Day 56 a taste of Tibetan cuisine at Martsa on Elm, in Davis Square in Somerville

 Pumpkin Balls

 Vegetable Momo's (fried and steamed)

 tofu, with pineapple & potatoes in red curry sauce 

 Tofu with zucchini , red peppers and garlic

So as the reviews in my blog indicate i am a big fan of trying different cultures cuisines, this particular choice was one i have been anxious to try for many years as Tibet is at the top of my bucket list.

Well when Lina mentioned trying Tibetan cuisine in one of my favorite little neighbor hoods , i jumped at the opportunity.  Her hot streak of picking fun restaurants continues, as Martsa on Elm was a fun and eclectic dining experience. A very clean environment, the staff very welcoming and friendly. Our waiter was awfully helpful in recommending authentic Tibetan cuisines to us. 

We thought we would start with a couple of appetizers , and 1 of them jumped off the menu at us both, The Pumpkin Balls…. wow, amazing. These are fried balls of pumpkin and different seasons, with a pepper jelly and drizzled with lovely aioli.  One of the best appetizers i have had in a long time and a great beginning to the Autumn delicacies that are popping up everywhere. Our waiter recommended the momo's as a real Tibetan delicacy , we went with all veggie but 1/2 friend and 1/2 steamed. I loved both but surprisingly i loved the steamed more. i think its because i could fully taste all the wonderful veggie flavors in each dumpling. They offer 2 sauces for dipping , 1 spicy and 1 mild….the mild was my favorite, Lina really enjoyed the spicy.

We both went for tofu dishes, ( a first for me), while Lina enjoyed hers i think she was a little bit jealous over mine. The red curry sauce was amazing , just bursting with flavor and a the perfect companion to the tofu, pineapple & potatoes.  I would definitely get this dish again, in fact i cold make a meal out of the sauce and the pineapple alone. The waiter recommended the rice, i at first declined but he wisely pushed it again as its a very saucy meal ( almost as saucy as the gentleman who ordered it) and the rice was a nice binder. 

So when you find yourself in Davis Square and are looking for something different to try. I would strongly suggest Martsa on Elm ( but i wouldn't recommend asking Siri for directions, as Martsa does not appear to be a word she understands too clearly)  ;-)

so have a great night and an even better meal.

Kevin B.