Rashmi Bhattachan dreamed of MomoDosa long before it opened at The Market at Malcolm Yards last year.
Her momos—beautifully pleated steamed dumplings filled with locally sourced meats and veggies—became a hit almost 16 years ago, when she started selling them at the Mill City Farmers Market. From there, Bhattachan went on to open Gorkha Palace, where the Nepalese dumplings became a staple on the menu, served alongside colorful chutneys and plated to perfection.
But for Bhattachan, who grew up in Pokara, Nepal, a fast-casual, momo-focused spot like MomoDosa was always the plan. And soon, that Malcolm Yards location will be one of two—MomoDosa is opening at Midtown Global Market.
"It became a big success, so we thought, why not start again?" Bhattachan says.
For Bhattachan, pairing momos and dosas made perfect sense, as she was often getting requests for gluten-free momos and experiments with flourless momo dough never quite worked.
"I've always loved dosa, and I thought, 'You know, I think it'll be really nice to serve something that's not gluten free and gluten-free, that we have both options,'" she says.
Putting an array of meat- and veggie-filled dosas on the menu also gave her the opportunity to introduce the crepes, which are made with fermented rice and lentil batter, to a region where they're not very common yet—and just maybe, make them every bit as popular as burritos or tacos.
"A lot of people, they know what momos are, they know what dumplings are, different varieties from all over the world: pierogis, or potstickers, or gyoza," Bhattachan tells Racket. "But dosas are not very well known, especially in the community outside of south India or southeast Asia."
The Global Market has faced its share of challenges over the last few years—the pandemic, the uprising on Lake Street—and Bhattachan hopes that MomoDosa, along with new tenants like the Indigenous Food Lab, will help breathe some life back into this important cultural space in Minneapolis. Opening here is something of a full-circle moment for the chef, who shared the Kitchen In the Market space to make dumplings for the farmer's market at the start of her entrepreneurial journey.
"I've always liked Midtown Global Market because it's such a diverse place," she says. "I would say it's the pioneer in bringing diversity, in the form of a food hall."
MomoDosa will celebrate its grand opening on Monday, October 10 starting at 11 a.m., with a 50% off special from October 10 through October 14.
