On a clear January afternoon in 2018, something simple and beautiful happened at the corner of 16th and Harney. A pot of steam. A plate of momos. A yellow shirt. And the smile of a man named Sagar Gurung, a Nepalese coffee shop owner with a dream.
If you were there, you remember. If you weren’t, let us tell you the story. Because what happened that day, what started with a few hand-folded dumplings and a whisper on social media, would become a turning point for Omaha’s food culture.
And we at Omaha Food Magazine had the absolute privilege of being part of it.
Between 2017 and 2018, we sat with Sagar many times over coffee at Himalayan Java. He talked about Nepal. About the food that comforted. About introducing Omaha to something real, not a trend, not fusion, but a dumpling called momo. He didn’t want to complicate it. He wanted to cook. To feed.
It Started with a Dream and a Plan
We had an idea: street food. Hot, fast, flavorful, served directly in front of his Himalayan Java storefront. We would help amplify the voice. Leverage Omaha Food Magazine’s platform. Bring the masses to the corner of 16th and Harney.
It worked. It really worked.
Sagar set up. We posted. The steam rose into the cold air, and people came. Lines formed. Cameras clicked. Momos sold out. And a spark was lit.
The Kathmandu Momo Station Legacy
What came next was special. Sagar’s momos turned into Kathmandu Momo Station, a full-fledged concept rooted in that same dumpling DNA. We featured them. We cheered for them.
Team members like Rocky, his friend from college and now partner, welcomed guests inside their tiny space in Blackstone. The walls were tight, the seating minimal. But the vibe? Electric. Prayer flags, laughter, and plates of hand-pinched dumplings that transported you across the world.
There was a brief stint in Chicago. While the original Blackstone location closed, Kathmandu Momo Station has moved back into the former Culprit Café space under the name Cattle Call, still proudly serving the OG momo menu. Meanwhile, their presence at The Inner Rail Food Hall continues to thrive, drawing a new generation of momo lovers each week.
Dumpling Empire Rises
Now, years later, Omaha is having a full-blown dumpling moment. The momo wasn’t the end, it was the beginning.
Dumpling Empire has planted its flag with two metro locations: one in South Omaha and a new westside outpost near 158th and Maple. Their menu reads like a dumpling manifesto, soup-filled, pan-fried, steamed, pork, beef, veggie. It’s comforting. Crisp. Full of heart.
The brand is gaining fans fast, and it shows no sign of slowing down.
Bobo’s Noodles and Dumplings Joins the Party
And now? Bobo’s Noodles and Dumplings is officially joining the dumpling landscape. They’ve just signed on to open at 812 North 14th Street, taking over a 3,600-square-foot space in the heart of The Yard. The name may be playful, but don’t let that fool you; expectations are high.
We don’t know the full menu yet. But we know this: if Omaha’s hunger for dumplings keeps growing, Bobo’s is walking into the right storm.
Why This Matters
This isn’t about a food trend. This is about roots. About flavor. About identity. Dumplings are the food of grandmothers and late-night cooks, of weddings and street stalls, of hard work and soft dough.
They connect us. They feed us. And they are feeding Omaha in a big way right now.
Sagar's pot of momos on that winter sidewalk was more than lunch. It was a signal. A preview of a future where flavors from across the world could find a home here, in the heart of the Midwest. And they have.
We’re proud to have been part of that beginning. Even prouder to still be here, watching the scene grow.
Omaha is having a dumpling moment.
And we’re just getting started.
