Rignam Wangkhang has been on the hunt for momos ever since he moved from Toronto to Winnipeg three months ago.

According to Wangkhang, if you ask any Tibetan about momos, their eyes will light up and their mouths will start to water because momos are Tibetan comfort food.

They are palm-sized dumplings that are stuffed, usually with beef or chicken (but sometimes with vegetarian fillings) and steamed to perfection. They're served with hot sauce and make a delicious snack and depending on how many you have, you could even call momos a meal.

A plateful of freshly made momos, ready to eat. (Manika Pradhan)

"It's just this smorgasbord of amazing flavours that I need to have and I can't find it in Winnipeg," he said.

Wangkhang grew up in Belleville, Ont. His family, originally from Tibet, opened a Tibetan restaurant where momos were the focus of the menu.

"I grew up eating them," he said. "It's part of my Tibetan identity and a part of my family tradition."

Belleville and Toronto have large Tibetan populations, unlike Winnipeg.

"Some people tell me I'm the only Tibetan in Winnipeg," said Wangkhang, "which is different because in Toronto and Belleville you can just meet Tibetans on the street and say, 'Hey, you want to have momos? Yeah, let's go have momos!' It happens every day. But in Winnipeg you just can't do it."

Rignam with a plate of momos (Manika Pradhan)

The thing about momos is, you don't make them on your own.

"Usually people make momos as a group, as a family or as friends, and it's a thing that brings people together. Nobody makes momos by themselves. If you make momos by yourself it's depressing."

Wangkhang heard from a colleague that she tried momos at an Indian restaurant in the south end of the city, so he went to investigate. As soon as he walked into Eat On Samosa, he smelled them and it instantly reminded him of home.

They say Winnipeg is just a big, small town where everyone's connected — even if you've immigrated from thousands of miles away. Case in point: at the restaurant, Wangkhang met Manika Pradhan.

Restaurant owner Manika Pradhan shows off her homemade momos. (Rignam Wangkhang)

She and her family came to Canada from Bhutan, another Himalayan country, in 1992. They were the first Bhutanese family to settle in Canada — not just Winnipeg, but the whole of Canada. Wangkhang met Manika's husband Chitra Pradhan, and together they realized that Chitra had gone to the same high school as Wangkhang's mother.

Previous Next

The Pradhans invited Wangkhang into their kitchen, where he put on a white apron just like his uncles and aunts do at their restaurant back in Belleville. Alongside his new friends, he finally made momos.

His weren't as pretty, but they tasted good, and now he feels a little more full — and a little closer to home.

To listen to Rignam Wangkhang's momo report, click the link above.