Belle Momo, Durbar Marg
Boasting over 20 kinds of momos, Belle, now found at Cafereena, Sherpa Mall, Durbar Marg, has taken momos off of the streets and transformed it into delicacies. Given that there are so many different momos to taste, Belle is the only place in the Valley that offers the option of a platter.
The platter is an ingenious idea that allows momo-lovers to try varieties of momos without bursting their buttons. A platter comes with four pieces of four different momo styles giving your taste buds the opportunity to have your momo and eat it too.
If the platter doesn’t appeal to you, there are unique momos only available at Belle that are sure to entice you. Try the Garlic Cheese Momo, Italian Herb Momo or even the Nagarkota Momo to rattle your ideas about conventional momos.
Opening hours : 11:30 am - 10 pm
Price range : Rs 155 - 190
New Great Tasty Momo, Patan Dhoka
Take a short walk from Patan Dhoka towards the Ganesh temple, and in less than a minute you’ll see the board boasting great tasty momos. One look at the queue and a few buff momos or two later, you’ll be nodding your head in approval.
A favorite amongst the students of Institute of Engineering, Pulchowk Campus and Patan Campus the place is always buzzing with momo fanatics.
“We make three buckets of achaar, 60 liters, every day to accompany three to four hundred plates of momo,” revealed Kaushik Maharjan, manager of New Great Tasty Momo, a clear evidence of its popularity.
Opening hours : 1pm - 5pm
Price range : Rs 40
Degaa Restro Lounge, Kumaripati
For some lip smacking Newari cuisine Degaa Restro Lounge, Kumaripati, is the place to nosh. The service is prompt and friendly, and the momo cha they serve with sesame sauce is a must try.
Apart from the usual vegetable, chicken and buff, the special momo at Degaa is stuffed with mutton.
Served on brass dishes, the delicious momos are placed before you with an additional Nepali touch.
Opening hours : 11 am - 9:30 pm
Price range : Rs 80 - 150
Picnic Momo, Jhochhen
Before making the move to its new location four years ago to the Freak Street, Picnic Momo had been making and serving momos for 20 years. The newer location is a room lined with tables and benches with a sting of customers coming in, eating, and then leaving.
The back houses a mini-factory with swift hands that make momos by the hundreds to satisfy patrons. Established by Prem Bahadur Khatri and run by his family, Picnic employs eleven individuals who cater to the need of those who pass by.
Cooking over 50 kilograms of meat in a day, the quantity is indication of how popular the buff momos are.
The other component of good momos is the achaar which is also famous at this local spot. Using a combination of tomatoes and sesame, opposed to just one or the other, the mixture offers a unique taste that tempts people back for more.
Opening hours : 1pm - 7/8pm
Price range : Rs 40
Jazz Upstairs, Lazimpat
Since it opened 13 years ago, Upstairs has been luring customers with their music and momos. Although the menu boasts a wide array of dishes, it’s not unheard of to have patrons enter the premises specifically for the momos as it is without a doubt the most popular item.
Serving over 100 plates a day, momos stuffed with pork, chicken, buff and vegetables, all varieties are a hit. Adding to the trademark taste is the tomato achaar that accompanies the dish.
Upstairs isn’t a place that needs marketing -- with its ideal location, impeccable taste in music and laid back vibe, the momos are just one of many reasons that customers of all ages can be found enjoying the indoor and/or balcony seating.
Opening hours : Noon- 9pm (kitchen)
Price range : Rs 80 - 120
New Dish, Kichapokhari
In the midst of the New Road chaos is a place adjacent to Pashupati Plaza that has had a constant flow of customers for the last two decades. Serving only pork momos, the lack of options does not limit the regulars, if anything, the pork momos have gained notoriety in the valley.
The delicate momos adorning the plate at New Dish has a cult following. Authentic Darjeeling taste is what the patrons come looking for and whetting their appetite, the eatery at Khichapokhari has been serving pork momos with soup.
The soup is perhaps just as famous as the plates of momos. With a secret recipe, the soup is a favorite of shoppers, lovers, family and friends who all come to enjoy the most ordered item on the menu.
Opening hours : 11am - 8pm
Price range : Rs 75
Momo Cave, Thamel
Amidst the alley ways, nooks and crannies that makes Thamel a labyrinth full of hidden places waiting to be discovered, is a 40 year-old Momo Cave. With no signs that point to the low ceilinged eatery a few minutes’ walk from Roadhouse cafe, Momo Cave’s fame is waning among upcoming generations.
Once a momo hot spot, the quality of momos hasn’t taken a hit, but with restaurants and fine dining emerging on every lane the hard to find cave has been pushed further back. Serving buff, chicken and vegetable momos the tables are empty and the staff caters mostly to the surrounding shops. Momo Cave may have lost its splendor but to the local shops in the area, it’s the place to order lunch.
