tobimus
In early August 2024, I learned about a new restaurant opening next to Daiso in the Sunroad shopping arcade near Koiwa Station from previous reviews, so I decided to check it out for lunch before watching a Korean movie. When I arrived, there were no customers, and a male Nepalese staff member was at the counter. In the kitchen, I saw a young woman with deep features and two male cooks. After I entered, they played cheerful Nepali music featuring a duet.
I ordered a non-vegetarian Nepali Thali set (deluxe Dal Bhat) with mutton curry, adjusted to be a bit spicy, and chose mango lassi as my soft drink (alternatives included chicken curry, lassi, iced coffee, and oolong tea). Almost immediately, a salad with lettuce and shredded cabbage dressed in sesame dressing was served, although it lacked a strong spice flavor. About ten minutes later, my meal arrived on a brass plate.
Alongside cut red onions, carrots, and cucumbers, I was served Golbela Ko Achar (tomato dip). It was easy to eat. As I broke apart the generous portion of rice and added the dal (lentil curry), the taste reminded me more of Indian-style dal served with naan than the dal from other places, like Shin-Okubo. Mixing it with the tarakari (vegetable side dish) made from green beans, potatoes, sautéed greens (saag), and mixed achaar (pickled daikon and carrots) was delightful, enhancing the meal. Adding the mutton curry, which contained bones and skin, to the rice intensified the flavor, and I finished it happily.
The mango lassi was pleasantly sweet, well-blended to a uniform pale yellow, unlike most restaurant lassis that add mango syrup (possibly a pre-made product).
P.S.: Although the Japanese description for the non-veg Nepali Thali set included chicken sekwa (grilled chicken) and puja (puffed rice), these dishes were not served, and the alphabetical listings were covered with a sticker. Additionally, according to the menu, the cheaper lunch Dal Bhat set (750 yen) with mutton also didn't include any sides apart from Golbela Ko Achar. The lunch menu also featured naan curry sets, chole bhature (fried bread with chickpea curry), a roti set that replaces rice with roti, biryani (spicy rice dish), and momo (Nepalese-style steamed dumplings), among others.