MSBDC Client Profile: Lhasa Cafe

Lhasa Café
Northampton, MA

Lhasa Cafe Thondup Tsering was born in Tibet; Dolma Tsering in India. They came to Western Massachusetts so Thondup could pursue a doctorate in education at the University of Massachusetts but that plan was put on hold while they pursued their dream of owning a restaurant. Thondup and Dolma spent two years looking for the right place to open a restaurant serving traditional Tibetan food which is influenced by India and China but, according to Thondup, not as spicy as Indian food and not oily like Chinese food.

They realized their dream in September 2004, opening the 40-seat Lhasa Café on Main Street in Northampton. Lhasa Café is the first and only ethnic restaurant serving quality Tibetan food in the Northampton-Amherst area as well as the entire western Massachusetts region. If you want to experience Tibetan culture and cuisine but save the trek across the Himalayas, Lhasa Café is the place to be!

“The MSBDC has played and continues to play a critical role in fulfilling my dream of owning a Tibetan restaurant. Coming from a very different culture and a different system, life is already hard enough. Without Lyne's help we could not have done it. Thank you Lyne and thank you MSBDC!”