From a market stall in Kalimpong to HSR Layout
Our story
Pema grew up in Kalimpong, in the hills above the Teesta river, where her mother sold momos from a small stall near the town market. Before school, Pema helped fold them. Her mother's rule was twelve pleats for every steamed momo: fewer and the filling leaks out, more and the top turns doughy.
In 2014 she moved to Bengaluru to work in a hotel kitchen. On her days off, she cooked for friends from the hills who missed food from home.
During the 2020 lockdown, a neighbour shared her number in their apartment's WhatsApp group. Within a month she was steaming 300 momos every weekend, and every order came in as a WhatsApp message.
In March 2022 she left the hotel and opened Twelve Pleats in HSR Layout with her younger brother Tashi: one room, 24 seats, an open kitchen and two steamer stacks. Most of our orders still arrive the way they did in lockdown, as WhatsApp messages from the neighbourhood.
We still fold every momo by hand each morning, and every steamed one still gets twelve pleats.
The people
Pema
Founder and head cook
Grew up in Kalimpong; folds the pork momos herself every morning.
Tashi
Pema's younger brother
Runs the counter, the WhatsApp orders and the deliveries.
Dawa
Cook since 2022
Thukpa, noodles and the jhol broth.
Meena
Cook since 2023
Folds the veg momos and makes the chutneys.
Ravi
Delivery rider since 2023
How we cook
- 1
Fold at 9:00 am
Pema, Meena and Dawa fold the day's momos, veg and non-veg on separate tables.
- 2
Steam to order
Nothing waits in a hot cabinet. Your momos go into the steamer when you order.
- 3
Chutney every day
Timur tomato and dalle, made fresh each morning.
- 4
Broth from the morning
The jhol and thukpa broths simmer from 10 am, ready for lunch.
The room
One room with 24 seats, an open kitchen and two steamer stacks. We're on the ground floor, with one small step at the entrance. Two-wheelers can park in front.