Newa is a Nepalese restaurant in the M+ complex in Jing’an, alongside neighbors Collectif and KRU on Tap. The restaurant is named after the Newa (or Newar) ethnic people of the Kathmandu Valley region, and a large part of the menu is dedicated to their native dishes.
It’s a modest space, clean and simple with a few colorful touches that hint at the vibrancy of the culture.
A popular Newari food is Choila, usually made with spiced grilled buffalo meat, often eaten with rice flakes. Choila is traditionally served cold. It’s a very powerful tasting dish that is often spicy and heavily spiced.
Newa serves a Beef Choila, which is smoky and flavored with a strong spice mix, listing toasted fenugreek seeds and turmeric as seasonings. It’s not my preferential dish. Though, I might have preferred it served warm or hot instead of cold, which is an option when ordering.
I favored the Bhutan Mixed Beef Tripe much more. The dry spices were peppery and addictive, and aromatics of ginger and garlic were intoxicating, making it almost a snack-like dish. Though, some bits were a tad chewy.
They also do some pretty tasty momos, the classic Nepalese comfort food of steamed dumplings.
The Mutton Curry Thali lunch set was excellent. The set, served in traditional thali fashion, comes with a serving of mutton curry, daal, naan, and vegetable sides, as well as a soft drink. The dal is peppery, light in curry spice, and mildly sweet, and the mutton extremely flavorful and tender, served in a complex curry with a noticeable level of heat.
The set was ¥72 when I went, but has now gone up to ¥85 with a Dianping voucher. Still, not a bad deal for a hearty lunch. And, according to the Dianping voucher, you can get extra dal and naan for free.
Mutton Curry is available as an a la carte full portion.
Overall, not bad. Would like to try the grilled skewers and other mutton dishes.
NEWA
Address: D-130, 850 Xikang Lu 西康路850号D-103室
Tel: 15921386622
Hours: Mon, 5pm-10pm; Tue-Sun, 11am-2:30pm, 5pm-10pm