If you’re eager to savor a taste that has been perfected for decades, ask around for Momo Cave for momos that will not disappoint.
Opening hours : 12pm - 9:30/10 pm
Price range : Rs 40 - 50
Cozy Food Home, Ekantakuna
A place that is small but always crowded, Cozy Food Home, across and a little down from the Peepal tree at Ekantakuna is the place to go for mouth watering and satisfying Darjeeling style momos. With quick service and momos without grease, you’re likely to ask for the plates to keep coming because you won’t want to stop eating the momos.
Adding to the taste is the variety of achaars. Although Cozy offers the much seen tomato achaar, it comes with an option of a thicker and more spicy mix as opposed to the more gravy one. You can also try the dry red chilly achaar that is ground with ginger and offers a unique flavor that compliments their momos.
Soup is also available on request.
Opening hours : 1pm - 7pm
Price range : Rs 45 - 80
Trio, Jhamsikhel
Situated on the every so popular street in Jhamiskhel, next to Sing Ma Resturant, Trio is under a year old but has already made itself known for its momos. Though the menu covers a wide range of items, the momos are what is calling to the people.
Serving two styles of momos with various stuffing, the chicken is a favorite. The momo cha is laden with their sesame, tomato, and lapsi powder achaar that offers the authentic local Nepali flavor.
The second option for momos are the regular Tibetan steamed momos that are accompanied by a tomato achaar that is made with cumin powder.
Opening hours : 11am - 10pm
Price range : Rs 130 - 190
Kantipur Momo Center, Mahaboudha
Established nearly two decades ago by Indra Narayan, Kantipur Momo Corner, behind Bir Hospital began by selling momos at Rs 5 a plate. Now with over 300 customers a day that chow through over 30 kilograms of meat, several cylinders of gas can be seen hooked up out front to two stations steaming momos.
Admittedly a large portion of the customers are tired and hungry people who spend their day waiting at Bir Hospital which is just around the corner, however, “We have many regulars that have been coming here for years,” states Narayan.
The buff momos are the most sought out and though there are three options of achaar, tomato, red chilli and sesame, customers prefer the sesame achaar to douse their plate.
Opening hours : 1pm - 8:30pm
Price range : Rs 40
Momolicious, Thamel
Under two years old and on a slightly left hand lane a few minutes from Roadhouse Cafe is Momolicious. After coming under new management about five months ago, the two-roomed restaurant serves Nepalis and foreigners, Japanese in particular, who are fond of the place.
Offering C-momos as well as steamed momos Momolicious offers other items but as the name suggests, it’s a hot spot for delicious momos.
Though small with one room being a kitchen and the other being bar seating that lines the walls, Momolicious has been building a name for itself slowly but steadily by catering to nearby shops and bars.
Opening hours : 10am - 10pm (until nearby bars close)
Price range : Rs 40 - 95
Guru Momo Center- Jhamsikhel
Along the quiet lane of Jhamsikhel, on your way to Gyanodaya School if you take a turn towards the newly opened Perry restaurant, you’ll see Guru Momo Center. Mandira Tuladhar solely operates the six year old business along with her attached general supply store.
The store cum momo center that she operates on the ground floor and porch of her house has been the favorite choice of many students of nearby colleges and locals.
Tuladhar says the only spices she uses for the stuffing are onions and garlic which gives her momo their unique taste. The achaar is seasonal depending on the vegetables available -- her variety of achaars range from lapsi achar to sesame and tomato paste. A hot sauce made of red chili pepper, however, is available all year round.
The options of momos are chicken, buff, egg, pork and vegetable either steamed or fried.
With the numerous eateries opened here, Tuladhar says that they don’t sell as much as before. “But it feels nice to have regulars from as far as Kirtipur,” she says, “The best part is when the students who used to come here return from abroad and come to eat here saying they missed the taste of my momos.”
Opening hours : 7:30 am - 7:30 pm
Price range : Rs 45 - 75
Momo Magic, Pulchowk
Momo Magic, near Laxmi Bank is not about variety, here, they like to keep it simple. Whereas the old style steamed momo is their specialty, their kothey style momo is also a great additional choice. Chicken, buff and vegetable are also choices of stuffing. Their achaar is a simple pasty sauce with tomato and red peppers. Those who love spicy will love their achar.
Simplicity reigns in their décor too, with light pink colored walls, hanging round paper lanterns and comfortably spacious seating arrangements.
“This is my first time here and the momos are definitely good,” says Sarita Shrestha, giving them two thumbs up. Yutsha Bhattarai, who had Shrestha and her other friends at MoMo Magic for her birthday treat says, “I come here often and what I love about their momos is that the dough wrap is just perfectly thin and it’s not oily at all, so you can enjoy eating as much momos as you want without feeling stuffed.”
