About Us
Our beginning,
My desire to own a restaurant was not spontaneous, it came little by little. It started back in Nepal in my late teens and early 20s when i was spending most of my evenings with friends at cafes and bars in Kathmandu.
Growing up in Nepal during a civil war, when the government went from a monarchy to being run by the communist party, with up to 14 hours a day of power outages, the future felt uncertain. It was hanging out in those cafes, in the little serpentine alleys of Kathmandu that kept me and my friends sane.
We would meet at our spots to talk about our options to move abroad, searching universities in America, Australia, Europe, and Canada. When a friend would get a visa, we would have farewells in the same cafes. It must have been in one of those cafes tugged in the vibrant alleyways of Kathmandu. Amidst the mash of wires, shop sign and overhanging balconies during my late teens that i must have made up my mind to own a restaurant


The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
In 2013, I was able to move to the United States and it was a fresh start. I started working in the restaurant industry because it was where I felt most connected and comfortable.
First, as a busser at Skates on the Bay in Berkeley, then as a cashier at Tad’s Steak House on Powell Street. Later I worked as a server at Fieldwork Brewing Co. and got a chance to learn to bartend at Zaytoon in Albany. After four years of working in Bay Area restaurants, I decided I was ready for my big move.
In 2018, I opened Dancing Yak at 280 Valencia St., and the rest is history. At Dancing Yak, the mountains of the Nepal have come together to inspire a wonderful dining experience and I’m so proud to share it with you all.
– Suraksha

Suraksha Basnet
Owner
Join us for our exciting taste that is a mix of traditional and contemporary. Open since 2018, Dancing Yak has quickly become a favorite spot among locals and travelers alike. On review sites from Yelp and TripAdvisor to OpenTable, patrons give Dancing Yak an average rating of between four and five stars.
Dancing Yak is perfect for anything from a delightful casual lunch to an elegant special occasion. We welcome you for lunch, dinner and craft cocktails Monday through Sundays.
Namaste!

"Dancing Yak is a true SF gem! . . .The restaurant has a hip, tasteful, and laid back ambiance along with amazing food and very friendly staff. . . I ordered the pork belly bhutwa and the chicken momos along with a Mango beer. Everything was incredibly well seasoned and so much better than I expected. . . The next time I visit San Francisco, I would love to return to Dancing Yak!"
Grace P.
Yelp 2021
"We ordered the pork momos and the butter chicken. This was my first time trying momos and it was mouthwatering! . . . I promise you can't go wrong and it opened up new tastebuds for me. The butter chicken with the garlic naan was so tasty too I would order it again. This way my first experience with Nepalese food and I can't wait to try more! . . ."
Sarina P.
Yelp 2021
"I love you, Dancing Yak! If I could come up with a list of top foods I'd want to indulge in before I die, this would make the cut. I mean it, haha - I have gone here for my birthday, this was of my first post-partum meals, and recently ordered again to celebrate a milestone of my newborn baby. If that doesn't tell you how special the food is here to me, haha."
Jazzica M.
Yelp Elite 2021