Martsa on Elm
Category: Himalayan/Nepalese [Edit]
Neighborhood: Davis Square233 Elm St
Ste A
Somerville, MA 02144 (617) 666-0660
- Nearest Transit:
Davis (Red)
- Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: No
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Good for: Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol: None
49 Reviews for Martsa on Elm
Interesting -- first time I had tried Tibetan cuisine so I cannot comment on authenticity. I ordered the fabled momos as a starter, a lamb curry main dish, and a chai tea on the side. The food was good, decent, but not outstanding. Momos were not that big a deal really after all they were made out to be by fellow yelpers out there. Lamb curry had a nice, home-cooked flavor to it but tasted better after I doctored it up with some spicy sauces from the table. Also thought this place to be a bit overpriced.
In a nutshell: Decent food, pricey for what you get, some items off the menu are better than others. It's not that I wouldn't ever come back, but I've gotta believe better Tibetan food can be found around here...
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I've enjoyed Martsa on Elm quite a few times in the last three years. It was a great place for a nice, light meal--they have a bunch of soup options, and some interesting breads, and it was great to be able to eat a restaurant meal without staggering around stuffed afterward. Thus, I should be thrilled as heck about the changes since they reopened (but I'm not).
I ate there on Friday night for the first time since the remodeling. I ordered my favorite soup, guzarelthuk (sp? it's little dumplings, beef, daikon, spinach, etc.) and some bread. And? Not only was the soup more than 25% more expensive than before (and the bread 20%), but the portion size of each of the items was maybe half, at most, of its previous size.
The new, larger space is gorgeous. But really, I only went there for the cheap soup, and I probably won't be doing that again for what is barely a mouthful these days. (I'm not too impressed with the rest of the food, as it's pretty standard, rather greasy, generic Chinesesqueness, and like another reviewer I had hair in my food on one occasion.)
The best part and worst part about the new Martsa is how close the tables are to each other. I was trying to concentrate on the menu full of unpronounceable items (Gyathuk Chocho? Churue? I'm too white. I just point.) but all I could do was eavesdrop on the tables around me. So depending who you are, you'll love or hate that part. But the service, the food, and the new renovation are all great. They have a ton of vegetarian meals! I love the bright orange and blue paint job. Ladies' room was big and clean too. Service was excellent.
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I came here for the lunch buffet with my dad and my brother (who is a very, very picky eater when it comes to anything that's not a cheeseburger). All of us loved it and ate until we were in pain. The momos were incredible, and I also loved the spinach and tofu dish that was out. The stir fried vegetables and lentil soup were quite tasty.
I'm a vegetarian and my dad and brother are extremely carnivorous, and we all enjoyed our meal and felt like we had plenty of options. I'll definitely have to come back to try the dinner menu.
so.. i swear i've reviewed this place. i guess it got taken down. weird.
i originally gave this place 4 stars. the food is/was really good. (i esp. love the lamb and veg chilis and the appetizers)
however, i've noticed that the service is reallllly slow here and the food is sometimes lukewarm/cold. it gets really crowded and they seem to need an extra hand or two. the owner is really nice and the food is solid but its just inconsistent. 4 stars if they improve service
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Came here for a Saturday afternoon lunch buffet. First of all, $8 for a lunch buffet is a steal, so A+ for that price. The food was great -- I've never had Tibetan fare before so I can't compare to any other places of similar cuisine, but I'm talking taste, presentation, all the basics -- it was delicious. My brother and I really liked everything we had, lots of vegetables all made in ways we weren't expecting, pleasant surprises everywhere.
Service was fast, friendly. No complaints there!
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I'd never had Tibetan food before and went for lunch with a coworker. Luckily there is a lunch buffet. My favorite way to try something new... a little bit of everything rather than settling on one dish only to discover it's not what you want!
The lentil soup was good but not very hot. We had some curried lemon chicken that was very good and some chicken chili that had lots of peppers and onions and a HUGE afterbite! Very good! The eggplant/potato dish was good but a little mushy and the stir fry veggies were fantastic! I'd go back, it's close by the office so I won't need a sherpa to find it!
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I've been here a few times now, and each time really enjoyed it. Everybody that I've taken here has been really happy and impressed with the food. I can't vouch for the authenticity, but if it tastes great, the price is right (most dishes $9-$12), and the service is good, how can you go wrong? Well, if you are a later diner (past 7pm) you might have to wait a while for a table. And it can get pretty loud as it's a small space that's usually packed. I highly recommend though.
