Dhapau: Mo:mos on Crack

If you know anything about Nepali culture you know that we Nepalis love mo:mos—the Nepali iteration of dumplings. You may even have been so blessed as to have been fed my World Famous in Nepal mo:mos at some point in your life. All the same, us Nepalis are always on the lookout for the best mo:mo joint here back home. Everyone has their personal favorites and it’s usually somewhere close in their locality.

I have my own list of favorite mo:mo spots but choosing any one of them as the undoubted best would be like asking me to pick between my kids! (Relax ladies, I’m not there yet haha)

However, when a co-worker of mine boasted about having recently had the best mo:mo  in Kathmandu, I knew I had to taste it for myself. The Best Mo:mo in Kathmandu argument is akin to the best rapper ever to come out of New York argument. Some may say Biggie, others may say Hov. Others yet (like myself) will stick with Nas. The point being that it’s a subjective argument with no real winner. Still, heavy is the head that wears the crown. And I had to see if the bold label warranted merit.

The place in question was a tiny little restaurant about two minutes from my house. I go by it every day while on my way to and from work. Don’t really know how I had never heard of it. Bad marketing I suppose. And while most of the renowned mo:mo spots are lacking in ambience and general hygiene, this place was actually very decent. Not that you go for the ambience. Places like these are all about the food. And when it came around, I saw what the hype was about.

Notice how tiny the fork looks

Mo:mos on crack! These Dhapau dumplings are easily thrice the size of regular mo:mos. Yeast is apparently added to the dough for extra fluffiness and what results is six monstrous mo:mos on your plate. The best part though is the accompanying small bowl of roasted chili powder that you see at the top of the picture. Dunking these dumplings in the some of that fiery chili powder is the perfect icing on the humongous meat-filled cake! And while they’re not as juicy as regular mo:mos there’s something to be said of the unique taste. The dough in itself tastes a lot different from regular mo:mo dough which is a lot thinner. And the meat is surprisingly well cooked considering the steam has to get through such a thick layer of dough. This is truly a man’s meal. Finishing all six is a definite chore and not for the lighthearted. A warning though, a little while after you labor to finish the Dhapau dumplings, you’ll find yourself struck with extreme indolence and sleepiness. You will also begin to wonder if the dough expanded once it got to your stomach. Much like the greasy, beans and rice laden burritos at Chipotle, once you eat Dhapau dumplings, you won’t need to eat for the rest of the day. I ate at 6 PM and went all night until falling asleep at 1 AM without needing anything else. And all for about one-thirds the price of what you pay for a plate of regular mo:mos at Kathmandu’s more renowned eateries.

And while I still don’t think this was the so called Best Mo:mo in Kathmandu, I can say that this was one of the most unique mo:mo eating experiences I’ve had. I’d highly recommend this if just for the sake of trying something different. I for one had never even heard of Dhapau before my co-worker mentioned it. So for those of you reading this in Nepal, go check out Drop-In Restaurant in Bagdole (like I said, literally 2 minutes from my house) and come face-to-face with this one of a kind monster.