Songtsen Cafe
Songtsen Cafe is a cozy restaurant serving affordable Tibetan staples like momos, curry, and deep fried beef patties.
Named after Songtsen Gampo, the Tibetan King who introduced Buddhism to the "roof of the world", this homey spot has plenty of comfy seating to gorge on Tibetan eats.
Everything on this extensive menu is made in-house—from the baklep bread ($1.25 each) to the thukpa noodle soup ($7.99 a bowl)—and the best part is that everything is cheap.
There's even free Tibetan tea on tap.
I've never tried shabalay before, and it might be my new favourite thing.
These crispy pockets, which are described as beef patties and look like empanadas, run $7.99 for five pieces.
You really can't go wrong with a deep fried turnover with meat. With a thin, crispy dough similar to panzerotti, the beef inside has a texture akin to kebabs.
Baskets of momos come with 10 dumplings, steamed fresh in the restaurant's tiny back kitchen and served with a delicious Indian pickle hot sauce.
Juicy beef momos with cilantro, cabbage, and onions, are only $6.99; chicken and veggie ones are $7.99.
Order the mokthuk ($7.99) and you'll get nine beef momos in a bone broth.
A vegetarian thali platter is only $8.99, and comes with rice, channa, aloo dal, and a crispy papad for dipping.
Beef churue ($8.99) is an interesting soup dish made with beef and a cheese-based broth, served with a side of rice.
The dish uses parmesan to add a salty flavour to the meaty broth, and comes with wood ear fungus and potatoes. It's another favourite for me.
Mango lassis come in takeout cups; there's also fruit-infused water to wash it all down.
Fareen Karim