I recently visited Panas Gurkha for the first time, and after trying its food I can see why it was named as one of the UK’s best.
Panas Gurkha, a Nepalese and Indian restaurant in Blackheath, was founded by Sujan Katuwal and first began more than a decade ago, opening its original site in Lee Green around 2011 before relocating to its current home on Lee Road.
Sujan works closely with head chef Saroj Thapaliya to create a menu inspired by Nepalese flavours alongside classic south Asian dishes.
Options include items such as momo dumplings, Mum’s Chicken Curry (based on a family recipe), and lamb bhutuwa, all characterised by aromatic spices and fresh ingredients.
Panas Gurkha has earned widespread recognition, winning honours at events such as the Asian Curry Awards and being named among the UK’s top 100 Asian restaurants in 2026.
I was recently invited to have a look around the restaurant, meet Sujan himself and try some of the food and drinks.
You can clearly see this is someone’s passion, and that a lot of love and care has gone into the place — from the decorations and vibrant murals on the walls of the historic building, to the many pictures that line the walls celebrating Sujan and the restaurant’s many achievements over the years.
We started with some cocktails; prices were reasonable at around the £12 mark, with a wide selection of classics like Negronis, Bellinis and Margaritas, to name a few.
One of my personal favourites was the Chitwan Rhino, made with pineapple juice, brandy, cointreau and cherry liqueur.
We then moved on to the main event – the food, beginning with a selection of dips and poppadoms before trying a menu option which I can only describe as a tapas-style spread of small dishes, perfect if you want to explore some key Nepalese flavours.
Included were dishes such as jhaneko masu, chilli momo, classic chicken tikka, mushroom rice, peshwari naan and a traditional Nepalese plum pickle.
Some of my personal favourites from the menu included the jhaneko masu, which consisted of tender lamb strips cooked with spring onion, chilli flakes and fenugreek; everything was so flavourful and the lamb practically melted in my mouth.
The chicken tikka was also excellent — succulent and packed with flavour — while the Nepalese plum pickle was a really tart and aromatic accompaniment to the dishes, pairing especially well with the peshwari naan.
The food really didn’t disappoint when it came to flavour; everything was delicious, but we still had room to finish off with dessert.
The mango shrikhand fruit cup was delicious: a creamy mango shrikhand served with fresh fruits, including pineapple, with hints of saffron and pomegranate.
The flavour was top notch, offering a really nice balance between something rich and something refreshing — almost like a cross between ice cream and sorbet — with pieces of mango throughout that added even more depth.
After sampling the food and hearing about owner Sujan’s inspiring story and work within the community, all I can say is that my first visit to Panas Gurkha will certainly not be my last.
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