Himalayan Hunger

I tried to get Margy to write this one, since I wasn't there, but she demurred. I'll nab her as a guest blogger soon.

She was celebrating her friend Saul's birthday with a meal at the Tibetan restaurant Tsampa in the East Village. It's a fun place, with lots of atmosphere. The lighting is so low you suspect they don't want you to take a good look at what's on your plate ("Hey, what is Tibetan food anyway?"), but it seems the dishes stand up to being well lit.

In a proud there's-a-first-time-for-everything moment, Margy sensed that A) her friends had no idea what to eat, and B) they couldn't see the menu anyway, so she ordered dinner for five all by herself. A smash success, I might add.

Tsampa specializes in wonderful dumplings called momo, which are at the top of the photo. And damn, look at that bright red dish of hot sauce.

I'll be there next time.