by MARK SLUTSKY

There are some things you never want to hear from a restaurant employee, and the exclamation “Oh, shit!” is one of them. On my second trip to Sonam, a new Tibetan-Indian restaurant on Jean-Talon just by du Parc, that’s just what the startled fellow behind the counter gasped when my companions and I entered the empty dining room. He promptly disappeared, and what followed was a flurry of bustle and hushed murmurings from the kitchen, not to mention no small amount of anxiety on our part.

My first visit to the restaurant had been reasonably uneventful, in the sense that I’d been greeted with something other than panic, and the food was good. But what would this meal hold? Why the startled reaction? Was there even a chef in the house?

As it turned out, despite the inauspicious beginnings, the meal was very good, and we never found out exactly what had rattled the staff, as the food was fresh and arrived quickly.

Sonam has a demure atmosphere, with a big, dark dining room that could be any Indian restaurant, save for the various portraits of the Dalai Lama on the wall, and a seat by the window where one can observe the Jean-Talon street scene is a perfectly nice place to have a meal.

Tibet represents somewhat of an ethno-culinary Venn diagram, situated as it is between India and China, and the eats at Sonam range from biryanis to chow mein, with some uniquely Tibetan specialties in between. They were out of pakoras on that fateful second visit, so we went for the samosas ($3.50) instead; they were a little on the mushy, homogenous side but tasty nonetheless, with a strong flavour of caraway seeds.

On the straight Tibetan tip, it’s worth trying an order of Sonam’s momos, steamed dumplings with a variety of fillings (okay, while the name is pure Tibetan they do quite resemble Chinese dumplings). They range in price from $5.95–$8.95, and my personal favourite are the crescent-shaped beef momos. They’re served with a side of a pickled-vegetable salad (not unlike an Uighur “winter salad”) and with a generous portion of extremely spicy chili sauce. No joke—this stuff is fiery and flavourful, all the better to gird oneself for a mountainous climate, I suppose. If steamed isn’t your thing, you can get a baked and fried version that resembles an empanada or Jamaican patty and comes with the same great sauce.

There’s also a veggie option, and for those with a sweet tooth, cheese momos, which are more of a dessert dish. With more of a pinwheel than a crescent shape, these have a rich, sugary taste—a bit much for me.

Among the assorted curries and curry-like dishes, I was most interested in the sha-ka tsa ($7.95), served in a gleaming metal bowl. Another beef dish, this was heavily flavoured with garlic, ginger and peppers, and made for a very nourishing, hearty meal; it went well with the restaurant’s very yeasty flatbreads (seriously, they smelled like beer!).

Also satisfyingly filling are Sonam’s meat and noodle soups (in the $6–$7) range, which are the size of a meal—a big one at that.

We tried a vegetable chow mein ($6.95), just for the record really, and while it didn’t particularly distinguish itself as a leader in the field of noodle dishes, it was definitely serviceable. Chicken and beef (they do like their beef here) options are also available. The chicken biryani ($7.95) was majorly nourishing as well; it came in a large ceramic pot and struck that crucial savoury/sweet balance with nuts and raisins tossed in with the meat and the saffron rice.

Sonam is definitely a nice option for a meaty stick-to-your ribs kind of meal as the weather gets colder. The flavours may not be wildly sophisticated but they’re bracing, based as they are in ginger, garlic and other such strong stuff, and the starchy, meaty fare is satisfying without being too heavy.

TIPS? QUESTIONS? COMPLIMENTS TO THE CHEF? E-mail eattothebeat@gmail.com

Sonam
ADDRESS: 454 Jean-Talon W.
PHONE: 270-4117
HOURS: Mon–Fri 11 a.m.–10 p.m.; Sat 5:30 p.m.–10 p.m.; Sun 5:30–9:30 p.m.
BEST FEATURES: Yummy steamed momo dumplings and high-octane hot sauce
ALCOHOL: Yes
WHEELCHAIR ACCESS: Yes
VEGETARIAN FRIENDLY: Yes
CREDIT CARDS: Yes
PRICE: $7.50–$12.50
RATING: ** and a half out of ****