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I came here once before their remodel and I didn't love it. It wasn't bad food, but I just didn't love the flavors/spices in it for some reason. I wanted to love it- really I did!
Yesterday a friend suggested we go there for their Saturday brunch - which he said was quite good. So we decided to give it another shot.
First the renovation turned out nice - it's a much larger restaurant - I think double the space of the previous incarnation of this restaurant. And it feels cozy in there.
There were several choices for the buffet so I tried a little of each thing. I don't know the names of the dishes - but one looked like saag paneer (which I love). This dish contained spinach and tofu - and it was ok, but I was surprised that it was sweet - I wasn't expecting it to be a sweet tasting dish. I love sweet tasting things, but for me this was too sweet. The chicken curry was pretty good and had a decent amount of spice. I didn't love the flavor of the potato / eggplant dish - I can't put my finger on why - it was just ok.
Overall I felt this was a better meal than we had the first time, but I'm still not in love with the style of food. Price is very inexpensive with tip it was $11 per person.
Martsa's lunch buffet is awesome and such a great deal. I'm sad that they've dropped their lunch specials, but since the remodel - it's a nice place to take someone to dinner now too.
The food here is generally mediocre in all respects. It's either far too salty or sweet, the kind of cloying sweetness that signals corn syrup. A lot of their vegetables- peas, mushrooms, corn, etc.- seem to be frozen or canned.
I support the Tibetan cause and don't want to impact it negatively in any way, even by doing something as peripheral as writing a lackluster restaurant review, but-- Tibetan food is supposed to be healthy, and the food here, though it masquerades as such, isn't. It's more like the Tibetan equivalent of Americanized Chinese food.
Which is a shame, because the people who own and work at the restaurant are quite nice, and the place has a quaint atmosphere informed by the warm terracotta color of the walls and the fairly authentic Tibetan decor. Though- they could stand to hide the soda cooler in the back, and fill their water up in the kitchen rather than at a sink in plain view.
I do sympathize with this place; the owners would do well to check out Yelp and similar sites and modify accordingly.
Their Tibetan tea-- black tea, yak butter, and salt, though I doubt they use these exact ingredients-- is pretty good, if you like that sort of thing.
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I really wanted to like this place -- it looks so cute, and the staff are clearly friendly.
But when you dig into your chickpeas and there's 4 strands of long black hair in them, you know something's fundamentally wrong with the place.
They have a little window back into the kitchen and my date and I could see a long-haired woman cooking, and she didn't have her hair tied back or anything. C'mon, tie that back! It's really gross to have hair all over in your food.
Although honestly, the food is just ok. The chickpeas didn't have that much taste and our other dish, beef and string beans, was pretty blah, with rubbery, tasteless beef.
My take: this place is pretty overrated, and enough people have had hygiene problems (including myself) that I'd not eat here again.
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The food was fresh... but just not a lot of flavor to it. Its worth trying out once, especially if you're planning on doing the Tibetan Trifecta in Cambridge/Somerville, but honestly, I'm just going to go to Namska or Diva in the future.
WARNING: Their Lassis are Salty Lassis. So if you're expecting a sweet beverage, you will be disappointed. I'm really glad I got one, just to try the difference, but I think its an acquired taste.
So, no real complaints, its an interesting place... just not impressed.
Oh la la, Martsa had an IKEA facelift and they have expanded the premises. Nicely done! This spot is clearly popular since the last time I went, the place was absolutely packed to the nines! Luckily, their service did not slow because I had a movie date!
The food came out quickly and tasted superb. I'd describe the dishes as Chinese/Indian, which I guess makes sense since Tibet is squeezed between the two countries... Our waiter was responsive to our constant need for a refill of water, but he looked exhausted! I don't blame him though. I think he was serving ten tables himself.
Martsa is a great spot to try when you're feeling a little exotic and you want to eat quickly.
I've been to the Sunday lunch buffet a number of times - it is tasty and much lighter than either Diva or Namaskar across the street. The choice for vegetarians is somewhat limited (3 out of 6) but the momos, lentil soup and salad make up for that. Perhaps more disappointing is that the Sunday menu doesn't seem to change which makes it a bit boring after a few visits.
Dinner is a much nicer experience. Great veggie choices and appetizers and soups.
The service is friendly but unremarkable.
