High Camp Taphouse is changing lives through food and community
Published 10:30 am Thursday, April 3, 2025
Tibetan dumplings, called momos, are hand-rolled daily at High Camp Taphouse in Sisters. (Janay Wright/The Bulletin)
Sabzi Bhat, a curry dish at High Camp TapHouse made with coconut milk, turmeric and coriander. (Janay Wright/The Bulletin)
Nurbu Sherpa poses inside High Camp Taphouse on Monday. He owns the Sisters restaurant with his wife, Perma. (Janay Wright/The Bulletin)
Onion rings, called yeti strings at High Camp Taphouse are dipped in a garbanzo bean batter, which makes them gluten-free. (Janay Wright/The Bulletin)
Nurbu and Perma Sherpa opened High Camp Taphouse in Sisters in 2022. (Janay Wright/The Bulletin)
SISTERS — Nurbu and Perma Sherpa weren’t planning on opening a restaurant.
But the couple wanted to help members of the untouchable castes of Nepal, those who rank among the nation’s poorest while being overlooked by government agencies, non-governmental organizations and international development groups.
In 2022, the Sherpas opened High Camp Taphouse in Sisters, and the following summer, the restaurant was featured in an episode of Guy Fieri’s “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.” Named “Dumpling-icious,” it showcased the restaurant’s handmade Tibetan dumplings (momos) and the Bao-Wow sandwich, pork belly served between steamed Chinese-style bao buns, bringing new faces to the restaurant and customers from Portland, La Pine, Prineville, Redmond and beyond.
Day-to-day operations have since returned to normal and the Sherpas continue to do the work closest to their hearts — supporting the education of Nepalese children who would otherwise be caught in a cycle of poverty.
In 2023, High Camp joined forces with Ten Friends, a nonprofit founded by Sisters teachers Mark La Mont and Rand Runco.
Building bridges
A portion of the profits from the restaurant benefits humanitarian work in Nepal, but there are additional ways to support the Sherpa’s mission. Those who have visited Nepal may donate $3 to place a pin on a map hung inside the restaurant to mark the high point of their visit. Purchasing artwork that adorns the restaurant walls also supports the cause.
Photos show the Musurey community in southeastern Nepal, an untouchable caste that ranks among the country’s poorest, who have been helped by profits generated by Nurbu and Perma Sherpa’s restaurant, High Camp Taphouse. (Janay Wright/The Bulletin)
In August, the Sherpas will take high school students on a trip to visit Nepal and in the fall, there’ll be an opportunity for adults to make the journey. Any profits from the trip are put towards charity work and the cost of attending is tax-deductible for participants, Nurbu said. Those interested in joining may call the restaurant at 541-639-5322.
Perma is currently on a trip to Nepal, conducting a dental clinic and helping women with family planning in Nepal, as Nurbu runs the restaurant.
“It’s a lot of hard work, but helping other people in dire situations is more rewarding than anything for us,” Nurbu said.
A culinary mission
Nepalese food is heavily influenced by its neighbors to the north and south. High Camp’s dumplings and noodle dishes have ties to Tibet, while the curries are reminiscent of traditional Indian cooking.
However, the Sherpas use fewer spices than are typically included in Indian curry, allowing the flavors of the ingredients to shine.
“Our cooking is very clean. We don’t use any MSG, no sugar, no fish sauce, and all those things. Whatever flavor comes out is from the food itself. In India and Nepal, we take food as a medicine,” Nurbu said.
Nurbu didn’t attend culinary school. The food served at High Camp is the Sherpa’s home cooking.
Momos made daily
In the mornings, an hour and a half is spent making the dough and hand rolling the momos, which are stuffed with ground beef, cabbage, onion, garlic, ginger and bone marrow ($24). On Sunday, every order included the dumplings, which sell out every day, Nurbu said.
The Sherpas also make vegetarian momos by special request with one day’s advance notice.
My husband likened biting into the momos to biting into a juicy plum. It brought him back to the cheese momos he dined on while making the 48-mile Langtang Valley trek in 2019. He got sick on the journey and consumed endless cups of ginger, lemon, tea, a drink he enjoyed next to the dumplings.
The menu aims to accommodate. It caters to gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan diners and includes a kids’ menu. There’s even a Nepalese take on a burger ($19), which is marinated in Himalayan spices.
Nurbu Sherpa points to the photos of Nepal lining the walls at High Camp Taphouse in Sisters on Monday. (Janay Wright/The Bulletin)
The restaurant feels expansive inside, with a garage door that will be open come warmer days and a collection of mismatched furniture, which includes a couch and a coffee table with photos and books of Nepal.
“There’s not a whole lot of places where the community can hang out. This is where people come and hang out,” Nurbu said, adding that some bring playing cards or come to watch the 1980s sitcom “Cheers.”
Guests walk in and leave as friends and if they stay too long, they risk becoming family, he said.
Details
What: High Camp Taphouse
When: noon- 8 p.m. Friday-Sunday and 4-8 p.m. Monday and Tuesday
Where: 523 E Highway 20, Sisters
Cost: Main courses $19-$24, appetizers $10-$16
Contact: highcamptaphouse.com, 541-904-4694, facebook.com/highcamptaphouse and @high.camp.taphouse on Instagram
Janay Wright writes about food, events and the outdoors for The Bulletin. As the company’s Audience Engagement and Features Reporter since 2021, she also runs The Bulletin’s Instagram account, @bendbulletin. Read her work in The Bulletin’s free print GO Magazine or stay in the know on Instagram. And if you’re not sure where to eat in town, she likely has a recommendation. She can be reached at 541-383-0304 or janay.wright@bendbulletin.com.
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