“Insanity-level” love keeps Mr. Momo making “happiest food on Earth”
Subash Yadav was never supposed to be in a kitchen cooking what he refers to as the “happiest food on Earth.”
He was supposed to be in scrubs, earning a living as a doctor, instead of pouring his passion into momos — delicious little dumplings as common in Kathmandu as tacos are in Mexico.
“I came here to be a doctor because that was the expectation,” Yadav said of moving from Nepal to the U.S. in 2007. “I found out that you could actually have a career studying food. I took a chance.”
Despite objections from his family, and with little food truck experience to speak of — he had eaten at a food truck just twice — Yadav took his savings and launched the Mr. Momo food truck.
Introducing momo goodness to the Valley
“When I started my business in 2019, nobody in my family had ever owned a business. I didn’t study business. But I had to follow my calling,” Yadav said. “I didn’t even know how to start a generator.”
Mr. Momo quickly took off. Yadav quickly earned a following for his picture-perfect, handmade dumplings filled with vegetables, lamb or chicken, drizzled with homemade sauces and topped with a photo-ready garnish.
The same year he launched Mr. Momo, his truck was voted best in the Valley by Phoenix New Times. The demand for his dumplings was intense. And his house was getting cramped.
“We had four freezers in the living room. It had gotten out of control,” he said. “The dining table was warping from constant wiping and sanitizing.”
Yadav decided to rent a restaurant space in January of 2020. People would wait for 40 minutes or longer to get in. Again, he earned recognition for his momos, being named among the top ten new restaurants in the Valley by Phoenix Magazine.
But the COVID-19 pandemic two months later changed almost everything.
Yadav had to close his restaurant, but he continued serving at farmers markets and pop-up events.
A Super Bowl pioneer coming to a grocery store near you
In 2023, Mr. Momo was featured as the first Nepali restaurant ever at the Super Bowl, when Arizona hosted the big game. Now he’s moving on from his food truck to focus on distributing his momos to grocery stores.
“If you have to downsize, there’s no shame in doing that. If you have to pivot or take a pause, there’s no shame in doing that to take care of yourself. We focus so much on how we’re going to be perceived, but if you’re not well, it doesn’t matter how you’re perceived,” Yadav said about the up-and-down journeys entrepreneurs face.
“It’s very hard. I sometimes question myself. Is it worth the struggle? Am I doing the right thing?” Yadav added. “But I am because I chose to follow my passion. I’d rather be doing this than working some miserable job.”
Local First “a great resource” for entrepreneurs
Yadav didn’t have to endure the turbulence that can come with entrepreneurship on his own.
He joined Local First Arizona and says the ongoing guidance he has received, the connections he’s made and the promotion he’s gained from being a member have really helped.
“Local First has been a good resource, whether it’s connecting to financial institutions or packaging or distributing, they’ve been a great resource in that way,” Yadav said. “Local First has just been great in getting my voice and name out there to other organizations and vendors.”
And he loves that Local First Arizona offers certifications for green business practices, since he focuses heavily on sustainable practices.
“Local First is really working hard to get those businesses recognized for taking those initiatives, and it’s been very helpful for me,” he said.
Momos for everyone
As for Yadav’s momos, he hopes they become the same healthy snack staple in America as they are in Nepal and India, where they’ve become part of the culture.
Momos, to him, are a celebration of togetherness and bring joy to those who eat them because they’re quick, delicious and healthy — a combination that is hard to find in our fast-food culture.
More than anything, though, he wants momos to be the “dent” he makes in the universe.
“I’m afraid that if I close it or give up, then I won't leave my dent in the universe. And I just love seeing people so happy when they get momos,” Yadav said. “You have to have that insanity-level of love for what you’re going to do. You can’t do it for the money.”
To order momos for delivery, visit www.mr-momo.com.
To find Mr. Momo at events around the Valley, follow on Instagram at www.instagram.com/mrmomo_official.
Want to connect with other business owners? Join a Local First Arizona mixer! Find dates and times at https://localfirstaz.com/events.
