In this week’s episode of Cheap Eats on Dubai 92, Farida takes us to The Bhoj, a Nepalese restaurant hidden away in the back alleys of Meena Bazaar, Bur Dubai, for Jhol Momos.
What’s This Week’s Cheap Eat?
A popular winter dish especially in Kathmandu, Jhol Momos feature Nepalese-style dumplings filled with chicken, buffalo, or vegetables in a flavorful, tangy, slightly piquant broth made from tomatoes, cumin seeds, garlic, and a unique Nepalese spice known as Timur pepper. This spice, similar to the Chinese Sichuan peppercorn, imparts a citrusy, slightly floral fragrance and a gentle, mouth-tingling sensation. The Bhoj offers this comforting dish for just 20 dirhams. However, it’s worth noting that the service may require a bit of patience and it’s advisable to double-check your order with your server to avoid mix-ups.
You can find The Bhoj on Google Maps here.
What Their Jhol Momos Look Like
View this post on Instagram
Tune In
Tune in to the segment using this audio recap or check out the transcript below.
Transcript
Nats:
It’s Dubai 92 you’re with Jono and Nats and every Wednesday we catch up with the Frying Pan Adventure sisters for this version of cheap eats.
Jono:
Yes, Farida’s back with us this week telling us about some places we can go and chow down that’s not gonna cost us a whole pile of cash. Farida, good morning!
Frida:
Good Morning! Jono. Good morning! Nats.
Nats:
Oh. Good morning. How are you going to make a salivate this week?
Farida:
Nepal. Nepal is the catchword for today. Today we’re going to travel to Nepal. There’s this restaurant called “The Bhoj” located in “Meena Bazaar”. Well, that’s the colloquial name because the real name is “Souk Al Kabir”. So, it’s this little quarter that we usually call “Little India” located in Bur Dubai but I want to say it’s increasingly becoming little Nepal as well because there’s been this recent proliferation of Nepalese restaurants and The Bhoj is a Nepalese restaurant and the dish that I want to talk about is “Jhol Momos.”
Nats:
Oh!
Jono:
Momos the tiny little ones that look like dumplings, these things?
Farida:
Yeah! So, it’s the Nepalese version of it and basically, momos are like the Nepalese version of dim sums or dumplings and you can get them in chicken, you can get them in the vegetarian version and what they have on the menu as buff, which is not really beef, but it’s buffalo. And our initial order, we got the vegetarian Jhol Momos.
Nats:
Okay!
Farida:
That’s okay. This was well worth the wait, at least for me. It’s this tasty, heartwarming, fulfilling and actually it’s perfect for the winter, and you know the weather has turned in Dubai so it’s perfect for bringing the winter in and the soup is usually a base with tomatoes, there’s garlic, I spotted cumin but the first thing that hits you when it’s served is this slightly lemony floral aroma and I didn’t know exactly what it was until Arva was like, “Oh, that’s the Nepalese peppercorn.”
Nats:
oh wow!
Farida:
So, this pepper is unique to the Himalayan region. It’s native and it’s just a berry husks that they use. And they probably ground it down, flavored the oil with it, but it’s incredible. The flavor is incredible. It wasn’t too spicy, so for once I’m not speaking about an incredibly spicy dish. It had a little bit of a kick, but that lemony floral aroma and flavor just make that dish stand out for me.
Nats:
How spicy are we talking?
Farida:
Uh…Arva ate it.
Nats:
Hahaha. That’s it. On a scale of one to Arva, where are we? Then it’s fine.
Farida:
Arva ate it and loved it. And I counted the dumplings, by the way, because it was so delicious. I’m like, okay, there are four of us. How many dumplings are there? Fortunately, there were nine dumplings. And it’s just for 20 dirhams. So nine dumplings in a hearty, flavorful, lemony, aromatic, not too-spicy broth. I think that was a steal.
Jono:
That is a bargain and then I see the steam ones that are under the veg options starting at 16 dirhams the highest price you’re gonna pay is 25 dirhams for the chilli ones as well that is an absolute bargain.
Nats:
It really is and I love it. Listen just to give some context to “Arva ate it.” Arva does not eat spicy food so if Arva ate it, it’s not too spicy.
Jono:
Not spicy. So give us the name again. B-H-O-J, right? How do you pronounce this?
Farida:
BHOJ.
Nats:
Oh, BHOJ
Jono:
Oh, Nice!
Jono:
At Meena Bazar in Dubai, is where you can check it out.
Jono:
As always, Farida, Thank you so much for joining us this week.
Farida:
My pleasure!
Find out where to find Authentic Bombay Duck in Dubai here.
Arva Ahmed is the co-founder of Frying Pan Adventures, Dubai’s first food tour company, and a celebrated food explorer known for uncovering Dubai’s hidden culinary gems. Her expertise in the city’s diverse food scene has been featured in prominent publications such as CNN, Khaleej Times, BBC Travel, The Sun, The Independent and countless more. She also hosts Ditch the Silver on YouTube. Through her immersive tours and storytelling, Arva brings Dubai’s rich flavors and vibrant cultures to life.