Mostly busy during lunch time, the eatery is a favorite choice not just for teenagers, but the office people around the area and many expats too.
Besides taste, hygiene is their major priority, says Uttam Dangol, one of the 11 staff at the branch.
“We don’t use spices for our momo stuffing and keep it very light, other than that there isn’t any real secret to our momo,” says Dangol.
Opening hours : 12pm - 9 pm
Price range : Rs 55- 90
Ram Sau’s Momo Pasal, Basantapur
Steaming thousands of savory dumplings everyday for patrons Ram Sau’s momo pasal at Basantapur, behind Kasthamandap temple, is as old as some of the regulars who come here, 35 years.
“I don’t believe in putting up fancy signboard, if people come, they do so for the pleasure of my momos,” revealed Sau, who started his business at Rs 2 a plate. Although the price has risen since then, he revealed that he has maintained the authentic taste of his momo cha.
One of the favorite momo haunts in Basantapur Durbar Square, Sau’s eatery uses 40 kilograms of meat per day. Accompanying the momos is the tomato and sesame sauce with provision for fiery hot sauce laced with teemur for that zing.
Opening hours : 1:30 pm - 8pm
Price range : Rs 30
Basantapur Momo cha Pasal, Basantapur
A small room, couple of benches and people lined up to get their share of dumplings, is the all too familiar scene at the Basantapur Momo Cha Pasal, behind Kumari Ghar. Take the lane straight in front of Grasshopper and you won’t miss the waft of hot steaming momos coming from the shop that has been in operation for the last decade.
Samir Shrestha is very particular about the meat he uses. “If I don’t get good cuts of meat, I don’t open at all. The momos I serve is low in fat and that’s what I believe attracts my patrons.”
A favorite hangout during lunch hour Shrestha revealed he sells anywhere between two to three thousand momos a day.
Opening hours : 1pm - 8pm
Price range : Rs 35
Decheling Garden Restaurant and Bar, Thamel
Feel like having authentic Tibetan fair? Then Decheling Garden’s dumplings filled to the seams with savory delights might just be the bowl of heaven you’re looking for.
Situated right behind Keshar Mahal, Tridevi Marg, the eatery has been in operation for the last 20 years. The momos are seasoned lightly and are served with three different choices of sauces to punctuate and enhance the palette. The raw tomato sauce with garlic and ginger; fried chili and garlic paste; coarsely grounded red chili sauce perfectly complements the delicious varieties of momos served at the garden.
Different varieties of momos served here include Steamed, Kothey, Ting and Dhapao. According to Pornima Manandhar, Manager, “Dhapao momos made with yeast dough are the hot favorite amongst our patrons. Savory delights wrapped in fluffy wrapping is a must try.”
The momos are accompanied by soup, on customer’s request.
Opening hours : 9am - 9:30pm (kitchen)
Price range : Rs 125 - 180
Golden Dragon, Pulchowk
Expect wholesome, well cooked food on way to Saint Mary’s School, Pulchowk. Specializing in serving Darjeeling style dumplings, Golden Dragon has been serving its patrons for the last 13 years.
You will often have to queue since this shop is almost always busy. The momos made with buff, chicken and pork are served with regular tomato achaar, with a special achaar made from fried dry chili pepper and ginger paste. A complimentary soup made from chicken stock and seasonal vegetables is served with every plate.
Opening hours : 10am - 8pm
Price range : Rs 50 - 80
New Michung Restaurant, Boudha
Though the sign-board outside reads ‘Mechung,’ instead of Michung, the rightful name of the place, this restaurant has been one famous momo joint for people not only from Boudha but from around the capital.
Located just opposite the Boudhanath Stupa main gate, the restaurant has been around for a while providing great service to food lovers.
“We’ve owned the shop for around three or four years, but I know for a fact that the restaurant has been around for a lot of time before that as well,” remarks Mohan Kumar Shrestha.
Serving Tibetan style momo with a soup to go along with the course, the restaurant provides buff, chicken and vegetable momos either steamed, fried, c-momo or kothey. Along with the momos there is also a wide range of intercontinental dishes to choose from.
Though they used to serve a lot of customers in the past, recent times have seen the restaurant going in a downward trajectory customer-wise.
“We use about thirty kilograms of meat each day to make momos,” informs Basudev Pahari, a caretaker at the shop.
Though the soup is the main side dish for the momo, a tomato based achar is also available.
Opening Hours : 9 am - last customer
Price range : Rs 60 - 95
The Gangri Sui Mai Restaurant, Teku
Much acclaimed for introducing the ‘open’ momo to Nepali momo connoisseurs, The Gangri Sui Mai Restaurant has been a highly sought after destination for the last 15 years.
