Dawa's
Woodside in Queens is an area that has a plethora of Asian eats that are uncommon in Manhattan. Many of these things here are inexpensive compared to Manhattan, and they have particular flavors that probably won’t appeal to the masses in Manhattan. We were around this area on an errand run, so it was convenient for me to look for something here on a Sunday. We were able to walk in around 12 PM without any wait whatsoever. This restaurant was next door to Khun Noo Thai Noodle House.
Ambiance & Service
The ambiance was pretty no frills. It was a very laid back spot, and there were local residents here just chilling on a overcast day. The service itself was pretty fast.
Food
The Lockdown ($13) came with passion fruit juice, vodka, and lime juice. My partner really enjoyed this, although they said they couldn’t taste much of the passion fruit. I thought it was very subtle.
The Momo (chicken) ($13) was Tibetan steamed dumplings with tomato and fenugreek. These dumplings were quite impressive. It was very meaty, and the sauce that surrounded it had some sort of Indian-spiced flavors to it. I’m thinking a lot of cumin, but I’m not sure. The dough is much thicker than normal Chinese dumplings, but we really enjoyed this.
The Riki Kur ($14) was traditional Sherpa potato flatbread with scallion, green chili, and three cheese spread. I actually liked this a lot because the potato flatbread tasted like an mushy, savory pancake that was quite filling and tasty. The three cheese spread reminded me of butter. I just lathered the cheese on top and then spread the chili sauce, and it was great.
The Thenthuk ($15.50) was Tibetan pulled noodle, beef, and daikon in bone marrow broth. This was the one that appealed to me at first because I was curious how the soup broth would be like. The bone marrow broth turned out to be flavorful but lacked salt. The pulled noodles were similar to Xian pulled noodles. In all, I thought this was the least favorite of tonight because the flavors are subdued. It’s not bad, but when compared to the other things we ordered, it had the least seasoning.
The Chicken Sekuwa ($19.50) was Nepalese style chicken BBQ and came with bara (lentil pancake), pickled radish, and tomato sauce. The chicken BBQ had lots of char flavors. The bara was quite dry, so I didn’t care much for it. The pickled radish had a heavy dose of seasoning on it (coriander/cumin?). It was all pretty interesting and flavorful.
Final Verdict
We are happy to have the opportunity to try Himalayan inspired foods near where we live. I think for those that live in Woodside, this would be a great spot to check out for something different.
Yelp Jabs
Delivery Review … Delivery was within the window and all items stayed intact by the time it arrived. Overall not bad for delivery, just wish the quantity was more for the price.
I don’t know why these Elitists review the delivery aspects of a restaurant. Much of the time, the food is often picked up by a delivery service not owned by the restaurant. The prices can be more expensive depending on what service you use, and the food is definitely not going to be as fresh.
I had a very high hopes for dawa as per all people reviews,but got disappointed. The palate may have been good for people foreign to this dish, but for our group, food was a little bland.
If you have a heavy salted tongue, I don’t think Dawa will satiate the palette. It’s definitely lighter on the seasoning, and maybe the glowing reviews are for really people who are capable of enjoying the food without over reliance on salt.
Revisions
- Sep 10, 2023 - Initial revision.