Ilona K.
Yelp
My husband and I have been to Mama Chow almost weekly for a year, so we tried almost the entire menu.
Appetizers:
Shrimp butter yolk - shrimp with a sauce made out of yolk and butter. Sounds strange, but it's the most delicious rich yet delicate sauce. I've never had anything like it. The shrimp are large and always perfectly cooked!
Spicy garlic cucumbers - refreshing, slightly spicy, with a crunch from the cucumbers. This dish is truly better when dining in, because the cucumbers get slightly soggy and lose their crunch for takeout.
Seasoned Edamame - this is my husband's favorite. The fried herbs, little onions, and garlic really make a simple food like edamame exciting.
Tamarind wings - These wings are fried to order and coated in a sweet and sour tamarind glaze. When you order these to-go, the glaze is on the side, so I recommend dining in for these.
Hot oil dumplings - soft dumplings with a generous amount of filling. They're coated in chili oil and garnished with fried shallots, which is an amazing textural contrast to the dumplings. If you can handle a little bit of heat get these!
King do pork ribs - if the wings sound good, try this, too. Despite being fried, somehow they don't feel heavy, but the portion is big enough to be an entree.
Pork belly bao - my favorite pork belly bao is at Ippudo in NYC, but these are the closest that I've tried. Rich pork belly in a pillowy soft steamed bun. You can't really go wrong here.
Mushroom dumplings - if you can't handle spice then choose the mushroom dumplings over the hot oil dumplings. The sauce on these is very delicate and creamy. I prefer the hot oil dumplings, but my family prefers these.
Crispy Vietnamese rolls - there are so many good dishes at Mama Chow, so I tend to skip this one. My husband loves these - he says they're really well made traditional Vietnamese rolls. It's mostly about the crispy texture and freshness from the leaves enveloped in the sweet and sour dipping sauce.
KFC bao - the fried chicken is super crispy. The textural experience is on another level with this one. So if you're in the mood for something crispy this is for you!
Steamed string beans / steamed eggplant specials: I prefer the string beans to the eggplant, but that's only because I prefer string beans to eggplant, in general. These two dishes are really simple and don't really stand out among all of the flavor bombs listed above. I'm really glad it's an option, though, because there are days when I just want some light healthy veggies.
Kale salad - we ordered the kale salad only once. It was definitely unique to have fresh and fried kale mixed in one salad.
Grilled pork w/ sticky rice - the reason this dish doesn't get much love from us is because we get the KLM most times and I rarely want grilled pork and then KLM
Mala beef/tofu - my husband ordered the tofu version once. I don't remember what it tasted like, which is why it's at the bottom.
Entrees:
Klm - if it's your first time at Mama Chow, do yourself a favor and order this flavor bomb. You get the soft noodles with the flavor-packed and tender pork, wontons, some healthy bok choy, and some pickled serranos all in the most delicious sauce I've ever ever had. This is the dish that keeps us coming back.
Pho - I prefer the Pho Grill. The grilled and seasoned meat is delicious on its own, but it also adds more flavor to the broth.
Yaki udon supreme - mild, but impactful flavor. Mildly spicy with perfectly cooked seafood. If you're full this is a lighter option.
Laksa - the three dishes above are our favorites, so that's what we get
Ramen - you can get ramen anywhere. What you can't get anywhere is the KLM. You can get pho in a lot of places, too, but it's amazing here. There was a point in time when I would get pho everyday for lunch in Manhattan's Chinatown; I prefer this one.
CKT and Nasi Goreng weren't our favorite.
They have specials, but you may need to call and reserve before they sell out. Keep up with the specials on Facebook and Instagram.
Dessert:
Can't go wrong with bubble waffles or ice cream.
Drinks:
Freshly squeezed and tart limeade or unsweetened tea help cut through the richness of the food.
They serve alcohol, but I don't drink.
The menu is similar to Mecha. However, I prefer Mama Chow in every way, except for the ramen. I also prefer the service. Coming to Mama Chow is like being invited into the Chow home. Everyone is so friendly! Papa Chow even comes out of the kitchen to chat when it's not too busy. Everyone works so hard and their passion is crystal clear.
They don't take reservations, but we've never had to wait. Parking is plentiful. They're kid friendly - we come with our baby.