For several years a few of us have gathered each Christmas season to dine at the Kathmandu Cafe on Commercial Drive in Vancouver. A meal of goat curry and momos always seems like a nice distraction from more conventional holiday festivities. During this time we have come to know Abi Sharma, the Kathmandu's genial proprietor.
Last night a group of regular patrons convened beneath the stunning photographs of the Himalayas that decorate the walls of the cafe to bid farewell to Abi, who has handed off the reins of his establishment and is leaving Vancouver to return to his native Nepal, at least for the time being.
Abi will be missed by many people in the city, though the quality of last night's curry suggests that he has left his business in good hands. You can read more about Abi in this essay from Geist magazine by Stephen Osborne, one of the cafe's most regular customers.