This is hands down the best restaurant I have ever visited in a while. Food is amazing has little of everything for everyone . Most of the review talks about Himalayan side of menu , however for me I really enjoyed non Himalayan items . All items are well thought out with well balanced flavor profile. My favorite was chicken sandwich and burrata . Ambience and service were great. Servers were vert polite and you do really feel like they care about you. Definitely coming back again and would highly recommend to others as well.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Raffi r w
we used to eat at dawa's all the time until we had a baby. even though three of the five tables for dinner tonight had infants with them, there is no changing table in the bathroom. we had to change their diaper on our knees in an otherwise cavernous bathroom. we tried to convey that we felt it would be easier to eat there with more accomodation to the owner, but she refused to leave the kitchen to speak with us. disappointing.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 4
Service: 4
Juke Henry
Dawa’s is one of our favourite spots in the neighbourhood. Great atmosphere and tasty dishes.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chicken Momo, Thenthuk, Chili Cauliflower, Beef Momo
Josh M
The thenthuk was delicious, service was great and a cute atmosphere.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Elan Cohen
✨❤️✨
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Kimberly Lim Legaspi
Dawa’s offers a comforting introduction to Tibetan cuisine, rooted in hearty ingredients and dishes traditionally meant to nourish people living in high-altitude Himalayan climates. The food leans more toward warmth, texture, and balance rather than bold or aggressive seasoning, and our meal reflected both the strengths of the cuisine and a few elements that may feel more like an acquired taste, especially for first-timers.
We started with Laphing, a classic Tibetan street food made from mung bean starch set into a chilled, jelly-like form. On its own, the mung bean jelly is intentionally very neutral, serving mainly as a base for the condiments. It was dressed with chili oil, vinegar, and cilantro paste, giving it a tangy profile with noticeable vinegary sharpness and a touch of spice. The texture is soft and slippery, and while the sauce adds dimension, this dish is definitely more about texture and seasoning than depth of flavor. It’s one of those items that can be polarizing if you’re not familiar with cold, starch-based dishes.
The Beef Momos came next, reflecting Tibetan dumpling traditions influenced by neighboring Nepal and China while remaining heartier in style. They were served in a tomato and fenugreek based sauce, which added a subtle herbal bitterness that balanced the acidity of the tomato well. The dumpling skins were a bit thicker than what I’m used to at other momo spots, but the filling was juicy and well-seasoned. The sauce complemented the beef nicely and helped bring the whole dish together, even with the heavier wrapper.
The standout of the meal was the Thenthuk, a hand-pulled noodle soup commonly eaten in Tibetan homes, especially during colder months. The noodles are torn by hand, giving them an irregular, rustic texture that feels comforting and substantial. The broth was clearly long-simmered, made with beef bones and marrow, resulting in a deeply savory base. Slices of beef, radish, and a subtle hint of spice rounded out the bowl, making it both nourishing and grounding. This is classic Tibetan comfort food simple ingredients, patiently cooked, and meant to warm you from the inside out.
Overall, they offer an authentic look into Tibetan cooking, emphasizing warmth, texture, and balance over bold seasoning. Some dishes may challenge unfamiliar palates, but for those curious about Tibetan food culture, it’s a thoughtful and rewarding experience especially if you lean into their soups and stews, where the cuisine really shines.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Luchia
I loved the food and the atmosphere. All the dishes are unique and whatever I tried was extremely well made
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Dori
0. The texture was too rough and the flavor was bland
Eggless noodles with 0. Smells good but it’s pretty tasteless
Breaded Cauliflower: 8/10. Pretty spicy. In contrast to the other dishes, this was very flavorful. Would recommend.
They have clearly labeled vegetarian/vegan dishes. It’s a nice place to try but probably won’t be back again
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 4
L.
The food was alright, I’d rate it skewers (rly good) > pork chili (okay) > dumplings (not my style). The dumplings are hard inside and not exactly amazing, so you can forego that. All the potions are bigger than you’d expect so if you’re an average eater you only need to order one dish per person and share.
