We chose Taste of Tibet for our lunch stop while passing through Sangla, Himachal Pradesh. It’s colorful look and large crowd of foreign tourists seated inside and out were a promising sign.

The Tibetan restaurant owner was a late 30’s woman with a large presence. She seemed overwhelmed by the crowd of 20 taking nearly all of her available seats. Unfortunately they also took a good portion of her Tibetan food menu with them. We struggled through ordering as she called off what she no longer had to serve. Cheese momos and thukpa were ordered and delivered. I must say the momos were some of the tastiest around the region, but also some of the most expensive at Rs 80. Most places you’ll find veg momos around Rs 35-40 and cheese momos starting around Rs 50. The thukpa was bland. On the bright side, the front of the restaurant is lined with large glass windows looking out onto the balcony and offering great views of the town.

We paid the bill leaving with half full stomachs. Just below Taste of Tibet to the left and down a half flight of stairs was another Tibetan spot called Sonu’s Cafe. We popped in there and split a half plate of chow mien and some fried veg momos. The pricing was cheap, around Rs 35 for chow mien and Rs 40 for the momos. There were no tourists to be found here…just locals getting their fill. Don’t expect any frills with the interior here. Dingy painted walls with a few tables and stools are all you’ll find inside. This place is strictly business, food business.

Skip Taste of Tibet unless you’re interested in mingling with other tourists. For better tasting food, cheaper prices and to dine with the locals, drop in at Sonu’s.