Kathmandu, July 24 -- Lebanese food has become familiar enough in Kathmandu that most people think they already know it. Shawarma has become street food. Hummus appears on cafe menus. Falafel is not an unfamiliar word. But somewhere between those borrowed dishes and their original context, it is easy to forget that Lebanese cuisine was never meant to be built around one signature item. It is a cuisine of many small plates, herbs used generously rather than sparingly, vegetables that receive as much attention as meat, and meals designed to cling.

Beirut, tucked inside Gairidhara's Hotel Noya, understands this better than most.

Before the food even arrives, the restaurant establishes its identity. White walls are softened by climbing gree...