Some palates are intimidated by authentic Nepalese cuisine because the dishes are traditionally served on the summits of unscalable mountains and guarded by stomping super cows. Sample untrampled with today's deal: for $20, you get $40 worth of Nepalese and Indian cuisine and drinks at Kathmandu Spice in Arlington. Though this Groupon cannot be used with other offers, it can be used for the restaurant's popular lunch buffet ($9.95).

Once you've assembled your team inside Kathmandu Spice's marigold-and-cinnabar walls, begin to climb the menu from a base camp of vegetable ($6.25) or chicken ($6.75) momos (popular Himalayan dumplings) or khaja (flat rice, spicy potato salad, chicken sekuwa, and marinated soybeans, $7.25). There are so many appetizers that you could easily make a meal out of them, but you wouldn't have room for the must-try house specials. The dal, bhat and tarkari ($16.95)—a full meal of steamed rice, lentils, a vegetable dish, goat curry, spicy sauce, and dessert—lets you sample the staple diet of most of Nepal's population. Meat-minded appetites tear through roasted quail in chef's green sauce ($16.25), soft-shell crab in rich pepper fennel sauce ($18.95), or a bit of everything with the mixed grill sampler ($17.25). Vegetarians contemplate a buddha delight (fried cheese dumplings stuffed with raisins, cashews, and pistachio nuts in a cascade of creamy sauce, $12.25).

Everything at Kathmandu Spice washes down delightfully with Nepalese tea ($2.25) or a mango lassi ($3.95), and is best bookended by house-special naan bread ($4.50). Desserts such as sagarmatha rolls (bananas wrapped in a crispy roll and topped with ice cream and chocolate, $6.25) or cardamom-flavored custard garnished with caramel and whipped cream ($5.95) sweeten the meal. You can use one Groupon per table, so bring your mountaineer buddies to Kathmandu Spice and prove that you bear them no ill will for cutting you loose after their carelessly flung banana peel caused you to tumble down a crevasse.

Reviews

Zagat ranks Kathmandu Spice in the "very good" category, and Yelpers give it four stars. Foodler users give it 4.5, and four TripAdvisors give it 3.5 owl eyes:

• Phenomenal South Asian food. The Nepalese brunch on Sunday is the best value in the area with AMAZING food. I tasted spices I've never had anywhere else. – John W., Yelp
• …the food is consistently fantastic and the family owners make you feel at home. Make sure to try the crunchy soybean appetizers and the lamb main courses. – hellothere, Zagat
• There was a depth and complexity to the spices that was neither overwhelming nor reticent -- almost like discovering the various flavors in wine as the meal progresses. – KatherineM62290, Zagat