Nepalese Restaurants Nationwide Are Raising Money To Help Earthquake Victims

This weekend, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake shook Nepal, one of the world's poorest countries. The death toll currently stands at 4,600 and keeps rising as rescue efforts uncover more and more bodies underneath the rubble — which is all that's left of some villages. Besides the obvious choice, the Red Cross, The Daily Meal rounded up other national and international organizations that are giving funds directly to first responders in Nepal. Local restaurants nationwide are doing their part as well.

Each of the sizable Nepali neighborhoods throughout America, in San Francisco, Illinois, Colorado, and Queens, New York, are banding together to send supplies and funds to Nepal. The Daily Meal has rounded up a list of Nepali restaurants that have either set up relief funds or are taking money from their sales to help their brothers and sisters who have been affected by the devastating earthquake.

If you eat at any one of these restaurants, not only will you get a delicious meal of vegetarian curries, momos (Tibetan dumplings), and dal bhat (rice with lentils surrounded by pickles, curried meats, and yogurt), you'll be directly helping the earthquake victims.

Colorado

Nepal Restaurant — Grand Junction, Colo. — Restaurant owner Anil Nitel told The Daily Meal that 10 percent of all proceeds over the next week will go to The Red Cross. He is also setting up a donation box for the victims of the earthquake.

San Francisco

Red Chilli Restaurant — Restaurant owner Roshan Pradhan is planning a fundraiser for both supplies and funds in his restaurant, and urges organizations to not only give to major population centers like Kathmandu — many isolated rural sections of Nepal face massive destruction and are almost completely without supplies. Pradhan is especially affected, as two of his employees lost family members in the disaster. "The whole country is being affected, every single person, every single house," Pradhan told The Daily Meal. "The Bay Area restaurants want to raise at least $10,000."

Chicago

Nepal House — Nepal House will be collecting donations in collection boxes. Owner Bala Ghimire said that both of his restaurants, Nepal House and Chicago Curry House, are raising money to help those in need after the earthquake. "My brother is a victim himself," Ghimire told The Daily Meal. "He is alive, but everything he has is gone. We need help."

New York

At local Nepali restaurants in New York, community members gathered around TVs to hear news from home. Restaurants in Nepali neighborhoods in Queens like Ridgewood and Woodside have banded together to create a combined fundraiser with proceeds going directly to the Red Cross, according to the Woodside Café. 

If there are any other restaurants, Nepalese or otherwise, who are setting up fundraisers to help the earthquake victims, please contact The Daily Meal so we can spread the word.