During my eight days in and around McLeod Ganj, I ate a lot of Momo. If you’re not familiar with Momo, they are Tibetan dumplings that are stuffed with veggies, meat, or a mix of veggies and paneer. They’re either steamed or fried. As a vegetarian, I stuck with the veggie or veggie-and-paneer versions, usually steamed — though I’d switch it up occasionally. On their own, they’re delicious, but when you add a bit of Sepen — a traditional Tibetan chili sauce made with red chilies, garlic, and spices — they go from good to amazing. The sauce gives them a fiery kick that takes the flavor to a whole new level.
Oh, and by the way, the spelling of momo is used whether you’re talking about one Momo or a whole order of them. I guess it would be referred to as an invariable noun — just one more thing that makes Momo so special, haha.
What Makes Momo So Special?
An order of momo usually comes with eight, but in some places, you might get ten. If it’s just two of us eating, we typically share one order, and if there are three of us, we get two. They’re tasty, filling, and incredibly cheap. It’s mind-blowing how affordable eating here is — though, I’m sure the price of dinner can go up if you’re eating more than just momo. An order will usually take at least 20 minutes — they are made fresh to order.
Tibet Kitchen: My Number One
Tibet Kitchen, located on Jogiwara Road — one of the main streets in town — is my absolute favorite spot in McLeod Ganj for momo. The place is always busy, but I’ve never had trouble getting a table. While they have an extensive menu featuring Indian, Chinese, and Tibetan dishes, I always go for the momo.
And let me tell you, their Momo are, hands down, the best in town. They offer a variety of fillings, but we usually go with the Steamed Vegetable Momo. On one visit, we tried the Tandoori Paneer Momo— and wow, they were incredible. They are heavier than the regular momo, but definitely worth it as a change. We also usually order the chili fries, which I’m convinced are also the best in town. And I should know — after eight days in McLeod Ganj, eating Momo for most lunches and dinners along with chili fries more often than not, I’m basically an expert.
Besides their delicious food, the staff is incredibly friendly and welcoming, with many familiar faces I’ve seen over the years. I believe it’s family-run, like most of the cafes in town. And since the Dalai Lama is such a big deal in the area, pictures of him and his quotes line the walls of the restaurant. I love this place, and it is and always has been number one for me.
Exploring JJ Exile Brothers Mom’s Kitchen
My next favorite place for Momo is JJ Exile Brothers Mom’s Kitchen, located on Bhagsunag Road — a bit off the main road. I know, the name — it’s a mouthful, but damn, do they have great momo. From what I can gather, the restaurant is owned by three Tibetan brothers who are also musicians and, as the name suggests, are in exile. Oh, and it’s their mom’s kitchen.
JJ’s specialty is their Whole Wheat Vegetable Momo. They’re a bit denser than the ones at Tibet Kitchen, but they’re still really great. They have a great bite to them. I can confirm they use a lot of garlic in their food — one day, I saw two family members peeling what seemed like an endless number of garlic cloves. It’s a tiny place —with only four, maybe five tables. I had read reviews about this place, but it took me forever to find it. Rows of fabric cover the doorway, and I must have walked past it three or four times before finally spotting it.
Though chili fries weren’t on the menu, we asked for some, and they did their best to make them for us. While they weren’t exactly what I was looking for, they were still very good. The fact that they went out of their way to make something not on the menu says a lot about the staff.
Like Tibet Kitchen, the staff at JJ’s is incredibly hospitable. It’s truly a hidden gem and feels as close to eating at someone’s house as you can get. I highly recommend trying this place if you’re ever in McLeod Ganj.
Oh, and by the way, many of their other dishes on the menu are quite good as well. JJ Exile Brothers Mom’s Kitchen is a solid number two for me.
JJ Exile Brothers Mom’s Kitchen was the last place we had momo before leaving McLeod Ganj, and they didn’t disappoint. One of JJ’s walls is covered with letters from people expressing their love for the café and its food. The vibe is great, and I’ll miss this little spot. I’m crossing my fingers that it will still be here when I return.
A Hidden Gem: Four Seasons Café
My third favorite spot is Lobsang’s Four Seasons Café, also on Jogiwara Road, just down from Tibet Kitchen. I used to walk by without giving it much thought until a monk friend of mine raved about it. Like many restaurants in McLeod Ganj, it’s tiny—maybe eight tables. It’s not fancy at all, but it has a welcoming vibe, and the young guy who waited on us was really friendly.
