The dining scene in Arlington has changed quite a bit over the years. Once known mainly for its Greek pizza houses and takeout Chinese food, it’s now a town with quite a variety of options for different cuisines.
Indeed, while this Boston suburb may not have much in the way of high-end dining or destination spots, it is certainly a community full of outstanding eateries that won’t break the bank, including highly regarded Mexican, Indian, Vietnamese, Greek, Korean, Italian, Turkish, Thai, Lebanese and Japanese eateries.
Now, Arlington is home to a restaurant that features Nepali fare: Zomsa Restaurant and Bar. It’s another local option for inexpensive street food that’s already starting to make a name for itself with outstanding dishes.
Zomsa first opened in April, moving into the space in the center of town that had been home to Taipei Tokyo and, before that, Shanghai Village, the latter a popular spot for Chinese food for nearly 40 years until being hit by a fire in 2018 and never reopening.
The people behind Zomsa did a nice job of renovating the space, which has multiple sections, including a comfortable seating area for people waiting for a table or takeout to the left complete with couches and sofas; a modern-looking bar with a few seats in the middle; and a separate dining room to the right with bench seats and both round and square tables. Attractive hanging lights are set up throughout the restaurant, and large windows allow extra light in while also helping make for a bit of people-watching along Mass. Ave.
The restaurant considers itself a South Asian dining spot, so it’s not just Nepali food. There are plenty of familiar (and not-so familiar) Indian dishes, but the Nepali fare stands out when compared to the many Indian eateries in the northwest suburbs.
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The menu at Zomsa’s street food section features some very interesting options, including momos – dumplings with a relatively thick but soft wrapper that is crimped and pleated, looking vaguely like Chinese soup dumplings. Momos do not have broth inside them. Rather, they’re stuffed with meat and/or vegetables, and in the case of those offered at Zomsa, they can be ordered with chicken, pork, lamb or veggies.
The restaurant has three momo options: Steamed, with a hearty sauce with a variety of spices; sauteed with veggies and sauce; and as a soup. The simple steamed pork momos are a highlight, stuffed to the gills with pork. The sauce has just a slight kick but not so much that it detracts from the dumplings themselves.
Other options for street food include fried rice, chop suey, marinated chicken sizzlers and chatpate, which involves puffed rice, vegetables, cilantro and a mix of spices and lemon juice.
Much of the rest of the menu at Zomsa includes items you might find in an Indian restaurant, though with a few other Nepali options that might not be seen on Indian menus, including a spicy and aromatic soup with Tibetan origins called thukpa; tareko kukhura, which is breaded fried chicken in Himalayan spices; and newari bara, or savory lentil pancakes.
Some of the appetizers and meals often ordered at Indian dining spots are marvelous here, including the paneer pakoras, which are deep-fried fritters with a mild cheese and just the right amount of salt on the outside; a classic chicken tikka masala that can be ordered mild, moderate or hot and which comes with diced meat, rice and a creamy sauce; and palak paneer, which comes with cheese, a creamy spinach curry and rice.
Tandoori chicken, lamb, salmon and shrimp are also available, as are various breads (roti, paratha, naan, poori). Meals include papadum lentil crisps with assorted chutneys.
Zomsa does have a full liquor license, so those who dine in can choose from various beers, wines and spirits, while the menu also includes a Himalayan masala tea, and desserts include Indian doughnuts along with tres leches.
Early impressions of Zomsa Restaurant and Bar are very positive, and the dining spot is one of two new places in Arlington that have gotten noticed by food lovers in and around Boston (the other one being Quilo's Taqueria down the street in East Arlington, which had lines around the block when it first opened).
There have been some ebbs and flows with the Arlington dining scene over the years — including during the pandemic, which saw the closings of such places as Sabzi, Tango, Twyrl and Common Ground — but things seem to be looking up once again for this Boston suburb, and Zomsa certainly appears to be a part of that with its delicious food, friendly service, laid-back atmosphere and reasonable prices.
Zomsa Restaurant and Bar, 434 Massachusetts Avenue, Arlington, MA, 02474. zomsaboston.com
