Nepali grocery store says namaste to the Gong

Namaste Mart is introducing Nepali food and culture to Wollongong, with sights set on opening a food truck.

The shop stocks staple Nepali ingredients, which are difficult to find in the Illawarra, creating a space for Wollongong’s Nepali community and allowing residents to discover a new taste and culture.

Run by the trio of Uzi Bogati, Shan Bagale and Rojan Bhatta, Namaste opened its doors on March 21 on Kenny Street; it has become a bustling spot for specialty groceries and a chat as customers gather around the counter or in the parking lot with exuberant conversation.

Owner Shan Bagale says they opened the shop to service the community.

“Nepali people who live in Wollongong needed to go to Sydney to do their grocery shopping,” Shan says.

“It’s a bit of a hassle so we wanted to fix that.”

The group's vision for Namaste has grown as they are now looking to open a food truck serving Nepali cuisine.

“We want to introduce our culture through the means of food and interaction so people can come to this place, eat, talk and learn,” Rojan says.

“We're fairly confident that everyone's going to love our dumplings and all of our Nepali food and spices.

“We want to introduce the taste of Nepali cuisine to everyone in Wollongong, and we can learn about their cultures too.”

The food truck has no confirmed starting date, but Namaste’s owners hope to get it up and running this year.

Namaste has built a strong base of customers, and more than 500 people have signed up to the store's membership program.

“We've been getting an amazing response – everyone who's been here has been coming back again and again, and we've been getting really good feedback,” Shan says.

The shop also invites curious residents to discover new tastes and cultures that had been missing from the area.

“The Aussies and people from other backgrounds, they come and have a look, you know, they find varieties in the products, and we get a lot of tradies coming for drinks,” Shan says.

“If they have tried Nepali food before and they want to have a similar taste, they know where to come.”

Among Namaste's supporters is Cunningham MP Alison Byrnes, who attended the opening in March.

In a recent speech to parliament, she called Namaste “a welcome addition to our multicultural landscape and a great way for locals to discover new flavours or reconnect with familiar ones”.

“Businesses like this help to share traditions, celebrate diversity and bring people together through food,” she says.

“Congratulations to owners Uzi Bogati, Shan Bagale and Rojan Bhatta, and we welcome them to the Illawarra small business community.”

Uzi and Rojan met eight years ago working in a restaurant, and Shan and Rojan connected as both were studying nursing at Australian Catholic University at the time. The trio stayed in contact over the years, sharing grand plans of growing a business together while building their own careers.

In January, chef Uzi and nurses Shan and Rojan scouted the spot where they would realise their dream.

“We always had a chat about what we can do, and Wollongong always felt like a good spot – it's not too far from Sydney and there's a good Nepali community here,” Rojan says.

Two months later, Namaste Mart was open.

The shop is open every day from 8am-10pm.