In recent weeks, Cabbagetown foodies have been suffering from serious culinary whiplash.
At the end of December, they had to process the unexpected closing of their favourite go-to Japanese noodle joint, Tabi Ramen, after a mere four months in business (and having racked up a whopping 4.8 average Google rating).
Come January, while still grieving that sudden loss, they then had to process Tabi’s reincarnation when its owners decided to reopen at the same Parliament Street address – as Momo Ghar, a Tibetan-Nepalese restaurant specializing in momos.
Momo Ghar doesn’t just serve any old momos. Made fresh, in-house, the traditional Tibetan dumplings come with well over a dozen different fillings that range from meaty – beef, chicken and pork – to vegetarian options such as potatoes and cabbage. You can opt to have them steamed, pan-fried, or deep-fried (in the case of meat momos) and can also choose whether you want to dunk them in house or charred chili sauces.
As if the regular momos aren’t enough, those in a more extravagant frame of mind can order one of the special momos. A specialty of Kathmandu, jhol momos arrive swimming in a fragrant tomato-based soup spiked with masala and sprinkled with cilantro and toasted sesame seeds. Channeling the beloved Indian comfort food, the butter chicken momos are doused in a rich curry sauce, ribboned with lashings of cream.
In the short time it’s been open, Momo Ghar has already racked up quite a few “best momos in the city” accolades from online reviewers. Aside from the friendly service, generous portions and cozy ambiance, the non-momo starter plates also get a lot of love. These include a beet and quinoa salad with sweet tamarind dressing, sauteed gyuma (home-made Tibetan beef sausage) slathered in a house sauce, Nepali wai wai chaat and addictive chili fries.
Although it’s early days still, the fact that Momo Ghar has surpassed its highly ranked predecessor – it currently boasts flawless 5-star ratings on both Google and Yelp– seems to indicate that, despite any upheavals, the decision to pivot from ramen to momos made delicious sense.
Momo Ghar is located at 568 Parliament Street and is open from 12 to 9 p.m., Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday, and from 12 to 11 p.m., Thursday through Saturday.
