Amdo Kitchen

"Amdo Kitchen is known for its beef momos, which have a thicker dumpling skin and are served with soy sauce or mayonnaise. The owner, Pema Sherap, a former monk, serves his beef momos from his food truck stationed around Diversity Plaza in Jackson Heights."

"In 1995, Thubten Amchok, a former practicing Tibetan Buddhist monk, made his home in the United States. It was the tail-end of a long journey involving stops throughout the Himalayan regions of Nepal and India. He put down roots in Jackson Heights, already home to a majority of New York’s estimated 5,000 to 6,000 Tibetan asylum-seekers. It wasn’t until 2012 that Amchok got into the momo business, initially with nothing more than a modest pushcart to sell his dumplings. Word spread quickly, thanks to his impeccably pleated bundles of beef. Today, Amdo Kitchen—his truck named for the region of Tibet in which he was born—serves some of the finest momos in a neighborhood filled with stiff competition. For five consecutive years, the truck scored the highly prized Momo Trophy, an honor bestowed by popular opinion on the annual Jackson Heights Momo Crawl. It’s not hard to see why Amchok’s momos inspire such fervent loyalty. To this day, cooks roll and pleat each top-knotted dumpling by hand. Thinner-skinned than their commercial counterparts and bursting with lightly seasoned beef juices, these dumplings need no adornment—although a healthy squirt of sepen chile sauce perfectly cuts through the richness of the filling. Know Before You Go Beef momos are the move here, although the chicken and vegetable options are also strong. Order a bag of 50 or 100 frozen momos and your future self will thank you." - Diana Hubbell

"Our top pick for veggie lovers, Amdo Momo is a truck parked at the 7 stop in Jackson Heights. These Tibetan momos have so much flavor you don’t even need sauce—although the hot and white sauces they come with are really good, too. Each batch is steamed to order, so you might have to wait a few minutes, and the wait is worth it. The veggie filling is super crunchy and refreshing, but the chicken and beef are also solid. " - carina finn koeppicus, bryan kim

"Jackson Heights is home to the best Nepalese food anywhere in the five boroughs, including what’s happening at this big white truck on 74th Street. Amdo is a great spot to grab some quick momos (chicken or beef), as well as noodles, fried rice, and the titular item, amdo (circular, thick Tibetan bread). There’s also a little counter on the side where you can stand and eat your food. Don’t ignore the hot sauce you’ll find in squeeze bottles there - you want that on your momos." - hannah albertine

"Just across from Phayul, you’ll see a big white truck. That’s Amdo Kitchen. It’s a great spot to grab some quick momos (chicken or beef), and they have noodles, fried rice, and Tibetan bread as well. There’s also a little counter on the side where you can stand and eat your food (don’t ignore the sauce you’ll find in squeeze bottles there - you want that on your momos)." - hannah albertine, bryan kim