Zomsa

Gosh their Jhol Momo!! As a Jhol Momo junkie who has tried it in several places, I will declare the Zomsa Jhol Momo the best I have had in the bay. I truly haven't tried much else because I have always gone back and eaten the JM...and if I'm hungry I have ordered another one because it's so good. I know this ain't normal behavior. I will sign up for therapy after I finish this round of JM.

Great authentic Nepali food and unbelievable taste. Owner and his entire family is very friendly and hospitable. Highly recommend them. Worth the drive and money.

Super delicious Laphing with pure hotness. Loved the wai wai chatpatwy as well. The top notch taste was the Chicken Jhol momo. The jhol was very falvorful & tasted the most authentic . Despite the small space the space is cozy.I tried ordering a takeout but the guy infront asked us to dine in and told was food taste great when its hot . No wonder he was spot on. Great food & friendly people .Will sure be back again to enjoy more dishes next time.

Great food, a bit pricier compared to other Nepalese places in the area but quality of food seams to be decent.

Love the momos at zomsa - esp the bison! Great place. Nice people. Authentic food. The real deal.

I love love love the food here. This place is so yummy. I've been going once every two weeks or so. The service is also great. The son of the owner is often working and a very kind soul. It also feels like a community spot with many local Nepalese folks showing up. I get the vegan Tali plate and every item is a taste delight.

This place was stellar! Truly. (It helped that the owners name is Tara, which is Nepali for star.) The best Nepali food I've ever had (and I've tried Neplai food at various locales in the US).Zomsa is a mom-and-pop restaurant, run by the family. Tara and his two kids are omnipresent, and the mom is back in the kitchen doing much of the cooking. The menu has all manner of Nepali dishes, both vegetarian and otherwise.When we arrived at the place, we were greeted immediately by Tara, who prepared a table for us. After sitting for a brief moment, my friend decided she'd be more comfortable sitting outside, so Tara moved us, all smiles and with nary a complaint.We ordered the Chicken Choila Bento Box, which is a chicken appetizer in a compartmentalized small box (reminiscent of the bento box you might find in a Japanese restaurant), with plenty of very spicy chicken, complemented by a sour chutney, pounded rice, a crunchy bean mix of some sort, and curried potatoes. It was delicious. Tara had warned us that the chicken was quite spicy, which I knew I'd be happy with, but my friend was concerned that it would be too spicy for her. Tara talked with his wife, and Tara and his daughter told us that they were able to make it a little less spicy for us. What a nice gesture! What we got was delicious, and just the right amount of spice for both of us.For our main dishes, which we shared, we ordered the Kukhura Ko Masu, a chicken curry (with bones) and the Vegetable Tikka Masala. The former was fantastic! We both enjoyed the Masala as well, which was on the sweeter side.We observed a couple at a neighboring table getting the Thakali Thali, which is served on a large platter. It looked quite good, and I'm seriously considering getting that next time. (Tara talked it up too.) I talked with the couple at the neighboring table for a little bit, one of whom had been talking with Tara in Nepali. When he was out of earshot I asked about her impression of the place. She told me she felt it was the best Nepali food in the area. (As it turns out, there are a number of Himalayan/Nepali food places in the vicinity.) That's quite a complement, especially from someone who herself is Nepali.If you have an opportunity, try Zomsa. You will enjoy the food, I have no doubt.

Mary and I had lunch here today. We had intended to go to Sushi Matsu across the street but hadn't checked their hours and arrived to find them closed. When I checked on Yelp after I got home it appears they serve only dinner on Tuesdays, opening at 5:00. We'll have to remember that. I drove us over to the strip mall that houses Zompsa and parked. Mary checked Katana-Ya, which is a couple of storefronts down, but they were closed today too, so we went to Zomsa.We walked in and were greeted and told to choose any table so we chose a 4 top well away from the front door. The space is spare but peaceful, the pace is slow. We both felt very comfortable w/ the pace and the ambiance. We were given menus and both decided on a Thakali thali, an authentic Nepali platter w/ a choice of meats. We both chose lamb. The thali came w/ half a papadum, white rice, a stack of raw vegetables that included a large slice of cucumber, a large slice of carrot and a very large slice of daikon radish, which was surprisingly sweet. There were also potatoes that were cold in temperature and hot in spice, as well as another vegetable, maybe cauliflower, maybe something else, that was similarly cold in temperature and hot in spice. Mary, whose spice tolerance is similar to mine, discovered this and so I was warned and didn't try them. On the platter was a pile of a sliced green, leafy vegetable that I didn't recognize, but which we both liked. I ordered Masala chai to drink and Mary had a mango lassi.Our server was gentle and helpful. It took a while for the food to come out, but as I said, we were comfortable w/ the pace. Mary was a bit surprised that there was no ice in her lassi but liked the taste. When the thalis were brought we both were pleased w/ the variety. Our server explained what was on the platter. There was also a bowl of soup w/ lentils and beans that we both liked, although I took a few spoonfuls of mine and stopped because I wanted to have room for the rest of my food. The lamb, along w/ its sauce, came in a smallish bowl the size of the soup bowl. I put the lamb and sauce atop the rice. It was tasty, although the lamb was in fairly big pieces and some of them were a bit tough. i finished most of the food on my thali, aside from the spicy stuff, which I left, as I did the soup the soup. Mary took a small amount of her rice, lamb and green vegetable to go home, as well as my soup, w/ my blessing. It was a good lunch in good company.

The ambiance exuded warmth and charm, creating the perfect backdrop for an unforgettable dining experience. From the cozy seating to the subtle Nepali accents, every detail was thoughtfully curated to transport diners to the heart of Nepal. Highly Recommended Nepali Restaurant in El Cerrito. Everything was so delicious. Wai wai chatpate is highly recommended.

I thoroughly enjoyed this place, the atmosphere is really nice and calm. In the food is so good! I love the sauces that they have with the Momo's and their noodles are so good too. The service is really nice, and fast and efficient!