#NewsFlash | Fill — and refill and re-refill — your belly at Momo Crawl 2017 in Jackson Heights on Sunday
BY QEDC It's In Queens
Great things come in small packages…many, many small packages in this case.
The sixth annual Momo Crawl will delve into many nooks and crannies in Jackson Heights on Sunday, Nov. 5. Participants will eat (a lot), explore the neighborhood, vote on a winner, and watch various cultural performances.
First a definition: Momos are dumplings that are most common in Himalayan countries such as Tibet, Nepal, and Bhutan. The steamed dough bun is usually filled with yak, chicken, potatoes, chives, carrots, cilantro, and cheese. Sauces with chili, chutney, garlic, ginger, and onions add flavor and spice.
The beloved bites have become part of the Jackson Heights food scene over the past decade due to heavy immigration to the area and neighboring Woodside from the Himalayas. Jeffrey Orlick, the event’s main organizer, calls the district “the Momo Capital of the West.”
On Sunday, the crawlers will gather at Diversity Plaza at 37th Road and 73rd Street at 2 p.m. They will purchase a $10 passport that proffers privileges to more than 20 restaurants, carts, and trucks selling momos for $1 each. All the eateries are within a half-mile radius.
Participants can proceed at their own pace. Or not. This year, Orlick has rented two wooden, vintage-style streetcars from NY Trolley Company to escort those who can’t — or don’t want to — walk. They will circle around the perimeter of the feasting area.
Participating restaurants include: Amdo Kitchen; Bhutanese Ema Datsi; Friends Corner Café; Gang Chen Bod Kyi Momo Cart; Hamro Bhim’s Café; Himalaya Restaurant; Himalayan Yak; K2 Delights Cafe (Bombay Chat); Kanchanjunga; Lali Guras; Lhasa Fast Food; Little Tibet; Merit Kabab Palace; Mom’s Momos; Momo Bros; Momo Delight; Mustang Thakali Kitchen; Nepali Chancha Ghar; Phayul; Potala Fresh Food; Potala Restaurant; Tawa Roti; Wasabi Point; and Woodside Café.
Back at Diversity Plaza, there will be opportunities to get free momo henna tattoos from SamArt – Contour or permanent markings from Mohan’s Tattoo Inn. Plus, Leaves Plates Initiative will make leaf plates and the I Love Momos app, created with help from the Business Center for New Americans, will be released.
The afternoon will end with appropriate Himalayan music by Yeshi khando, Dendi Sherpa, Tsering Phuntsok, Tenzin Dechen, Tenzin Gurung, Tenzin Kunsang, Karma Dolma, and Tenzin Kunchok. Three dance troupes – Lhakar, Lotus, and Cholsum Doegar – will perform as well.
For the first time this year, Orlick has partnered with Students for a Free Tibet, a nonprofit that works to preserve Tibet and its culture now that China has annexed the country and banned its language. Proceeds from the event will be donated to the group, and during the closing ceremonies at around 4:30 p.m., Orlick and members of the organization will arm wrestle for fun and pride.
The nightcap will be a popular vote for the best momo. The winning eatery will receive a yak hide championship belt and bragging rights.
Great things come in small packages…many, many small packages in this case.
The sixth annual Momo Crawl will delve into many nooks and crannies in Jackson Heights on Sunday, Nov. 5. Participants will eat (a lot), explore the neighborhood, vote on a winner, and watch various cultural performances.
First a definition: Momos are dumplings that are most common in Himalayan countries such as Tibet, Nepal, and Bhutan. The steamed dough bun is usually filled with yak, chicken, potatoes, chives, carrots, cilantro, and cheese. Sauces with chili, chutney, garlic, ginger, and onions add flavor and spice.
The beloved bites have become part of the Jackson Heights food scene over the past decade due to heavy immigration to the area and neighboring Woodside from the Himalayas. Jeffrey Orlick, the event’s main organizer, calls the district “the Momo Capital of the West.”
On Sunday, the crawlers will gather at Diversity Plaza at 37th Road and 73rd Street at 2 p.m. They will purchase a $10 passport that proffers privileges to more than 20 restaurants, carts, and trucks selling momos for $1 each. All the eateries are within a half-mile radius.
Participants can proceed at their own pace. Or not. This year, Orlick has rented two wooden, vintage-style streetcars from NY Trolley Company to escort those who can’t — or don’t want to — walk. They will circle around the perimeter of the feasting area.
Participating restaurants include: Amdo Kitchen; Bhutanese Ema Datsi; Friends Corner Café; Gang Chen Bod Kyi Momo Cart; Hamro Bhim’s Café; Himalaya Restaurant; Himalayan Yak; K2 Delights Cafe (Bombay Chat); Kanchanjunga; Lali Guras; Lhasa Fast Food; Little Tibet; Merit Kabab Palace; Mom’s Momos; Momo Bros; Momo Delight; Mustang Thakali Kitchen; Nepali Chancha Ghar; Phayul; Potala Fresh Food; Potala Restaurant; Tawa Roti; Wasabi Point; and Woodside Café.
Back at Diversity Plaza, there will be opportunities to get free momo henna tattoos from SamArt – Contour or permanent markings from Mohan’s Tattoo Inn. Plus, Leaves Plates Initiative will make leaf plates and the I Love Momos app, created with help from the Business Center for New Americans, will be released.
The afternoon will end with appropriate Himalayan music by Yeshi khando, Dendi Sherpa, Tsering Phuntsok, Tenzin Dechen, Tenzin Gurung, Tenzin Kunsang, Karma Dolma, and Tenzin Kunchok. Three dance troupes – Lhakar, Lotus, and Cholsum Doegar – will perform as well.
For the first time this year, Orlick has partnered with Students for a Free Tibet, a nonprofit that works to preserve Tibet and its culture now that China has annexed the country and banned its language. Proceeds from the event will be donated to the group, and during the closing ceremonies at around 4:30 p.m., Orlick and members of the organization will arm wrestle for fun and pride.
The nightcap will be a popular vote for the best momo. The winning eatery will receive a yak hide championship belt and bragging rights.
#ItsInQueens #MomoCrawl #QueensTourismCouncil #MomoCrawl2017
Images: Jeffrey Orlick