One thing to note is that it takes a long time for the food to come out, which would be nice if they tell you in advance. When we asked about the progress on the food bc it had been a while (30mins) the staff replied, “It’s not been a while,”(?) which seemed a little weird. Later she came and explained that they were trying to bring everything out all at once. Not a big deal but it would be good to know the timing when you’re eating at a hole in the wall restaurant, since you don’t usually expect that long of a wait.
Overall I don’t feel the need to return but if anyone wants to try Tibetan cuisine I would tell them this place exists.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 3
Young Bae
Good food, great atmosphere and enough space. Went for a date night and thoroughly enjoyed it. I loved that the momos were not doughy, the Chana & Gwamari was spicy and complex, and the Sekuwa tasted familiar in a good way.
The food was absolutely delicious but the service on a Sunday afternoon while dining outdoors was not good. It was fine at first but once I got the food, no one checked on how it was (luckily it was good), I had to wait awhile after I was done and flagged another server to get the check. Got the check and that took a while to pay it. It dampered my experience but I'll go back another day and hope I get a different server. The food is solid though.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 3
Cat Greenfield
Perfection, we'll be back!!!!
Edit: We came back, SO GOOD I CRIED.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Anik Rabbani
Randomly discovered this gem when looking for authentic foreign cuisine and was blown away! Amazing food, service and even drinks!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Barsha Rajbhandari
One of my fav places for Nepali food. Chicken steam momo is amazing. On the non Himalayan side, citrus salad and baked eggplants are great.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Mateo T
I used to come here a lot when I lived in Sunnyside and it used to be great, but I honestly saw a steady decline in overall quality over the years and then I stopped frequenting this place. A couple of days ago I decided to come in when I happened to be in the neighborhood, and not surprisingly, I wasn’t impressed at all. Food was just ok for the prices, service wasn’t bad but definitely could’ve been better, and the last straw was when I asked for chopsticks for my noodles and was told they didn’t have any - for an Asian restaurant?! As an Asian myself I don’t see myself coming back anymore because I certainly do not want to bring my own chopsticks whenever I go dine in there. (Yes I was just being sarcastic)
This is hands down the best restaurant I have ever visited in a while. Food is amazing has little of everything for everyone . Most of the review talks about Himalayan side of menu , however for me I really enjoyed non Himalayan items . All items are well thought out with well balanced flavor profile. My favorite was chicken sandwich and burrata . Ambience and service were great. Servers were vert polite and you do really feel like they care about you. Definitely coming back again and would highly recommend to others as well.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
we used to eat at dawa's all the time until we had a baby. even though three of the five tables for dinner tonight had infants with them, there is no changing table in the bathroom. we had to change their diaper on our knees in an otherwise cavernous bathroom. we tried to convey that we felt it would be easier to eat there with more accomodation to the owner, but she refused to leave the kitchen to speak with us. disappointing.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 4
Service: 4
Dawa’s is one of our favourite spots in the neighbourhood. Great atmosphere and tasty dishes.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chicken Momo, Thenthuk, Chili Cauliflower, Beef Momo
The thenthuk was delicious, service was great and a cute atmosphere.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
✨❤️✨
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Dawa’s offers a comforting introduction to Tibetan cuisine, rooted in hearty ingredients and dishes traditionally meant to nourish people living in high-altitude Himalayan climates. The food leans more toward warmth, texture, and balance rather than bold or aggressive seasoning, and our meal reflected both the strengths of the cuisine and a few elements that may feel more like an acquired taste, especially for first-timers.
We started with Laphing, a classic Tibetan street food made from mung bean starch set into a chilled, jelly-like form. On its own, the mung bean jelly is intentionally very neutral, serving mainly as a base for the condiments. It was dressed with chili oil, vinegar, and cilantro paste, giving it a tangy profile with noticeable vinegary sharpness and a touch of spice. The texture is soft and slippery, and while the sauce adds dimension, this dish is definitely more about texture and seasoning than depth of flavor. It’s one of those items that can be polarizing if you’re not familiar with cold, starch-based dishes.
