Best Momos in Queens, New York City!
Where To Find NYC's Most Memorable Momos!
If you’re craving momos, head to the Jackson Heights neighborhood of Queens. No other area in NYC boasts such a strong concentration of restaurants, cafes and food trucks selling Tibetan and Himalayan cuisine. With over 25 momo venders in and around the area, Jackson Heights is even home to New York City’s annual Momo Crawl!
What's a Momo?
Momos are the Tibetan/Himalayan/Nepali version of dumplings. Traditionally, momos have a white flour skin and are filled with either meat or veggies and steamed. Momos are one of the most well-known Nepali dishes. Buffalo (buff) and yak meat filling are common locally in the Tibetan region. Beef momos are more limited in Nepal due to the sacred nature of cows in Hinduism, but they are easy to find in Jackson Heights.
My Favorite Momos in New York City
Jackson Heights - Home to NYC's Largest Nepali Community
Jackson Heights is home to the most prominent Nepali/Himalayan/Tibetan community in the metro NYC area, with plenty of spots to find enjoy delicious Himalayan cuisine! This community grew considerably between the mid 1990s and mid 2000s due to both political conflict in Nepal and changes to US immigration regulations. Today there are plenty of local businesses sharing Himalayn cuisine with NYC! To learn more about the community, visit EATER and MOFAD’s City Guide Collab.
Gorkhali's Beef Jhol Momos
77-04 Roosevelt Ave., Jackson Heights, NY 11372
Savory, flavorful beef momos swimming in jhol, a delicious soup/curry. Gorkhali’s jhol momos come in 4 varieties: chicken, beef, pork and veg. What really makes the momos at Gorkhali stand out is the warm liquid inside the momo, comp ::insert description::
Gorkhali sits on the south side of Roosevelt Ave, easily accessible from the 74th St / Roosevelt Ave Jackson Heights subway station (E/F/M/R & 7 trains). Look for the red awning with giant swords and Nepalese flags flying outside. The term Gorkhali has two references to Nepali history: the Gorkha Kingdom which controlled parts of western Nepal during the 1500s, 1600s and 1700s. Gorkhas or Gorkhalis is also used to refer to military units made up of Nepalis in the British and Indian armies. The curved machete-like sword, khukuri, was a signature weapon of these troops.
We also tried to the pork Thali plate / dal bhat. I love that this dish is a bunch of little dishes paired to make a nice meal. Sweet fried pork pieces accompanied by lentils, rice, vegetables and achar (Nepali-style pickled veg).
Chive Momos from Lhasa Fast Food
76-03 37th Ave. Jackson Heights, NY 11372
The first momo I ever fell in love with. (Outside of Nepal, that is!) The momos at Lhasa Fast Food are generous with the chives, not the usual itty-bitty slivers. These steamed momos are chock-full of chives, giving a fantastic and fresh flavor inside the simple flour skin of each momo. Each order comes with 8 momos – perfect for sharing. Lhasa also serves beef and chicken momos, but in my opinion those do not stand out. I usually order a cup of the slightly salty Himalayan butter tea to go with your momos, but on my recent visit the tea was not on the menu.
Lhasa Fast Food used to be tucked behind a cell phone shop, hidden in plain sight along 74th Ave. After a fire, Lhasa re-opened in 2021 just a few minutes away on 37th Ave. The new space has more indoor and outdoor seating! Note that the outdoor seating was open air this summer, but is now mostly enclosed for winter.
This is definitely one the best places to eat in Jackson Heights!
Do you use the Too Good To Go app? Get late night momos from Express Eatz and check out my Too Good To Go App Review for restaurants in Queens.
Chili Momos from Momo Crave
75-18 37th Avenue, Jackson Heights, NY 11372
Momo Crave’s menu offers an innovative, funky twist to this traditional Nepali dish. Using standard flour-shelled momos as a base, Momo Crave’s dishes are an example of culinary fusion. The menu incorporates other types of cuisine to create uniquely delicious momo options. My personal favorite: the Beef Chili Momos!
Fried momo (choose from veg, beef or chicken) sauteed with a spicy, sweet sauce, chilies, onions and peppers. Basically, Momo Crave adds momos to the common Chinese / Indian dish: chili chicken. It’s crunchy from the fried momo shells and sauteed onions, and also the perfect level of spicy where you can still taste the flavors of the dish. One order is too much for me alone, so I suggest going with a small group to share a few dishes.
Other fun options at Momo Crave are tandoori momos, chaat momos and even taco momos with avocado, black beans and salsa.
Momos with a Side of Pickled Veg from Tibetan Japanese
75-26 37th Avenue, Jackson Heights, NY 11372
The momos at Tibetan Japanese are pretty good, but what I really love is that they come with a side of pickled daikon and carrot. This Japanese flair added to a plate of traditional steamed momos gave this dish the extra vinegary sweetness that I love. Tibetan Japanese is right near Lhasa Fast Food, so I recommend making your next momo meal a 2 stop affair!
Continue Your NYC Momo Exploration!
Want to try even more momos?! Check out the Momo App, a catalogue of places serving momos across NYC. There are lots of filtering options, including by length of business operations and Momo Crawl winners. Or, even try making your own at home! Patel Brothers supermarket on 74th Street in Jackson Heights even sells premade momo seasoning mix!
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We’ve never had a momo and they look like something we would like!!
Kelly – You definitely need to try them! Hope you can make that happen soon!
All of the momos in Queens New York City sound amazing. I’ve never had them before, but they look delicious!
I’m a foodie and love culinary recommendations on where to eat. Particularly in large cities. Gladly will try the best Momos in Queens, as I love this kind of dumpling. I ate them a lot during my travel to Nepal. I add to my list Chive Momos from Lhasa Fast Food and Chili Momos from Momo Crave.
Oh wow! I love momos! I guess I’ll have to take the train to Queens to try them!