Zug, 02.11.2020

There’s a feast every day

A new takeaway restaurant is opening in the Metalli. "Dolma's Momo Point" serves traditional Tibetan dishes.

When Tibetan families and friends gather for weddings, New Year or for birthday parties, and take the time to enjoy a good meal and community life, Momo comes to the table. "It's a traditional part of a  feast," explains Dolma Namkhang Tsaptsar, the business manager of the "Dolma's Momo Point" Tibetan takeaway in the Metalli shopping alley, which opened on Saturday. She wants to serve her Zug guests a festive meal every day in the future,. But what exactly is Momo?

"These are normally dumplings filled with minced meat and seasonal vegetables. But there are also vegetarian momos that only contain vegetables," explains Dolma, who likes to be addressed by her first name, which is also the name of her restaurant. Everything is prepared with traditional Tibetan spices and eaten with a mild peanut sauce or a special, spicy Tibetan sauce.

Dishes can be pre-cooked
Momo dishes are also the main item on the menu of the takeaway. You can have them as a light menu or snack, or as a mix. There are also noodle soups, Tibetan salad and Tibetan drinks such as butter or ginger tea, as well as European-style coffee, soft drinks and mineral water. "You can also come by in the morning from 9 a.m. to buy a warm drink and a bun for your breakfast," says Dolma.

Photo 1: Tenzin Gawala and Dolma Namkhang Tsaptsar have opened a Tibetan takeaway.
Photo 2: Business manager Dolma Namkhang Tsaptsar and her husband Tenzin Gawala fled to Switzerland many years ago and are fulfilling a long-cherished dream with the restaurant.

In between, the fixed menu is also enriched with seasonal specialities, for example, with wild garlic or yak-meat momos. Dolma and her team of five can produce 150 portions within a short time at lunchtime. "It works well, because we can prepare the momos in advance, and then simply heat them briefly in steam," explains the 43-year-old. She also uses this practical feature of the dishes for another offer: "We sell pre-cooked momo dishes ready-made to take away." The freshly-prepared dishes can then simply warmed up at home.

Eco-friendly packaging
There's also no need to worry about packaging waste. "We only use compostable dishes and cutlery," emphasizes Dolma. Environmental protection is important to her, which is why she accepts the additional costs for this.

As soon as the corona situation allows, she and her team want to also run a party service. "For parties with about 10 to 50 people, we can bring along momo dishes with salads, and will also help with the catering."

A restaurant of her own was always her dream
Her husband Tenzin Gawala, who holds the position of deputy manager, and works part-time as a chef, is also helping out. The couple have a three-year-old daughter and will soon be moving from Sins to Zug. Both came to Switzerland many years ago as refugees and gained a foothold in the catering and care sectors. They speak German well, and feel at home here.

Opening a restaurant in the time of Corona takes a lot of courage. "That was always our dream," admits Tenzin Gawala simply. When the opportunity arose to take over the small restaurant in the Metalli with all its inventory, the two of them grasped the opportunity. "We are convinced that the people of Zug will love our food," says Dolma boldly.

"Dolma's Momo Point" at Baarerstrasse 20 will open on Saturday, October 31. The restaurant will have the same opening hours as the Metalli shopping alley: Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Thursday 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.