Les Momos

Gravityhypernova

4.0

First time having momos that were not Tibetan. Nepalese-Indian recipes were really good; I would say my favourite by far was the delicious chicken makhni (pictured). The sauce was a balanced savoury-spicy-creamy flavour that was leaning towards the tandoori flavours rather than standard butter chicken. The texture of the dumpling was also interesting, I was told it was steamed but the sauce on top of them seemed like they maybe finished it in the oven. I thought these were excellent & will return for this specifically.

We got butter chicken momos at the end of the meal. They were a bit too heavy after the steamed darjeeling & dehli dumplings, which were both lighter in overall flavours but tasted fresh.

I used the Spectra app for a discount on all-you-can-eat steamed dumplings & may have only saved a few dollars because two trays were very filling. My dining partner & I ordered four flavours to maximize what we tried, but agreed that a fifth tray would have been excessive. I noted only after we left that the Spectra ticket said'gratuity included', but I don't mind that I tipped anyway because Les Momos surpassed expectations, & because they advertise that the dumplings are made-to-order fresh, & were never frozen. Bonus: I think all of the varieties are available as vegetarian, & the chicken is halal.

Our server was gracious & kind despite dealing with our large group & then a rush that filled the place.

Atmosphere wise, the place was clean & modern, but seemed to lack much in decoration or'character'. It's bright & more of a quick service feeling place for casual dining. The music was a bit random & changed to talk radio at one point.

I noticed they used generative AI for their sidewalk sign & menu, or I'd give five stars. The sidewalk version had many obvious text distortions, especially in the drinks like the'CHOCOLATE SHANE' &'STAMBERRY SHANE','MABALA LINE SOOAL', &'COLD COPNEE' to name a few. (pic attached) I did not try any beverages on this visit.

The menu also does not give any description or hint at what the differences between the momo types are. There is also a chili pepper icon beside every item, but I think it's just a nonsensical bullet point graphic rather than an indication of spiciness, as some varieties were truly not spicy at all (& I don't say that just cuz I am Asian).

Presuming they don't intend to only want Indian/Nepali customers who are already familiar with most items, adding explanations + visuals would be appreciated & help the server not have to try to explain repeatedly to every newcomer. I overhead one diner asking the server to recommend something spicy & more saucy. Google also says'makhni' is synonymous with butter chicken, but the two were distinctly different.

Hand-made (as opposed to factory/frozen) dumplings being marketed with shortcuts like AI design gives contradictory signals of quality. If they feel like hiring a designer/photographer, I might be interested in working with them if this signage was just a temporary measure for their opening.

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised & look forward to returning with friends: but if I had not been invited to try, I would have probably skipped Les Momos if I had randomly passed by & seen the sidewalk menu, as it would have given doubts about quality or the'from scratch' claim.