 CAFE MOMO 1065 Hanover St., Manchester 623-3733; cafemomonh.com Serving: Tuesday-Thursday, 12-9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 12-10 p.m.; Sunday, 12-9 p.m. Closed Monday. Cuisine: Nepalese Entrees: $13-18. Scoring: Our Gourmet and The Dining Companion each grade a restaurant in five categories, for a combined total score of up to 100 points. Visit the Dining section of NewHampshire.com to read previous Our Gourmet reviews listed by town. |
Appetizers: 16.5/20
The Dining Companion: We started with the Momo dumplings ($8), eight steamed Nepali dumplings, delicately seasoned with a filling of chicken, lamb, shrimp, scallops or vegetables. (Prices vary slightly, depending on the filling.) I chose the vegetable, a dumpling pillow filled with a mushroom and a paté of other vegetables. They were light and delicious, and I would try them again, maybe with the lamb or scallop. 8.5
OG: We shared the appetizers. The Momos, similar to potstickers or Chinese dumplings, were delightful. I chose the surprisingly hot choila ($8), a dish made of jerked chicken with fresh cilantro, red onion and chilies. It was served with crispy rice – sort of like puffed rice cereal – which actually tempered some of the heat. Very nice, but in small quantities for those who prefer their food a bit milder. 8
Entrée: 17.5/20
TDC: I wanted to try the Katmandu chicken ($16), which consisted of chicken breast drenched in almond and cashew flour cooked in a vegetable stock with seasonal vegetables. On the evening we were there, the vegetables were summer squash, red onion, carrot, snow peas, cilantro and scallions. The dish was topped with a yogurt and cream sauce that was divine, served with a cup of rice with a little cilantro sauce drizzled over the top. You will be asked to choose a spice level from 1 (mild) to 10 (burn our mouth). I had this dish at a 6. It was a wonderful blend of flavors and textures and a definitely “would order again.” 8.5
OG: My choice was the Brown Guy Special, $17, a mix of sea scallops and shrimp that are marinated in white wine and spices. It’s all cooked with fresh mixed vegetables and topped with a white poppy seed sauce. It was light, cooked perfectly and delicious. I ordered my dish at a 5, so it was spicy, but not too hot. Light and wonderful. 9
Dessert: 16.5/20
TDC: The Sikarni ($5) is a creamy parfait of yogurt, spices, and strawberries. Some of the flavors I could detect were sugar, cinnamon, cardamon, nutmeg and maybe some sweet cream, but I know there were definitely others in this delightful dessert. It was topped by a quartered strawberry that was the only fruit present, but the yogurt blend was the star of this dish. 8.5
OG: Remember those Squirrel Nut Zippers you had as a kid? The Gudpak ($5) reminded me of those for some reason; perhaps the chewy texture and nuts. The dish is made of tree gum cooked with dates and aniseed with coconuts, cashews, and almonds. As I said, chewy, but it was nicely sweet with a bit of a crunch. 8
Everything Else: 17/20
TDC: Cafe Momo is nothing fancy to look at from outside, but inside it’s very pleasant, with the Nepalese music wafting through the colorful small main room, which maybe sat 20 people. The wait staff was very attentive.
Also, since this is the everything-else portion of this review, I have to mention the Momo Mojito ($5.50), which is made with lime juice, mint leaves, and rice wine, or the Cucumber Cooler ($5.50) which is lime juice, cucumbers, and rice wine. Both of these are delicious and refreshing. 8
OG: The room is very small, but comfortable, and the wait staff – all two of them – were friendly and took care of all of our needs. We brought our vegetarian diner friend with us and he found plenty to choose from. His strawberry lassi, a yogurt drink that was tart and sweet, was tasty as were the Momo Mojito and Cucumber Cooler mentioned above. 9
Value 16/20
TDC: Cafe Momo is somewhere middle-of-the-road in the pricing. It’s not the cheapest meal in town, with entrees priced from $13 to $18, but this place is unique and is definitely on my list of places to return to. 8
OG: If you are expecting that small equals cheap, you’ll be disappointed. Momo certainly isn’t overpriced, but you’re not going to get a $5 meal, either. What you will get is a delicious, out-of-the-ordinary meal that’s worth the price. 8
Total: 83.5/100
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