The Beef Momos came next, reflecting Tibetan dumpling traditions influenced by neighboring Nepal and China while remaining heartier in style. They were served in a tomato and fenugreek based sauce, which added a subtle herbal bitterness that balanced the acidity of the tomato well. The dumpling skins were a bit thicker than what I’m used to at other momo spots, but the filling was juicy and well-seasoned. The sauce complemented the beef nicely and helped bring the whole dish together, even with the heavier wrapper.
The standout of the meal was the Thenthuk, a hand-pulled noodle soup commonly eaten in Tibetan homes, especially during colder months. The noodles are torn by hand, giving them an irregular, rustic texture that feels comforting and substantial. The broth was clearly long-simmered, made with beef bones and marrow, resulting in a deeply savory base. Slices of beef, radish, and a subtle hint of spice rounded out the bowl, making it both nourishing and grounding. This is classic Tibetan comfort food simple ingredients, patiently cooked, and meant to warm you from the inside out.
Overall, they offer an authentic look into Tibetan cooking, emphasizing warmth, texture, and balance over bold seasoning. Some dishes may challenge unfamiliar palates, but for those curious about Tibetan food culture, it’s a thoughtful and rewarding experience especially if you lean into their soups and stews, where the cuisine really shines.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
I loved the food and the atmosphere.
All the dishes are unique and whatever I tried was extremely well made
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
0. The texture was too rough and the flavor was bland
Eggless noodles with 0. Smells good but it’s pretty tasteless
Breaded Cauliflower: 8/10. Pretty spicy. In contrast to the other dishes, this was very flavorful. Would recommend.
They have clearly labeled vegetarian/vegan dishes. It’s a nice place to try but probably won’t be back again
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 4
The food was alright, I’d rate it skewers (rly good) > pork chili (okay) > dumplings (not my style). The dumplings are hard inside and not exactly amazing, so you can forego that. All the potions are bigger than you’d expect so if you’re an average eater you only need to order one dish per person and share.
One thing to note is that it takes a long time for the food to come out, which would be nice if they tell you in advance. When we asked about the progress on the food bc it had been a while (30mins) the staff replied, “It’s not been a while,”(?) which seemed a little weird. Later she came and explained that they were trying to bring everything out all at once. Not a big deal but it would be good to know the timing when you’re eating at a hole in the wall restaurant, since you don’t usually expect that long of a wait.
Overall I don’t feel the need to return but if anyone wants to try Tibetan cuisine I would tell them this place exists.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 3
Good food, great atmosphere and enough space. Went for a date night and thoroughly enjoyed it. I loved that the momos were not doughy, the Chana & Gwamari was spicy and complex, and the Sekuwa tasted familiar in a good way.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
The food was absolutely delicious but the service on a Sunday afternoon while dining outdoors was not good. It was fine at first but once I got the food, no one checked on how it was (luckily it was good), I had to wait awhile after I was done and flagged another server to get the check. Got the check and that took a while to pay it. It dampered my experience but I'll go back another day and hope I get a different server. The food is solid though.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 3
Perfection, we'll be back!!!!
Edit: We came back, SO GOOD I CRIED.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Randomly discovered this gem when looking for authentic foreign cuisine and was blown away! Amazing food, service and even drinks!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
One of my fav places for Nepali food. Chicken steam momo is amazing. On the non Himalayan side, citrus salad and baked eggplants are great.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I used to come here a lot when I lived in Sunnyside and it used to be great, but I honestly saw a steady decline in overall quality over the years and then I stopped frequenting this place. A couple of days ago I decided to come in when I happened to be in the neighborhood, and not surprisingly, I wasn’t impressed at all. Food was just ok for the prices, service wasn’t bad but definitely could’ve been better, and the last straw was when I asked for chopsticks for my noodles and was told they didn’t have any - for an Asian restaurant?! As an Asian myself I don’t see myself coming back anymore because I certainly do not want to bring my own chopsticks whenever I go dine in there. (Yes I was just being sarcastic)
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 3
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