“Our open momo has actually a Japanese origin, and we have just added a fusion taste that suits the Nepali tongue,” explains owner, Rajesh Raj Karnikar.
Since the early years, the restaurant has had an astounding following as well as goodwill. “The only bad time for the restaurant was the emergency during the Maoist war, which resulted with almost no customers at all,” recalls Karnikar.
The different varieties of achaars that are provided by the restaurant are also well acquainted with fame. “From more than six achaars that we provide, the most sought after by customers is the ‘thousand islands,” he remarks.
Though most people think that the Sui Mai restaurant located at Hardic Fitness Centre, Pulchowk is a branch of the restaurant at Teku, that is not the case. Karnikar informs, “Though we trained the staff there, and the restaurant is owned by my cousin; they are not officially our branch.”
The Restaurant, along with the open momo, is also famous for other types of momo like kothey and various other special dishes as well.
Opening hours : 11am - 8:45 (kitchen)
Price range : Rs 65 - 100
Everest Momo Centre, Kamalpokhari
With more than 24 years of experience, Everest Momo Centre, opposite City Center, Kamalpokhari, has carved a niche for themselves in Kathmandu’s momo scene. Described by many locals as the best momo in town, this restaurant has had its name copied by many other momo centers to cash-in on the superior name in both mountains and momos.
The restaurant uses a coupon system so that it can cope with the unusually high number of customers at all hours. “We serve around 600 people a day,” guesses Shrestha, “and usually the peak hour of customers is around seven in the evening,” he adds.
The achaar that is generously given with each plate of momo is made of sesame seeds, peanuts, and other various ingredients.
Opening hour : 11am - last customer
Price per plate : - Rs 40
Kalikasthan Momo, Kalikasthan
Many old locals believe that the Kalikasthan momo was previously situated in Indra chowk and highly famous there, however this notion seems to be untrue. Prakash Ale, the caretaker of the restaurant, assures that for 18 years the restaurant has been situated in the same place opposite the Kalikasthan Temple throughout the times.
“I’ve been working here for about 4 years and our senior here informed me that this restaurant has old origins,” he remarked.
The shop commands great respect in the local scene, and has been famed for providing great momo to delight the taste-buds of customers.
The achaar provided by the restaurant is made up of sesame seeds and other ingredients which they refuse to disclose. “We put a lot of things in the achaar,” dodges Ale.
The peak hour of the shop is around 3 pm around which time the restaurant is forced to use the coupon system.
“Throughout the day, we serve around 2000-3000 momos, that means around two hundred to three hundred customers,” enunciates Ale.
Opening Hour : 11:30 am - last customer
Price : Rs 40
The Bakery Café and Momo Mania
Throughout the years, there has been one chain-restaurant that has cut a class above the rest in viewing the momo scene in Nepal, and without a doubt it has been The Bakery café outlets.
Established in 1991, under the supervision of Nanglo International, The Bakery café has developed a certain environment unique to themselves, which is family friendly as well as fun loving.
There used to be a time, when momo wasn’t a prerequisite on every restaurant menu, and The Bakery café outlets have played a huge part in the popularization of momo.
Like the past nine years, this year too, The Bakery café chain of restaurants is organizing Momo Mania today at the Bhrikuti Mandap garden, to entrance the gargantuan number of Momo lovers in the capital. Organized each year to hold a momo party that unites all caste and creed of Nepal, this year on its 10th anniversary, Momo mania is going all out.
From Gundpak momo, for the sweet-lovers straight to Dapoa, a Bhutanese buff delight, everyone can get what they want this year with over twenty varieties to choose from. The vegans don’t need to be sad either as they can join in the action with a variety of mushroom and spinach momos.
To go along with the momo, eleven other varieties of achaars will be ready to sizzle your taste buds. From the usual peanut achaar to the quite mysterious chocolate sauce, it’s all there to entice you even more.
Along with the food, entertainment is also on the cards with folk ensemble, Kutumba performing along with other musical artistes as well as dancers.
Tickets are priced at Rs 500 for adults and Rs 300 for children. Visitors get to eat unlimited momos and can enjoy other complimentary drinks and ice-cream as well.
ACHAAR
Sesame: Used primarily for momo cha, sesame is often ground and mixed with salt, chillies, and water to have a thin gravy that also doubles as soup to dunk momos in.
Tomato: The standard achaar available in most places is the tomato blend that normally uses boiled tomatoes mixed with salt, ginger, garlic, and parsley. Red in color and not too thick, the consistency is ideal for dipping.
Garlic: A blend that is not found everywhere, Garlic achaar comprises dry chilies friend in oil and blended with ginger paste giving it a dark soy hue and a unique taste.
Red Chili : Using ground red chilies, the Red Chili achaar is generally thicker and hotter, so if you like your momos fiery hot, this is the achaar to request.
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