There might be plenty of places to grab hamburgers, pizzas and burritos in Chico — but restaurants offering up novel and nouveau cuisine are still few and far between in this city.
Fortunately the new noodle bar Momona has opened its doors. Along with the sensational smell of savory broth that wafts from its entrance, this new restaurant is crafting up a ramen and bao scene that any hungry college students simply cannot resist — myself included.
Narrowly wedged between shops in the heart downtown, Momona is the kind of place you could easily walk right by if you weren’t looking for it. The inside, though small and narrow, gleams of chic white décor and minimalist design with a long bar and up-front cashier ordering layout.
From the menu, creatively displayed by clipboards hanging on the wall, I immediately saw that ramen would not be an option for my Starving Student budget. As each bowl is $11 and up, the ramen game at Momona is a clear step above the classic college cup-of-noodle, but also on the pricier end for an entree.
I was happy to hear from the cashier that Momona sources its meat locally — using Llano Seco pork and Mary’s chicken — and that they make their bao buns and noodle broth in house. Still, it would be nice to see at least one affordable ramen bowl — even if it was just during happy hour — on the menu.
Aside from ramen, Momona also features a variety of sake and handful of different baos ranging between $4 and $5 — within my budget but expensive enough to keep me from ordering two.
Amongst the choices of pork belly and chicken with hot sauce, I decided to get the mushroom bao ($4). Having a few dollars to spare I also ordered the small plate of sweet hot cucumbers ($2).
Never having tried bao before, I imagined it to be a soft and pillowy thing stuffed with a savory filling. Instead, however, the dumpling was more like an Asian-inspired taco with a pale and cushiony shell.
Unable to resist peeking at my fellow diners, I felt the pang of envy and even displacement as I noticed that every other person around me was slurping up slippery ramen noodles, with billowing waves of steamy broth climbing up from their bowls and into their smitten faces. I looked down at my own bao and small side of cucumbers — weeping silently.
Pinched between the bun — and coated in a sticky sweet sauce — was a sprinkling of kale and sautéed oyster mushrooms that squeaked between my teeth as I bit into them.
Five bites later, my plate was cleaned and my belly — though not exactly full — was in a very happy place. What that bao lacked in size it certainly made up for in intense and pleasurable flavor.
The sweet and hot cucumbers were also worth the extra splurge. Crisp, vinegary and pleasantly spicy, they paired well with the heavier flavors going on inside the bao.
Though small, and certainty not the best bang for my buck as far as portion sizes go, Momona has shot an arrow of umami bliss straight through the heart of my senses. Offering something fresh, new and comforting, I look forward to exploring their other bao options and will keep my fingers crossed that some cheaper ramen bowls appear on the menu in the near future.
Grace Kerfoot is a Chico State University student. Each week she is asked to find a meal that costs no more than $9 (one hour at minimum wage) and then write about it. Email her at gkerfoot@mail.csuchico.edu.
