Finding the best momos in Kathmandu and Patan
Momos (मोमो) are the iconic food of Nepal. The national dish, dal bhat (curry lentils and rice), doesn’t get much love outside of Nepal. It’s not exciting and gets boring quickly. On the other hand, momos can be eaten any time of the day and there is large variety to make everyone happy. For the best variety in the world, come to Kathmandu where you can also find fusion momos.
What are momos?
If you look at a momo, it is unmistakably a Chinese dumpling. However, the filling is definitely not Chinese in taste. Momos can be found in Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan, and India. South of the Himalayas, momos are heavily spiced and even come with curries. Momos are widely believed to have originated in Tibet and brought to Nepal by traders. From there, it spread to the rest of South Asia.
To be precise, Tibet is where this dumpling was first called momo. The dumpling itself was likely derived from China. The word momo comes from the Western Chinese word for bun, mó (馍). Fans of Shaanxi cuisine will recognize this word from delicacies such as rou jia mo (肉夹馍), braised meat sandwiched in a bun. Somehow, the word mó ended up referring to dumplings in Tibet.
Momos in Tibet are rather bland. The most common fillings are yak meat and yak cheese (only in Tibet!). They are usually steamed but it is popular to fry them too. Some sort of hot sauce accompanies the momos.
When momos crossed the Himalayan mountains to Nepal, they flourished in numerous shapes, flavours, and preparation styles. Since there are no yaks in Nepal, water buffalos replace them as the most popular type of filling. Tastes like a different type of beef.
Thamel House
This is one of the few places in the city where you can sample Newari cuisine (Newars are an ethnic group in Nepal). Momos come as part of the “full course set”. This comprises of a few appetizers, a thali of Newari/Nepalese specialties, dessert, and coffee or tea. Vegetarian and non-vegetarian sets are available.
3 momos were served as appetizers. They were as traditional as they could be. The dough was 2 millimetres thick and pleated attractively. There was a good amount of buffalo meat and it was not strongly seasoned. The spicy sauce was average. 7/10.
This restaurant is probably the most upscale restaurant in Thamel, the tourist central of Kathmandu. It is located in a traditional Newari residence and houses a handicraft shop. Menus are lovingly printed on lokta paper, a local artisanal material. Candles are lit in the evening. There is an army of waitstaff with bow ties. If you plan to dine here, try to catch the 7 pm cultural performance. I visited during the low season and was the only one there, but the show still went on.
Yes, this place is clearly geared towards tourists as the cost of this meal is more than what some Nepalese make in a month. The food isn’t bad though.
Le Trio
This restaurant supposedly has the best jhol momos in the city. Jhol momos are steamed momos in a spicy orange soup. The soup is called jhol achar, and the orange colour comes from tomatoes, turmeric, and chillies. Popular during the colder months.
The bowl looks deceptively small but it can be a meal on its own. Of course, the highlight is the jhol achar. Rich and complex, mildly spicy with a faint sour taste. The consistency was like a gazpacho or goulash. I chose the vegetarian momos for a change. The diced cabbage filling was all right but I think the meat option would be more flavourful. 8/10.
Le Trio is located in the hip district of Jhamel, in Patan. Administratively, Patan (Lalitpur) is a different city but most people consider it to be part of Kathmandu since it is so close by. The restaurant is modern casual and sits on a residential side street.
Ghangri Cafe
The specialty of this restaurant is open momos. These are momos with finger-sized pockets at the top for diners to fill with sauces. It’s easier to show than to explain.
This is my favourite momo in the Kathmandu area. Not only was it fun to eat, the sauces were delicious. The best was the peanut sauce. It was slightly chunky and added texture and nuttiness to the momo. It’s so good that they give two portions per order. Green chilli and coriander sauce was second-best. The acidity cut through the fatty meat and gave a small kick of heat. The red tomato-chilli sauce tasted like the generic ones at average momo restaurants. 8.5 / 10.
Not many places serve this style of momo. The only other place I know of is Gangri Sui Mai, the inventor of open momos. Open momos are also known as “sui mai”, after the restaurant. They bear a passing resemblance to siu mai (燒賣), the Cantonese dim sum. Ghangri Cafe is a copycat but unfortunately, I did not have time to try Gangri Sui Mai. On the other hand, Ghangri Cafe is more upscale and has better variety and ambience.
