This is the Thursday, Sept. 4 edition of Food Crawl, the Star’s weekly food newsletter. Sign up to get it in your inbox every week.
Momo Dumpling Express’ Mixed Veg-Vegan Platter, $14.99, 156 The Queensway Unit 1A.
The dish
Veggie-filled momos are a standard option at Tibetan and Nepalese restaurants, but it’s less common to find menus with three veggie varieties: spinach and paneer (vegetarian), tofu and wood ear mushrooms (vegan), and chives and potato (vegan).
Each order of 10 momos goes for $11.99 steamed or $14 fried, but the better deal is to opt for the platters that offer a mix of everything. The Mix Veggie-Vegan Platter ($14.99 steamed, $17 fried) gets you a dozen meatless dumplings — four of each kind.
The spinach-paneer momos have a mild vegetal bite, while the chive-potato ones leave a garlicky finish. But my favourite is the tofu and wood ear mushroom momos, which offer both a satisfying heft and earthy crunch.
The veggie momos admittedly aren’t as heavily seasoned as their meat counterparts, but a bit of the house hot sauce does the trick.
The restaurant
Momo Dumpling Express is a spinoff of Tiny Cafe (10 Macdonell Ave.) in Parkdale’s Little Tibet neighbourhood, which has a similar momo menu, including the veggie options.
The Etobicoke location is a bit more spacious, with a slight edge in dine-in seating, though don’t be surprised if you end up taking your food to go during the lunch rush.
The restaurant also serves bubble tea, but momos are better paired with a milky drink like mango lassi or butter tea to tame the heat from the hot sauce.
Also on the menu
Strict vegans can order a mixed platter of the vegan chives and vegan tofu momos for the same price — 12 dumplings for $14.99 steamed or $17 fried.
There’s also a Mix Everything Platter that includes two of every momo on the menu: beef, chicken, pork, spinach-paneer, vegan tofu, and vegan chives — same prices apply.
On the non-dumpling front, the takeout spot also offers thukpa (noodle soup), fried rice, and chow mein. Continuing with the vegan theme, there’s a simple bowl of lightly curried tofu, sautéed kale, tomatoes, and onions over steamed white rice ($13).
It’s a home-style dish aimed more at the workers across the street at the food terminal — something light, filling, and healthy. Still, it’s a good option for diners looking for a break from spice and oil.
Explore the area
This part of the Queensway doesn’t offer much for day trippers: Across the street is the Ontario Food Terminal, which is a fascinating facility (it’s the country’s largest produce distribution centre) but alas it’s not open to the public. To make the trip more worthwhile, head further eastward (past the wastewater treatment plant) and you’ll be rewarded with the Sheldon Lookout point on the Martin Goodman Trail (there’s no address but it’s clearly marked on Google Maps). You’ve seen the lookout many times on social media: an unobstructed view of the downtown Toronto skyline from the Humber River. Bring your bike or best walking shoes to enjoy the many trails on Humber Bay Shores Park and the connecting Sunnyside Park.