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I'd been in here twice pre-renovation and was never too impressed with my meal, though I did enjoy the lunch buffet better than the dinner. So imagine my surprise on a recent trip there post-renovation to find that I loved every single thing I ate. Are we sure this was only a renovation of the physical space? They seem to have undergone a culinary renovation as well and the results are delicious.
Beef momos receive rave reviews all over Yelp so we got some of those. Definitely tasty but a little heavy for someone like me who doesn't eat alot of ground beef. I'd get them again if I was with a bigger group and didn't have to split a serving with only one other person. The beverage I ordered was some kind of fizzy minty spicy lime drink. I've never had a savory drink before but it was so good, a perfect pairing with the flavorful main dishes. We got one tofu dish with an almond sauce and one chicken dish with a pumpkin sauce and both were incredible. The flavors are really complex and interesting. It's not Chinese, it's not Indian. Though similar to both Tibetan food is an entirely unique and delicious cuisine. The two-person tables are really close together, what's up with that?
Who in Davis Square offers the most delicious selection of vegetarian options? My vote is for Martsa on Elm; the owners Choesang and Dechen Martsa, originally from Tibet, cook up brilliant cuisine from their homeland.
Start off with an order of bhajis (crispy onion & potatoes deep fried in chickpea batter), or the vegetable momos (half-moon-shaped dumplings either steamed or fried). The vegetarian specialties section is loaded with options for less than $9. I highly recommend the Lady Fingers (Okra cooked with onions & fresh herbs), which comes seasoned with cumin and turmeric. And Martsa offers beef and chicken dishes for meat eaters. Also, the Curried Lentil soup is essential wintertime comfort food.
The food is delicious, the price is low, and the service is consistently good. Martsa on Elm brings the flavors of the Himalayas to the heart of Davis Square.
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So I work just down the street from this place. One a whim i walked by one day and the spices and yummy smells caught my attention. They have a lunch buffet that is reasonable cheap and offers a good bang for your buck.
I ate here a couple times and every time was just as good as the time before.
That is until I went and ordered some curry chicken to go. And it went dreadfully wrong from there.
To my surprise I came back to work and opened the box only to find a new friend.
A COCKROACH!!! still alive. Wiggling it's antenna's sitting on top of my delicious dumpling. :(
I have to say, I wanted to like this place, i did like this place, but after that how could you possibly want to go back?
Nonetheless because of this occurance, I was turned off from eating out for weeks. Paranoid on what may or may not turn up. Let us just say I will not be going back to this place anytime soon!
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Mmmmm....momos, somehere there is a Tibetan version of "The Simpsons" where Homer says that. We were drifting through Davis Sq. on a lazy weekend when that thought hit me and we went into the newly renovated Martsa on Elm. We got there just after the buffet was done so we had to order off the menu. I started with the momos and they were perfect, steamed and paired with two spicy red sauces that had a nice amount of heat to them. I also got a bowl of Churue a spicy soup which also was the best version I've had of this particular dish. My wife and her friend got the spicy potato bread to go with their entree and after the small piece I had I was coveting more but had to restrain myself. I got the chicken in mango sauce which went well with my mango lassi. My dish was an ethereal mix of pepper spicy and mango sweetness. This is what any sweet and spicy dish should aspire to, a perfect balance of both sweet and spicy but neither in charge of the dish. The traditional Tibetan sweet rice dessert with dried fruit and nuts, whose name I can't remember, was a refreshing closer. The waitstaff was very friendly even though he kept scaring the ba-jeezus out of our friend as he went about his duties, which says more about our friend and her twitchiness than our waiter. If you're looking for a low-price sit down restaurant in Davis you won't find better.
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Maybe this is really 3.5 stars? I wish I had the half star option!! Walking from Porter to Davis and feeling really hungry we happened upon Martsa. Noting that the lunch buffet was only $8.95 and that this was a Tibetan restaurant, we went in. From the get go the staff was super nice, which would continue throughout our visit.
We got our plates and went through the buffet line. Some of the things I grabbed; some sort of veggie saut, spinach and tofu, white rice, chili chicken, a concoction involving potatoes and eggplant, and this bread that was really doughy and very interesting. In total they had about 7 or so things to choose from.
Our food was warm, not hot, a little on the cold side, but hey, it is buffet! Unfortunately as soon as we sat down with our plates they brought out some more piping hot food. Nuts. I enjoyed everything I got. It wasn't out of this world, OMG, food, but definitely good. I also ordered a mango drink that I saw another table had. It reminded me of the fruit smoothie type drinks that the Haitian restaurants have. It was creamy, fruity and really good.
