Lunch sans meat: vegetarian restaurants spring up all over Anchorage.

• Author: Lavrakas, Dimitra
• Position: Alaska Business Power Lunch

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More Alaska businesses are meeting with visitors from other countries and developing a relationship with partners of different cultures. A savvy entrepreneur would look to making sure that visiting vegetarians dine at appropriate eateries. Luckily, Anchorage now boasts quite a few restaurants that specialize in meatless menus.

Rather than just bringing a client to a restaurant that offers salads or Garden burgers, why not show off your worldly sophistication and show them you know where to go for outstanding vegetarian cuisine.

Tiny Yak and Yeti Himalayan Restaurant on Spenard near Benson, is a slice of Indian, Nepalese and Tibetan cuisines. It was opened just a year ago by husband and wife team Suzanne Hull and Lobsang Dorjee, who met in Anchorage when Dorjee moved here for a job. He's a computer programmer by day and learned how to cook his native foods, becoming so skilled that friends urged the pair to open a restaurant.

Hull, who grew up in Alaska, said she never was exposed to regional Himalayan foods and wanted to share it with Alaskans.

"I like to see myself as a bridge because I'm an American and a lot of people up here have never had this kind food," Hull said.

The tiny restaurant, in what must have once been a pioneer cabin, emits a homey and warm atmosphere with lovely photographs of the people and places of the Himalayan Region. The tables are white linen-covered with cloth napkins that are in stark contrast to the colorful dishware.

"We welcome families and children," Hull said. "It is a very welcoming atmosphere and we hope people will feel at home eating food that's not familiar."

We started with appetizers. Two Aloo Tikki, Indian, sesame seed-crusted and spiced fried potato patties served with house-made chutneys with flavors that danced in the mouth. The Tingmo, Tibetan steamed buns served with Yak and Yeti hot sauce and house mint chutneys, were light and fluffy. For a main dish, we split a favorite--Palak Paneer, which is homemade cheese cooked in lightly spiced, blended spinach and served over rice.

There are six other vegetarian dishes to choose from, as well as eight entrees that include meat--chicken, pork, Cornish game hen, beef, lamb and shrimp.

An old standby is Bear Tooth Theatrepub & Grill. We have never had a bad meal there and our mouths water at the thought of a Mu Shu Tofu Wrap with its spicy peanut sauce. The daily specials always hold a vegetarian offering like the recent Tofu...