Chef Doma Wang transports original Tibetan flavours to city

CHENNAI: Known for its majestic beauty, Tibetans have presented the world with their delectable momos, which Chef Doma Wang has mastered. These delicately steamed filled dumplings, with shadows of the filling showing through, always find a way to stand out from the crowd. Tibet, known to be the roof of the world, has the momo queen Chef Doma Wang, sitting majestically with her years of experience in serving people, with the most authentic flavours of momos. Chef Wang, along with her daughter, Chef Sachiko Seth, who loves herself with tattoos of Shin-chan and Minions on her left palm, are showcasing a fusion of culinary traditions in the city. “I embarked on my culinary voyage as a homechef, when Sachiko was born. For the past 20 years, I have been serving the people of Kolkata, where I have my own restaurant, with echt and juicy momos, which accorded me with the title of momo queen,” says Chef Doma Wang, who graciously accepts her crown.

The platter starts with Vegetable Phaktu, a thick soup with freshly chopped carrots, corn, along with some greens, and tiny handmade Tibetan white macaronis, designed to perfection. This one pot meal is a favoured dish during the Tibetan New Year celebrations in Nepal, which is also the dish she personally relishes the most.

One can’t get over the fiery red Chilli butter chicken wings, and the crispy hot Chilli pork, garnished with fuming red chillies, both of which are their bestsellers, for all the just reasons. After the burst of picante, comes the Golden fried shrimp balls, light orange-brown globes with skin gone crisp, accompanied with a Sweet chilli sauce. Serving the platter with a warm smile, Chef Doma Wang dates back to her childhood, where her parents used to cook the shrimp balls for her, narrating, “Prawns were a thing of luxury in our household. I would only get to taste the shrimp balls which my parents would cook for me with a lot of love, to cheer me up, after I get scolded for my mischief.”

Momo queen’s signature momos inside a bamboo basket, when opened, smells of freshly steamed momos, which wafted into the room, making mouths droll. The steamed momos, shaped like waning moons, come with fillings of chicken, pork, mutton and vegetables.

Chef Wang, who is called Doma di by her customers for her warmth and amiable aura, loves to savour the deep fried Sha phaley, a semi-circular bread, stuffed with chicken meat, which she served with much elation.

A steaming pile of comforting rice is all that you need after the amalgam of flavourful momos. Butter egg fried rice, a little sticky, served in a perfect bowl, is stirred to exquisiteness. Chef Seth calls it her comfort bowl, describing, “This, to me, is my comfort food. Everything we serve tastes homely, as these recipes were prepared by my grandfather, from whom my mother inherited. These are tastes from back home, which I am proud to present to the world and take this legacy forward.”

The ‘Himalayan Treasurers’ food fair, at The Hyatt Regency, in Chennai will be open till today from 12:30 PM to 3:00 PM for lunch, and 7:00 PM to 11 PM for dinner.