This restaurant is also in Jhamel. The interior is modern casual and Westernized. They have also installed an enclosure around the courtyard to keep the air pollution out. Le Trio is 5 to 10 minutes walking distance away.
Yangling
Yangling is a Tibetan restaurant but they have adapted some dishes to Nepali tastes. For example, chilli momos. These are momos coated with an Indian-Chinese chilli sauce of sliced bell peppers and onions.
Deep-fried momos are always delicious. Since they were freshly cooked, the skin remained crisp even though it had been coated with chilli sauce. It was slightly greasy but not dripping in oil. The sauce was simple and tasted exactly as expected from the picture: stir-fried onions, peppers, and chillies. This is as textbook as it gets. 7.5/10.
Besides momos, Yangling is a solid choice to try Tibetan food like thukpa (noodle soup). They tasted better than the places I’ve tried in the same price category in Tibet. It is a cheap and cheerful establishment that is popular with Tibetans and foodie tourists.
New Everest Momo Center
First of all, this is a copycat of the original Everest Momo Center in Naxal district. Secondly, there are other copycats of this copycat, so make sure you visit the right one. In any case, this place is highly rated online by visitors and is close to Thamel, so I gave it a try. This place only has one item on the menu: buffalo momos. You can choose a half plate or full plate of momos. I got the half plate.
This is a local style of momo. Steamed and then drizzled with a watery coriander, peanut, and chilli sauce. The sauce was tasty enough. The momos were average. It made for a fine snack and was very cheap. I haven’t tried the original Everest Momo Center so I can’t say how it compares. 7/10.
Verdict
- Ghangri Cafe (8.5/10)
- Le Trio (8/10)
- Yangling (7.5/10)
- Thamel House (7/10)
- New Everest Momo Center (7/10)
Other places you might want to try
I haven’t been to these but online reviews are positive.
- Sinka (Kumaripati district): Creative momos like tandoori momos and momo pizza.
- Bagmati Sweets (Tripureswor district): Spinach and paneer momos.
- Gangri Sui Mai (Teku district): The original open momo.
- GG Machaan (Jhamel district): Jhol momos. Walking distance to Le Trio and Ghangri Cafe.
- Newa Momo (Thamel district): Another spot popular with foodie tourists.
Momos in Toronto
Toronto is blessed to have an abundance of momo restaurants in Little Tibet, on Queen Street West between Lansdowne and Sorauren Avenue. Both Nepali and Tibetan styles are available. No yak or water buffalo meat, just beef, chicken, cheese, and vegetarian fillings. I have only tried a quarter of the places there. So far, my favourites are Himalayan Kitchen for Nepali momos and Loga’s Corner for Tibetan momos.
Practical information
The Ghangri Cafe
- Rating
- 8.5/10
- Prices
- Open momo (buffalo): 335 Rs (including service charge and tax)
- Address
- Jhamsikhel Marg and Pulchowk. 100 metres west from the intersection, along Jhamsikhel Marg. If taking a public bus, get off at Pulchowk, near Labim Mall.
- Hours
- 1200h – 2200h
- Date of visit
- May 2019
Le Trio Restaurant and Bar
- Rating
- 8/10
- Prices
- Jhol momo (vegetarian): 320 Rs (including service charge and tax)
- Address
- Side street off Jhamsikhel Marg. Look for the multi-storey building. If taking a public bus, get off at Pulchowk, near Labim Mall.
- Hours
- 1100h – 2200h
- Date of visit
- May 2019
Yangling Restaurant
- Rating
- 7.5/10
- Prices
- Chilli momo (buffalo): 250 Rs
- Address
- . 10 minutes walk west from central Thamel.
- Hours
- Sunday to Friday 1200h – 2100h
- Date of visit
- May 2019
Thamel House Restaurant
- Rating
- 7/10
- Prices
- Full course non-vegetarian set: 1425 Rs (including service charge and tax)
- Address
- Hours
- 1100h – 1600h, 1800h – 2200h
- Date of visit
- May 2019
New Everest Momo Center
- Rating
- 7/10
- Prices
- Momo, half-plate (buffalo): 50 Rs
- Address
- Leknath Marg and Thamel Marg. From the intersection at the northern end of Thamel, walk a few minutes west along Leknath Marg.
- Hours
- 1000h – 2000h
- Date of visit
- May 2019