A Quick Meal at Lhasa Fast Food
Nestled behind mobile stores and tailors is the ultimate hole-in-the-wall. Impossible to find but for those who know where to look, Lhasa Fast Food doesn’t seem like it would be home to some of the finest Tibetan food you could sink your teeth into. But appearances, as are so often the case, are deceiving.
Tucked down a side corridor behind a number of mobile stores in the bustling center of Jackson Heights, the only indication Lhasa Fast Food exists from the outside is an tiny, innocuous red sign. That’s alright, though. Lhasa Fast Food doesn’t need loud proclamations - word of mouth and a loyal customer base is more than enough to keep it going (in fact, the owner’s recently opened up Lhasa Fresh Food on the other side of the neighborhood due to this flagship’s success).
Once you find it, the restaurant is not much to look at. A few small tables, which quickly become crowded, and pictures of the Dalai Lama and Anthony Bourdain - from when he visited the restaurant - are all that adorn the place. Not that it matters - you’re here for the food. Just be prepared to wait a little bit as a table opens up, but it shouldn’t take too long.
The chefs are more than capable of churning out delicious at speeds living up to the restaurant’s name.
For those who haven’t had Tibetan food before, it’s worth allowing yourself to “splurge” (everything on the menu is highly affordable) and gorge yourself.
Worth trying are the white jelly noodles, which pack enough heat that by the second noodle Jen was sweating, while the third would have forced her into an early retirement had they not been so damn good. Swimming in chili oil and covered in grated garlic, the jelly noodles have a firm texture that falls apart in your mouth and has a neutral taste. It's all about the spice here.
The thenthuk beef noodle soup are a super flavorful counterpoint without being spicy. Hand pulled, these thicker chewy noodles are easy to eat and freshly made in the kitchen. The soup comes topped with mounds of veggies, cilantro, and spinach. The broth, like the best chicken soup, washes layers of comfort all over you while offering thick, jerky-like chunks of beef.
The real star of the show here though are the momos, which are thick-skinned Tibetan style dumplings. The beef and chive momos are superb and eat like soup dumplings, where the soup has been replaced by an overflow of juicy beef and chives. However, our favorite hands down is the straight vegetarian chive momo, which is a chive explosion of juicy freshness. This is actually Jen’s favorite momo in all of Jackson Heights, which is saying something as the neighborhood hosts an annual momo crawl.
While eating, be sure to grab a cup of butter tea up at the kitchen counter. Black tea mixed with salt and yak butter, the tea provides a hearty warmth while cutting down any of the extra spice the dishes punch out.
