I was pleasantly surprised by my lunchtime visit to Cat-Man-Do, the new Nepali-Tibetan-Indian café at 1659 Grand (just west of Snelling Ave.) in Saint Paul. The menu is pretty limited, compared to most of the local Indian restaurants, with their endless variations on the theme of tandoori, masala, vindaloo and jalfrazee, but Cat-Man-Do does offer some dishes that aren't often found elsewhere.
These include chat, a traditional Indian street food made from crushed samosas with onions cilantro, garbanzos, tamarind sauce and yogurt ($6.95) and lamb or chicken choyla, a traditional Nepalese dish often prepared with mustard oil and a dry spice rub, as well as a green jackfruit curry and a side dish of potato achaar, a spicy side dish of potatoes pickled with banana blossoms, cucumber, jalapenos and cilantro.
What the $7.95 lunch buffet lacked in variety,it made 
up
for in quality. Everything on the small buffet stand seemed fresher and more
flavorful than the usual Indian steam table offerings - a savory eggplant curry,
a richly seasoned goat curry, a vegetarian biryani rice, ungreasy deep-fried
veggie pakora, served with a tamarind dipping sauce, and roasted spiced
potatoes, plus fresh homemade puri.
Speaking of Indian cuisine, the former Willie's Wine Bar on Harmon will soon be home to Dancing Ganesha, a new upscale restaurant that will combine traditional Indian cuisine with some sophisticated French touches. It's owned by Bombay Vegan, the same company that operates Nala Pak (the former Udupi Café), a South Indian vegetarian restaurant in Columbia Heights. Vish Nadig, one of the partners, says they are still working out details on the menu, but he promises a "four-star" restaurant, with prices set a little lower than the nearby Temple Restaurant and Bar.
Samosa chat is available elsewhere in town - at Bombay 2 Deli, to be exact. But it's great to have another version. I can't get enough of this amazing snack.
Jeremy, thanks for the review of Cat-Man-Do. What would I ever do without you to alert me to all the great little restaurants that keep popping up all over?
I was under the impression that chat refers to the whole category of snack foods in India, not a specific dish.
You're right, chat can be anything from pani puri to masala dosa coming from a street cart or Dhabas (small street sidestop restaurants).
The funny thing about Cat-Man-Do's chats really is that you can get a real Indian chat for about 10 or 20 rupees (39 Indian Rupees to the dollar): nowhere close to tha $7 Cat is asked... that is if you're lucky enough to be in India.
Sounds like lunch buffet is much better for both variety and price. A recent foray at dinner was nice but not outstanding. There were only 3 of us, which meant we could sample only 4-5 dishes. Before ordering, we asked about the curries and found out most come in the same sauce. A little disappointing to know, but less so had we ordered before asking. The appetizers, including chat, were tasty and different. I'll head back for the lunch buffet, and get the same variety for half the price.