Momo Station

Shop 25, Tivoli Arcade 235-251 Bourke Street

Melbourne, 3000
http://www.momostation.com.au/

Chris and I had a momo-moment today. No I don’t have a stutter, but I did have momos, the Nepalese rendition of the humble dumpling. Nepalese cuisine isn’t something I’m familiar with, but from what I’ve heard, it’s like milder Indian with some Chinese influences, which we both love, so we’re off to a good start. And to get said momos, we headed to Momo Station, located in possibly the least eye-catching corner of Tivoli Arcade, which I’ve swept by it multiple times in the past without giving it a second glance. Thank goodness for Urbanspoon.

The service at Momo Station is polite, though there really isn’t much of it, as it’s mostly self-serve. You grab your own water, condiments, and even cutlery.

Drinking Cups

 

I was, however, won over by these surprisingly delicate stainless steel drinking glasses, even if it was vaguely disconcerting to see my face reflected at the bottom of the glass when I drink.

Chicken Momo ($8 for 10)

The Chicken Momo ($8 for 10 pieces) seems to be THE thing to order here, and yes, they do look a lot like Xiao Long Bao. However as soon as you put them in your mouth, you realise that they couldn’t be more different. Unlike its yum-cha twin, these small parcels are designed to be stodgy and filling, with a much more strongly flavoured mince. Despite that, these dumplings still manage to retain some delicacy to them, through the careful flavouring of the filling, and the thinness of the wrapper. Dipped in house-made chutney, and between sips of a delicate chicken broth, they disappeared quickly down the hatch.

Beef Momo ($7 for 10)

The Beef Momo ($7 for 10 pieces) looked quite different to the chicken ones, and was filled with beef instead of chicken (well, obviously). I really couldn’t pick which one I enjoyed more, even though they tasted distinctly different. Needless to say these were finished pretty quickly too.

Aside from momos, this quaint little eatery also serves a few other (what I presume to be) traditional Nepalese dishes, including noodles and rice. Not that I’ll be straying too far from the momos, which are a welcome change from the Chinese dumplings I’ve been eating all my life. And despite looking all adorable, these little morsels are deceptively filling. I’ll be adding this to my list of good feeds for less than $10.

Rating: 13/20 – mo-mo-moment!