Located beside The Whistling Kettle, Golpark, Kolkata, this ode to Tibetan and Nepali food will transport you to the hills of Darjeeling where the weather is cold and the food is heart-warming.

The three-table, open kitchen restaurant initiated by Tashi Dhendup Kidwai along with the owners of The Whistling Kettle wanted to give Calcuttans a taste of authentic flavours of the hills.

The momos are available in three varieties — chicken, pork, and vegetarian. These one-mouth wonders are juicy, full of flavour and will have you ordering a second plate immediately.

Add some heat to this dish by opting for the chilli momos — a combination of soft yet crispy pan-fried momos cooked in a fiery chilli concoction that are a treat for the taste buds.

Take a break from the heat with thukpa- noodle soup with vegetables, chicken or pork steeping in a hearty broth full of flavour that will leave you wanting to lift the bowl and drink in all the goodness.

A speciality of Mamamomo is however the sekhwa which is barbecued meat cooked to perfection on skewers over coal and served with spicy peanut sauce.

The coal emits a smoky richness to the meat- pork, chicken or mutton which when eaten is juicy and flavoursome. This preparation is only available after 5 pm, so arrange your visit accordingly so as to not miss out on this unique bestseller.

All the ingredients used are made in-house and sourced locally right from the sauces and condiments to the handmade noodles and momo dough. The sauces served come in two varieties — fiery red organically sourced dalle chilli sauce and a green coriander sauce.

“These condiments are also on sale along with other pickles made with the dalle chilli like dalle bamboo shoot, dalle garlic, dalle paste, dalle with a blend of Indian spices and kinema- dalle with fermented soya bean paste handcrafted by a family friend based at Ravangla, South Sikkim.

All the recipes are by my mother and she keeps a strict vigil on the quality and daily activities in the Mamamomo kitchen,” said Tashi who named the restaurant after his mother’s legendary cooking abilities.

Mamamomo plans to expand the brand gradually targeting at least five to six Quick Service Restaurants in the city within the next few months, and then further branch out across the country.