Chu-tse momo are packed with chives.

Lhasa Fast Food is a favorite stop on my Himalayan Heights Food Tour. Tucked away behind a cell phone store, it’s a veritable Shangrila of Tibetan cooking. Last year the hidden restaurant’s beef dumplings took home the coveted Golden Momo, the trophy awarded to the best momo in the annual Momo Crawl. Juicy and scented with Sichuan peppercorn and Chinese celery the little packages are made to order and well worth the wait. The other day I discovered a secret momo being served at this momo speakeasy: chu-tse momo.

It was Halloween and the place was packed. “Are those veggie momo?” I asked the lady at the next table. “No these are beef and chive, they are the only people making them.” The next day I returned to find the place much less crowded and ordered up an octet of chu-tse momo as the beef and chive dumplings are known in Tibetan.

Not listed on the menu, chu-tse momo are a lighter, greener alternative to the beef variety. I have a feeling they’ll become an alternative to their meatier cousins on my food tours. Want to sign up for my Himalayan Heights Food tour? Click here.

Lhasa Fast Food, 37-50 74th St., Jackson Heights, 718-205-2339