#PickoftheWeek | Dumplings Galore! Momo Crawl 2018 is on Sunday
BY QEDC It's In Queens
Trick-or-Treat comes early in Queens … and the treats are deliciously savory.
Momo Crawl 2018 is set for Jackson Heights on Sunday, Oct. 7.
After meeting in Diversity Plaza at 1 pm, intrepid eaters will walk (or crawl) to more than 20 restaurants that serve a steamed doughy bun that is usually filled with meat, potatoes, vegetables or cheese. It’s called a “momo,” and it’s very popular in the Himalayan countries of Bhutan, Nepal, and Tibet. It’s also delicious with spicy red, orange, and green sauces made from chili, chives, garlic, ginger, and onions.
The eateries, which are located within a half-mile radius of each other, will charge $1 per dumpling. An all-you-can-eat Momo Passport, which also provides access to a wooden, vintage-style trolley, will cost $5. (Proceeds go to Students for a Free Tibet, a nonprofit that promotes Tibetan independence from China.
At the end of this seventh annual event, participants will return to Diversity Plaza (74th Street and 37th Road) for a festival with music and dance by Himalayan artists. At this juncture, they will vote for the winning restaurant, which will receive the highly coveted Momo Championship Belt (below) made with real yak hide.
Oh, yak is an extremely common momo filling.
The defending champion is Nepali Bhanchha Ghar. Other past belt-winners include Amdo Kitchen, Lhasa Fast Food (aka Tibetan Mobile), Little Tibet, and Phayul.
Many Nepalese and Tibetan immigrants have settled in Jackson Heights and Woodside over the past 20 years. The influx has spurred a boom in eateries and food trucks that sell momos.
Editor’s Note: The first 1,000 Momo Passport purchasers get a gold-embossed book. Later purchasers get a color one. Pick up purchased passports at a table in Diversity Plaza on the day of Momo Crawl 2018.
Images: MomoCrawlNYC
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