The claim was that Lobsang’s Four Seasons Café was the best place for momo in the area. On my first visit, I was blown away — the Momo really were fantastic. We ordered two kinds: paneer and vegetable, both steamed. They also had chili fries, so we got some of those as well, and they were delicious. The Sepen was great, too.
While I wouldn’t say it was better than Tibet Kitchen—it came pretty close. A few days later, we went back, but unfortunately, I was disappointed. The momo were still good, but some were lacking the usual amount of filling (I almost wondered if they’d run out of ingredients). And the Sepen, which had been great before, was way too salty this time. Even with that, I’m keeping Four Seasons Café at number three because I’m giving them the benefit of the doubt that they just had an off day.
If the waiter hadn’t been so nice, I probably would have complained. And just a funny side note: on the bottom of their menu, it says, “We do kitty parties, birthdays, and private bookings.”
Other Momo Discoveries
I’m not going to rate any Momo past my top three because, honestly, you can find delicious ones almost anywhere in McLeod Ganj — even the street vendors have great Momo. I mean, let’s face it: the people here clearly know how to do momo.
Also, at my monk friend’s recommendation, we tried Jimmy’s Italian Kitchen, located on Bhagsu Road. Their Momo were good—not great—and much smaller in size and had thinner dough than most places.
Another place I really liked was the Peace Café, although the name has since changed, and I can’t remember the new one. I ordered the vegetable momo, expecting the usual mixture of carrots, onions, celery, and garlic. To my surprise, they were filled with spinach instead. Even though it wasn’t what I expected, they were still delicious!
I’m assuming the dough for the spinach momo was rolled thinner than most of the other momo I’ve had, and with the spinach filling, it made them a bit soggy and flimsy after steaming. As a result, they were messier to eat and didn’t hold up as well. It was definitely different from what I remembered at the Peace Café. Everything else about the restaurant seemed the same, so I didn’t realize anything had changed until I tasted the difference. When I mentioned to the waitress how different the momo were from what I remembered, she explained that it was no longer Peace Café. Sadly, I learned that the family who ran it had moved back to Korea after the husband, who was also the cook, passed away in his 40s from complications due to COVID.
It really made me sad to learn that the Peace Café is no more. I can still picture the dad sitting on the front stoop, reading a book to his little boy, and another time, seeing his son roller-skating inside the café — only in McLeod Ganj! The place was a solid, traditional Tibetan restaurant with about ten tables. It was always packed, often with monks, which was usually a pretty good sign that the food was great. For a while, it was my go-to spot for Momo.
Also down the road from Tibet Kitchen was Snow Lion Cafe, another spot that made some pretty tasty Momo. We decided to try it after reading a local review—looking to branch out a bit. It would’ve been easy to keep going back to my favorite places, but sometimes, it’s fun to see if another spot can surprise you. And this one actually did. We ordered the vegetable Momo, which had a noticeable hint of ginger in the filling. I’m not sure if I loved it, but it was a nice change, and the Sepen was actually quite good.
We also tried Momo at the Main Point Café, which sits on Dolma Chowk. Their Momo was good, but they didn’t necessarily stand out. But I loved that they served bottled Apple Beer, which is so refreshing and goes great with Momo. Main Point Café was a clean and spacious place. I’d definitely have given this place another try if time had allowed.
The Momo I ordered from Nick’s Italian Kitchen was fair at best. The last time I went, I decided to try the pizza instead — because sometimes you need a change! Unfortunately, the pizza tasted like frozen Elios and wasn’t anything special. I have a feeling Nick’s specialty is probably not Momo or Pizza.
And though it wasn’t actually in McLeod Ganj, we had a couple of orders of potato and paneer steamed Momo at the Nechung Canteen after visiting the Nechung Monastery. It was like eating a plate of perogies —so you know they were damn good.
Looking Ahead: More Momo Adventures
Believe it or not, there are still plenty of places left for me to try Momo when I return to McLeod Ganj. That said, Tibet Kitchen has always been my favorite — they’ve been consistently great from the start. Plus, one of the servers there reminds me so much of my soon-to-be son-in-law. He’s like the Tibetan version of him—in looks and mannerisms.
When I return, I think I’ll sign up for a cooking class with a local and finally learn the art of making this Tibetan specialty. After all these years of tasting my way through McLeod Ganj, it feels like the perfect way to carry a piece of this place with me wherever I go. Until then, Tashe Delek — and may there always be more Momo to discover on my next visit
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