Taste of Tibet

If it weren't for the street outside, you could almost imagine yourself in Tibet. \nTradition is the theme of Anyestang's Little Tibet, a restaurant that adheres so scrupulously to authenticity it would be just as at home among the mountains of Tibet as it is in its present location, 415 E. 4th St. \nWhen Thupten Anyestang started his restaurant in 1999, he wanted patrons to feel that they were walking into something real. He wanted them to imagine they were walking into a real Tibetan house, in Tibet. So he did the landscaping outside the restaurant himself, making it an authentic Tibetan garden and kept the interior decorations as traditional as possible. Unfortunately, the garden outside looks dead during the winter, but inside rich carpets with intricate designs and brightly-colored tapestries enliven the surroundings. Wall hangings feature a woman in traditional Tibetan garb and pictures of Tibetan landmarks. \n"I think it also helps that the restaurant looks like a house," said Lisanne Schrum, a server at Little Tibet and a close family friend of the Anyestangs. "You feel like you're in someone's house in Tibet and it's very cozy." \nKeeping tradition has paid off for the restaurant, especially in Bloomington's Tibetan community. \n"Everyone who's Tibetan in Bloomington eats here," said Schrum. "We get students and faculty in here, and then there are a few monks who live in Bloomington who come in on a regular basis as well. Sometimes monks make tours, and they usually stop in. When the Dalai Lama was in Bloomington, security was too tight for him to come here, but a lot of the monks in his entourage came in, and Richard Gere ate here." \nSchrum added what she really likes about the restaurant is its ties to the community. "The great thing about this place its that it's really community-oriented," Schrum said. "Not a day goes by where three people walk in who I don't know."\nSchrum said that while the restaurant does try to serve mainly authentic Tibetan food, Thai and Indian dishes are served as well, and while Little Tibet's dishes are more authentic than Bloomington's other Tibetan restaurant, The Snow Lion (113 S. Grant St.), some dishes have been slightly modified.\n"Some dishes have been modified to accommodate those with special diets, such as vegetarians, while still staying true to Tibet, but all the food is stylistically Tibetan, and it's all traditional," Schrum said.\nLittle Tibet is known not only for its food, but for its political position as well. Literature regarding China's occupation of Tibet is available to patrons the moment they enter the front door. A large table against one wall is filled with protest flyers as well as Thupten Anyestang's story -- Anyestang's father was captured by the Chinese, but escaped two years later and was reunited with his son.\nAnyestang is now in Tibet, visiting his family. There is also a flyer for IU Students for a Free Tibet, which meets at 8:30 pm. Wednesdays at Little Tibet. \n"They've stayed very politically active," Schrum said. "They haven't broken their ties with the country and are still involved." \nFreshman Chris Miller, a member of IU Students for a Free Tibet, agreed. "There are a lot of reasons why we hold our meetings there," Miller said. "But I think the restaurant's definitely an important part of our community." \nIn sharp contrast to Little Tibet's tradition is The Snow Lion, at 113 S. Grant St.. While the restaurant is owned and operated by the Dalai Lama's nephew, dishes are not strictly Tibetan, and almost all have been modified to suit a more Westernized palate.\n"In Tibet, they use almost no sugar. They eat more fatty foods, and their main ingredients are fats and oils," said John Simmons, who has been a cook at The Snow Lion for more than six years. "Our food is very different, for example, in the sauces we use, and the oils. They cook much more in many different kinds of oils, and sesame is the only oil we use."\nThe decor is much different as well -- while Little Tibet focuses on authenticity, The Snow Lion offers more of an American's idea of Tibet, rather than reflecting tradition. Mirrors cover the walls and movie posters hang instead of tapestries.\n"This is kind of a Midwestern version of Tibet," Simmons said.