Casual Nepalese Restaurant Newa Opens in Jing'an
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.
Beef Choila (¥68)
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.
Bhutan Mixed Beef Tripe (¥78)
They also do some pretty tasty momos, the classic Nepalese comfort food of steamed dumplings.
Momo Beef (¥50)
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.
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About Rachel Gouk
Founder & Editor, Nomfluence
Rachel Gouk is a seasoned dining journalist based in Shanghai with over a decade of experience covering food culture, restaurant developments, and the Asian culinary landscape.
