samosa, chaat, pani puri, sweets, bhatoora, jalebi, bhajiya etc. starting at prices as low as 0.75 €. Besides, the snackbar also serves a Nepali thali or menu at a reasonable price. The restaurant was founded by chief cook Bijay Bikram Shahi, who previously had nearly 20 years of culinary experience in Germany and Manoj Kaflle. It was thrown open to the public on Valentine's day. The restaurant has quickly found favour among students, and chief cook Mr. Shahi remarked that his "vision was to see students find a nice, hygienic place to eat, where food is prepared fresh, and enjoy food in a nice ambience with music from the subcontinent that makes students feel at home".

Leuven has a bunch of other stores owned by Nepali families. Particularly, on Naamsestraat, one can find two restaurants, Chef's House and Namaste, which serve delicious Indian meals. Diamond Telecom and Namaste Communications allow people to call home and also transfer money. Likewise, the Inari, Sushi Lounge, De Lange Trappen, Taste of Asia and Het Pannenkoekenhuis located in the heart of Leuven are all results of the enterprising Nepali people. Today, the Nepali community is very well organized with societies such as Shangri La Samaj for organizing social gatherings and festivals, Indradhanush Club that organizes sports activities and the Euro Nepal Artist Association Belgium, providing an enriching social framework. |