Little Tibet
“My family has tried the chicken lollipop, shaphaley (beef patties), phaksha khatsa (pork chili), beef momos, and other non veg.”
“The food is rich and spicy – my favorite dish they serve is chura katsa.”
“But the tsel momo and the shogo momo are my favourite things to eat in the world I think; it really is worth a trip out to Jackson Heights to dine here.”
Little Tibet
Takes Reservations: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Has TV: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Caters: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
5 reviews
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Interesting restaurant. Small local joint
They put oriental rugs on the seats as covers.. weird and they kinda smell like sweat.. like a lot of sweat has been absorbed into it
The food is here is good/okay, but kinda expensive imo
Continuing the tradition that its predecessor Zomsa (yelp.com/biz/zomsa-tibet…) established, Little Tibet brings some of the same kind of consistent Tibetan goodness to a Jackson (aka Himalayan) Heights hood that demands only the most diverse of food choices.
The narrow interior and dim lighting present a pseudo dingy feel. It might not be the sexiest ambiance out there, but it's not enough to deter folks to consider the alternative of going elsewhere. Bathrooms don't lend much to the discussion, so I'll just recommend a lot of hand sanitizer for now.
On the food front, there is a lot to appreciate. For starters, the beef thenduk (beef noodle soup) is the consummate winter soupy dish. The tasty broth is complemented by a bevy of wonderful wheat noodles and chunks of tender beef slices. I can only imagine the yak version of this, but it's my go to dish whenever I'm here to eat.
Their momos are also worthy for consideration. Their version is more soupy than doughy, which is a good thing. Some of them are baozi-esque, but the other crescent shaped "gyoza" looking variations are also wonderful. Veggie options are also available, but the meaty ones win the tasty battle.
Another winner is the phakpey tsip sha, a pork ribs dish that is both sweet and savory. Though I haven't always been a fan of their chowmin, I am able to give props to their Drethuk, which reminds me of chicken congee. The strong ginger and garlic flavors are wonderful and at only $3.99, is one of the most reasonably priced dishes on the menu.
I haven't been able to sample the delivery as of yet, though it seems they have a staff of Tibetan guys who run in and out here all the time. The sweet owner is good at recommending certain dishes and might be the only person here who has a decent command of English.
Anyone looking to explore the Little Tibet scene of Jackson Heights should add Little Tibet to their itinerary. It is an excellent sit down option and a unique spot to enjoy some of the better Tibetan varieties the hood has to offer.
Little Tibet opened only last year, but quickly became a popular spot for Tibetan eats in a slightly nicer atmosphere than what other Himalayan spots closer to 74th St provide. I often see a full house (of Tibetans!) when walking by, even early in the week. Colorful rugs on the seats are an interesting touch and the place looks dark and clean. For ambiance, Himalayan Yak (yelp.com/biz/himalayan-y…) right across the street is comparable… except Little Tibet's food quality is better.
The menu is much shorter, though, and maybe tuned a bit closer to the average Western palate? Or maybe that was a direct result of my dining companions' insistence that the spice level be lowered for everything… sigh.
We went with a few small plates to share: The beef soup was a very richly flavored clear broth with tiny bits of diced beef, cucumber, and mushroom. The chicken lollipop was crisp and juicy, and very easy to eat. The shogo khatsa at Phayul (yelp.com/biz/phayul-jack…) will always be my favorite for its stellar hit of spice, but Little Tibet's aloo dum (same thing as shogo khatsa, but in Hindi) was wetter and not bad either for having no heat whatsoever. Laksa noodles, a fried broad rice noodle dish, was reminiscent of char kway teow. There were plenty of large slices of beef, green beans, and onion tangled between the noodles.
Compare the menu with Phayul's, for example, and it becomes clear how easy it is to eat safely (but deliciously) here.
The waitress brought us a free tingmo and explained that usually the spongy bread accompanies very spicy dishes. Her friendliness made up for the fact that they were very busy when we went in and we went unacknowledged for awhile. Amazingly, not a single one of the dishes we tried had ANY heat at all – so they really took our "not too spicy" request seriously! In the timeless words of Emeril… next time I'm kicking it up a notch.
I was introduced to this restaurant by attending a "Yelp Passport UYE" momo basic 101 cooking lesson.This little gem of a place is literally a "hole in the wall" tucked away in Jackson heights.
We had a little history of the Tibetan "Momos" or as we all commonly call them "soup buns". The class included a brief history lesson and basic wrapping techniques and dough preparation. We learned to fill and shape the momos. Listen, it looks easy but it takes practice
There are several different patterns and shapes to learn, mine looked like "What the hell is that suppose to be?!" If there were a "momo quality control department" I would fail miserably. The chefs made it look too easy.
Fortunately, they didn't use the momos we wrapped. If they did, we might have ended up in the emergency room. 🙂 The kitchen brought out fresh meat and vegetarian momos for us. They were hot and steamed to perfection! To be honest this is my very 1st time tasting momos, and I like it! But wait! There's more!
We enjoyed a Tibetan steamed bun named "Tingmo" I equated this as a filler to sop up any juices from the momos and the other dishes That were flowing out of the kitchen.
We had soup, chili chicken, vegetables with tofu, stir fry lo mein. I just couldn't remember the names, but they were all yummy in my tummy!
The hostess and the staff were Super Awesome! They always made sure our glasses were filled with water and that we had enough to eat. We were always greeted with a smile and the atmosphere was warm and friendly. Along the way on my momo experience I met some really cool guys and gals seated at our table.
I look forward in the future in returning to try there other offerings.
The decor of Little Tibet is superb, and the atmosphere is cozy. You will always see Tibetan families eating here. Service is good but a little too slow. Food: fresh and tasty, but less strong comparing to Phayul's. It's safe to come here if you try Tibetan food the first time.