Urban Momo--San Jose, CA (Nepali cuisine)

Since traveling to Nepal in 2014, I've been seeking out the flavors that I enjoyed while there. This establishment, located inside the San Pedro Square Market at 100 N Almaden Avenue, came very close (if not better) to the tastes and aromas of Nepal. The Nepali chef and owner is a former guide for mountain hikers and honed his skills cooking for his trekking clients and also while working at local restaurants in Nepal and India. His experience and skills are well exemplified in the food.

Here are some of the things I've enjoyed.

http://www.urbanmomosj.com/



Samosas. Stuffed with potato and spices, these crunchy shells were filled to the max. The cilantro chutney, on the side, gave these golden beauties a nice, fresh, herbal balance.

Chow Mein. This was a seemingly simple plate that was packed with flavor. I opted for the vegetable with egg version of these noodles. They were stir-fried with just enough oil to open the aromas of the spices and infuse each noodle strand with these flavors. The sauce that coated these chewy noodles was a little sweet and savory with hints of turmeric, garlic and soy sauce.

MoMo. These chicken momos were divine. Juicy ground chicken meat and spices were stuffed in these thin wrappers and steamed until just done. They were served, piping hot, with a savory tomato achar sauce. These were very comforting and satisfying.

If this place was near my work, I would happily stop by for lunch on a regular basis. The quality of food with the value of prices gave me a big bang for my buck and I would highly recommend a visit to anyone.