Here’s your Sunday assignment: eat!
Momo Crawl is in Himalaya Heights (Jackson Heights-Woodside-Elmhurst) from noon to 5 pm.
True to its name, the 11th annual feastapalooza’s main focus is momos, but cultural performances and an awards ceremony are also on the menu.
Participants meet at Diversity Plaza — vicinity of 37th Road and 74th Street — at any time after 11:45 am. Then, they proceed at their own pace and pay either $15 for an all-inclusive passport or $1 per momo at each place they visit. (Proceeds go to Students for a Free Tibet, a nonprofit that strives to preserve Tibet and its culture now that China has annexed the country and banned its language.)
More than 30 restaurants are signed up. They’re located within a roughly half-mile radius.
Sounds like a blast, but what’s a momo?
Glad you asked. They’re dumplings with origins in Himalayan countries such as Bhutan, Nepal, and Tibet. Versions vary, but the most common ones start with a steamed, doughy bun that’s filled with ingredients like beef, carrots, chicken, chilis, chives, cilantro, onions, potatoes, and yak. Add flavor and heat via sauces with chili, chutney, garlic, and ginger.
Editor’s note: The yak is delicious. Try it.
As participants wander around and munch, they vote for their favorite momos before 4:30 pm. Then they return to Diversity Plaza for a cultural program and awards ceremony.
Nepali Banchar Gar (above) had taken first prize for four years in a row before Om Wok pulled off an upset last year. Other past winners include Amdo Kitchen, Little Tibet, and Phayul.
The Momo Crawl has become very popular over the past decade, and winning the championship belt, which is made of yak hide and adorned with a rock from the top of Mount Everest, is very prestigious in the foodie world. Thus, the competition is fierce.
Crawl found Jeffrey Orlick refers to Jackson Heights as the “Momo Capital of the West.” Many Himalayan immigrants have settled in the area over the past 25 years. The influx has spurred a boom in eateries and food trucks.
Images: Momo Crawl