Emotions tend to run high every year as The Denver Post’s food bracket challenge reaches its final rounds.
So do the number of bots and questionable entries in the online polls we launch every week during the contest. Only a third of the 3,000 votes cast during our Final Four round submitted their names and emails and were deemed legitimate by our editors.
Disregarding the incomplete entries, two clear winners are advancing to our last head-to-head matchup to determine which restaurant makes the best dumplings in the Denver metro: Rocky Mountain Momo (9678 E. Arapahoe Rd., Englewood) and Momo Dumplings (14200 E. Alameda Ave. #1039B, Aurora).
Both specialize in a South Asian variation of dumplings known as momos, popular in India, Bhutan, Nepal and the Tibetan region. The tight crescent-shaped, curry-smothered snacks have a unique reputation in the Front Range, with restaurants and food trucks serving momos scattered across Denver, Boulder and smaller main streets.
Strong online fanbases (momoheads?) have represented the last two contenders throughout our food bracket challenge, which started late last month with 32 dumpling restaurants. Rocky Mountain Momo promotes itself as offering the “momo and Coke” experience, speaking to a popular pairing in Nepal. Momo Dumplings sells momos for pickup and delivery, special events and farmers markets.
Rocky Mountain Momo bested dim-sum restaurant Star Kitchen in the previous round with 446 votes over 137. Dumpling chain Nana’s Dim Sum & Dumplings earned 258 votes but not enough to beat out the 404 in favor of Momo Dumplings.
It’s not too late to visit each eatery before our bracket challenge concludes. Vote on which is making the best dumplings in the metro below — the online poll closes midnight Sunday, March 29.