The decor was okay. The traditional Tibetan wooden decorative items on the wall seemed kinda cheap looking to me and not all that authentic. Maybe it was cause it was shiny. Shiny wood. Like it had been lacquered. I don't really find that attractive. Regardless the decor was simple and did the trick well enough.
Look, for $8.95 buffet, I can't have too many complaints. I have not been here for dinner but I would be curious to see what that was like.
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One of my favorites in Davis Square. Surprisingly (to me), I find the vegetarian dishes here to be better than the meat dishes. Some of my favorites include the steamed momo's, onion and potato bhajis (like tibetan french fries and onion rings) (sorry if that was an offensive analogy), the tofu and mushroom in mango sauce, and the spicy tofu and mushrooms. The tofu and mushroom in mango sauce is a hit every time- order it even if you normally feel like you need to order meat to make it a real meal. (sorry if that was also offensive).
I haven't been to Rengzen so can't compare. I do feel like the food is somewhat oily, not too greasy oily, more like oily in the way that it gives it a lot of flavor. I also like the house of tibet further down on holland, which has a less oily, more healthy/simple taste, but I find myself at Martsa's more regularly, perhaps due to location and cheaper price.
It is a small space and tables are placed close together, so you don't get a ton of privacy. Still a cute place for a casual date.
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eh, i dunno. me entree was really salty. salty salty salty to the point that i only ate a few bites. my two friends had the same issue with their dishes.
the appetizers that we got, however, were excellent. tofu cheezy patties? dumplings? fried onions with yummy sauces? yes, yes, and yes. so, in conclusion, if i ever go back here, i would just order a bunch of appetizers for my meal and deal with the inevitable "you're-totes-crazy" look from the server. whatevs!
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HOW have I not reviewed this?!? I get steamed vegetable momos (dumplings) takeout at least once a week. There are two sauces-- ask for the one that doesn't actually come with the momos (less spicy, but more flavorful).
Most of the food tastes a little too smoky for my tastes, but is always amazing as leftovers, and great in an omelette the next morning.
The cuisine is like a hybrid Chinese with Indian. That's probably not entirely fair, but not misleading.
The banana lassi is tasty, very fresh banana-y.
The hot cider is a favorite.
Very vegetarian/vegan friendly.
Wait staff is friendly but incredibly slow and inattentive. Solution: takeout.
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gf and I had the bargainous brunch here, with chicken curry, tofu and peas, veggie str fry. Rounding out the selection were beef momos (dumplings with onion) and tigmo (steamed puffy white rolls).
We found the brunch to be decent. I liked the tigmos, which would be a bit exotic for many people (and me). I ate a few of the momos, being a dumpling lover. I found the curry to be a bit like a mediocre dish at a bad Chinese restaurant, but liked the tofu and peas better.
We suspected that the full menu might be better than the brunch, but that's conjecture based on our dining. We were a bit loaded up on grease afterwards.
One of my favorite things to do when out to brunch is evaluate the service, since it tends to be so terrible. One poor chap was tending to the drinks and bills for the whole room. Having a discussion of any kind was impossible, due to his nascent English skills. This was frustrating for a nearby table that had a question about their beverages. Though it was also kind of cool in a way, and he was a nice guy. I had to get up and hunt him down for more water, but thereafter he refilled us about 3 or 4 times. Which was a refreshing change from Indian brunch at many places where you ask for extra water and the server appear to be imagining you boiling in a pot of curry.
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HELL YEAH
Someone mentioned that Tibetan is kind of like Chinese and Indian (which makes sense considering the geography). That's exactly how I felt when we had a great Chocho noodle dish with tofu (a very Chinese type of egg noodle and slightly sweet sauce) and a Chicken Potato Curry (extremely good curry that's not too spicy)
The bread was awesome but I don't remember which one it was. A baked, leavened hearty bread that was perfect for soaking up curry goodness.
Would be 5 stars but they charge you extra for rice which should never be the case in a place like this.
We got there around 7:30 on a Friday and apparently just barely beat the rush. But 8pm the place was packed with more standing outside.
