A Nepalese restaurant in Chislehurst has won at the Asian Curry Awards after just one year since opening.

Panas Gurkha in Chislehurst was named winner of the Best Newcomer award at the Asian Curry Awards 2023.

The restaurant first opened its doors in 2022 serving homestyle Nepali cuisine to diners, with their most popular dish being their Mum’s Chicken Curry, inspired by a recipe made by restaurant owner Sujan Katuwal’s mother.

The restaurant is one of two branches, with the first in Lee High Road that opened over a decade ago, which previously won Best Nepali Restaurant at the Asian Curry Awards 2021 and the Outstanding Achievement Award in 2021.

Their décor features a modern and trendy theme with touches of traditional Nepali roots.

It’s also a popular spot with celebrities and has been known to have been visited by the likes of Joanna Lumley and Lord Karan Bilimoria, as well as Lewisham East MP Janet Darby.

This Is Local London: Panas Gurkha at the Asian Curry AwardsPanas Gurkha at the Asian Curry Awards (Image: Asian Curry Awards)

The Asian Curry Awards celebrates Britain’s best Asian restaurants, featuring contestants representing Asia's rich and diverse cuisine, from Indian to Nepalese.

Restaurants are nominated for a range of awards in different categories, from fine dining and newcomer of the year awards, to types of cuisine such as vegan and Asian fusion.

Known as the “Curry Oscars”, restaurants are nominated by the general public and then assessed by judges from the Asian Curry Federation (ACF), before the winners are announced at an awards ceremony.

This year the Asian Curry Awards announced a shortlist of over 200 venues from across the UK, which the public voted on, before the list was narrowed down to the top 100 restaurants for the judging phase.

The awards ceremony took place on November 19 in central London, where the winners were announced.

Panas Gurkha was one of five restaurants to win at this year's Asian Curry Awards, along with iNaga in West Wickham, The Bombay in Orpington, Indian Essence in Petts Wood, and Babur in Forest Hill.

Restaurant owner, Sujan Katuwal said: “As a local restaurant in the heart of the community, winning this award means so much to us. We are incredibly grateful to all of customers who have supported us both by visiting and voting for us.

“We are so proud to be part of the Chislehurst Community and we look forward to many more happy years here.”