Calcutta Restaurant Guide> Wow Momos

Image: The Bakery Carnival at Calcutta Club

Text by: Tanya Munshi

Started by Sagar Daryani, Wow Momos is the new momo destination in Calcutta. I met him with my aunt at Spencer's in Calcutta two years ago, when he had just launched Wow Momos. While my mom and aunt shopped for groceries, I longingly admired the hot steaming momos and was pleasantly surprised when they offered me a free sample. Now I am a Wow Momo fan!

Later when Sagar came up to my aunt and she was very happy to see that the little boy she taught in Class IV is now a proud owner of Wow Momos.

When we were in Calcutta in December 2010 for Christmas, we attended the Bakery Carnival at the Calcutta Club. It was a field day for my husband and I as we love the food in Calcutta and thanks to the carnival, we got a wide variety in one single destination. What more could we ask for!

While we browsed through the many stalls, we came across the snooty Mama Mia stall. Nothing extraordinary. Just that their stall had some of the best looking exhibits. I asked for a slice of a chocolate cake and the staff at Mama Mia said, "Ma'am, would you like an ice cream to go with it? We have ice creams too."

I thought, why not and when I paid Rs. 65/- worth of coupon (we had to buy coupons from the club counter), he said, "Another Rs.65/- ma'am." I asked, for what? He said, the ice cream. You should have told me it's extra cost, and there was no price list as well! The snooty Mama Mia guy said, "If you don't want it, don't take it'!  Woah! I thought...what attitude. Doing us a favour by serving ordinary pastries and ice creams. Let me tell you, Monginis is far better ;) The point is, it is not about paying the extra Rs. 65/- bucks, but to be honest and not thinking your clients are fools.

Anyway, we paid that extra Rs. 65/- for a piddly vanilla ice cream scoop and I made up my mind to write about this. People at the Calcutta Club were brimming with ego and snoot! So ofcourse, only lesser mortals like me would ask why don't you put up a price list like the other stalls and why don't you say that an ice cream scoop will cost extra along with a cake slice! I could see the aunties with kilos of make up and off shoulder blouses almost fainting upon hearing what I said. Come on kakimas and mashimas. it's really okay.

What saved the day, were the chicken momos at Wow Momos and I got to meet Sagar Daryani again. It was really nice to meet him again and seeing him do very well. He had also placed a copy of The Telegraph with an article about him and his friend and how they started Wow Momos. I am very happy for him and more so, I can see my aunt beaming with pride as well.

I like Sagar's marketing skills, his perseverance which gave momos a brand new dimension to the people of Calcutta. I know, a lot of people swear by the momos in China Town and else where, but then this isn't bad either. His staff was warm and courteous and I was glad to see how well they handled the heavy rush at the carnival with no signs of distress. Hats off to Wow Momos.


*Pricing:
Steamed Chicken Momos - Rs. 45/- per plate
Chicken Capsicum Momos - Rs. 45/- per plate
Prawn Momos - Rs. 70/- per plate (can be better)
Paneer Momos - Rs. 39/- per plate
Mushroom Momos - Rs. 50/- per plate

Overall Rating:
Ambience - Fast food stalls in various malls
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The Snoot Factor - None.

Location:
You'll find Wow Momos in Spencer's in South City Mall, Avishar, Pantaloons in Gariahat, Big Bazaar in Sealdah, Gangulibagan, Ecospace in Rajarhat and New Empire Cinema in Lindsay Street.

Phone: +91-9830744776
*Please Note - Pricing may change/ vary according to location and time.