Phayul

Jackson Heights is worth a visit for Indian fabric shopping, Bollywood recordings, cheap eyebrow threading and all-you-can-eat Indian buffets. For something off the beaten path, try Phayul, a small Tibetan café up a flight of carpeted stairs. The inexpensive menu includes fried rice, big bowls of fragrant soup and delicious steamed dumplings (called "momo") handmade before your eyes. Accompanying hot sauces will make your lips quiver. Asians of all stripes fill the tables, sipping warming butter tea and reverently slurping hearty beef broth. Wife-and-husband owners Dawa Lhamo and Chime Tendha have appointed the walls with vintage photos of their native country and the Dalai Lama.