Little Tibet

TIBET

There is such a high concentration of Himalayan restaurants around the Jackson Heights-Roosevelt Ave station that you would think some would just not hold their weight, but so many talented chefs are proving this to be wrong. Most of the restaurants are pretty small but perpetually busy. Little Tibet is just a bit of a more formal affair, and even has beer and wine unlike many of the other restaurants, making it one of the more cozy spots to bring a group for dinner.

For a couple years now, my meals here have been plan B's, when another place was closed or sold out of food, etc. That being said, the food is better than a plan B, the restaurant is an A. These choices just prove it is an easy and reliable environment.

The picture above was taken last winter, but the season is about the same now, making Tibetan soups an important part of a warming meal. On the days where it is hard to decide between a soup and a plate of those famous momos, Little Tibet has a solution for that. Mokthug ($7.95, below) puts the small beef momos into a cloudy beef broth soup.

This soup has the hearty taste of bone in it and is wonderfully paired or soaked up with an order of fluffy tingmo.

Highly recommended here is the excellent version of chura khatsa ($8.95, below), fried cubes of cheese with a covering of chili sauce. This is a good dish to share, but go in quick because you are going to want to keep it all to yourself. The dense texture of the cheese is wonderful. Ask for it spicy, as the dish is meant to be.

The spicy sauce is so good here that an order of the c/momo ($8.95, below) is also a good call. You can ask for beef, chicken, or vegetarian momos, which all pair nice with the "chilly" sauce as they call it. Of course with a group you will be able to sample all the different varieties if desired, as well as some of the other fiery fare.

I have noticed that they seem hesitant to raise the heat levels with non-Himalayans, so be direct in asking for the spice you want.

As stated earlier, beer and wine is available here. They have a list of New York craft beers that changes periodically and is a welcome sight to those wanting to try IPAs and porters with their momos rather than a Heineken.

[Tibet flag emojis]

JACKSON HEIGHTS Queens

72-19 Roosevelt Avenue