Definitely will be going back and I can't believe we didn't try the momos! Should have looked on Yelp first! :)
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I had a great meal here with friends. It is a tiny place but at 8p on a weekend night we were seated rather quickly. Having not read the menu carefully enough we ended up getting the veggie momos and the potato and spinach stuffed bread which are almost the same thing! Go for the momos and get half steamed and half fried. Dinner was great, the portions were good sized but not huge. Parking can be difficult but with several lots around and some patience you are bound to get a space and it will be worth it for this gem!
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The veggie momos were alright here--I was really impressed by the homemade bread--that was amazing! I'm still spoiled by Rangtzen but Martsa (though crowded) has pretty nice atmosphere and a solid range of veggie options. The mango curry was also decent--really liked the variety of fresh mushrooms inside. The staff were a little aloof but still kind/helpful about making sure that I had some good peanut-free food.
All in all, Martsa's a place I would go back to, but would not necessarily go out of my way for. If you're in the area and looking for something slightly different give it a try, but it's not a place to really go out of your way for.
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I had no idea what Tibetian food would be like. I came in here assuming it would be like Chinese food, but with more dumplings. I'm not kidding. I was pleasantly surprised.
Walking in, you think, "Well how cute. Typical smallish room with ethnic decor and pretty, not cheesy, Asian appeal. We get seated by the window in the corner. I'm cruising the menu and my eyes set on the crisy spicy chicken with lots of vegetables. My man gets the sauteed beef with leeks and onions.
The food arrives (minus white rice - It isn't included, so you gotta mention that when ordering if you want some). Hey, it looks just like my mom's vietnamese cooking. Maybe all Asian moms cook similar dishes?
The superb part was the bread. Potato, spinach stuffed fried bread. It is in a disc form and very delicious. I had cut it with my fork in wedge pieces and scooped it up. Yum! I'll be back for the bread alone.
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I've been here twice (once before the renovation, once after) and have loved everything we ordered both times. Unfortunately, I can't remember the names of any of the dishes! My general impression, though, is that you really can't go wrong.
Even though it was a longer wait for a table, I liked the feel of this place better before they renovated. The tables now are much too close together -it's impossible to leave your table without disturbing other diners, and the people sitting next to us kept trying to join our conversation!
And our server, a guy with a long ponytail, was among the worst I've ever had. He completely ignored us, didn't refill our water, wouldn't make change for a $20 when we asked him to, and was completely inattentive even when I made eye contact and made it clear that we wanted our check. Guess who got a small tip...
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very yummy the two times I went. I keep meaning to go back. I little oily for my taste but very yummy and it could have just been what we ordered (and not the food in general) that was oily. I'll go back for sure.
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Pumpkin curry was very interesting, very good. Tibetan curry is more like a stew. Most tibeten food has a slightly stew-likeness to it, including their soups. But it's good. Hearty. Keeps you going when you spend a long day herding yaks across the Himalayas. Or when trekking back from Davis T to where I live.
Beef momos are also excellent.
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Friendly Tibetan place with some standout dishes. Try the momo or the garlicky green beans. Yum.
Update: The place has been remodeled and now has about twice the seating. I recently tried their lunch buffet, which is super cheap, delicious, and offers plenty to choose from for vegetarians and carnivores alike!
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Yum....
I've been here twice. It was good the first time... I had a chicken curry that my gf ate a lot of because she got a dry noodle dish that she never likes, but orders anyway.
We went to go back... and it was closed for renovations.
I just ate there again, and it was delicious. We had lady fingers (okra), a chicken Marsala stir fry, squash curry, and some beef noodles. Everything was great, except for the beef noodles which were predictably a bit bland, and merely good.
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edit: I have now been here about 10 more times. The lunch buffet is OK (I usually don't like buffets though - food made to order always tastes so much better). We almost always order the same thing (Ladyfingers and Dry Chicken Marsala). And they have been consistently tasty, as have everything else we or friends have ordered. And their lime soda is good, too.
Thanks to fellow Yelper Mihirr S. for pointing out this fine BYOB restaurant. See my full list of all BYO Establishments in New England.
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Pretty good food. I ordered the wrong dish (which was purely my fault) - the beef with onions and potatos - way too meaty for me, but my friends' dishes tasted good, and the service was great. The momos, btw, were delicious.
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I just went there for lunch. The place looks great, simple yet neat with pictures of Tibet on the wall, and some traditional items displayed in the back. The atmosphere was very tranquil even though the place was almost full.
The buffet was small but nice, with 5 different main dishes (some with chicken, some vegetarian), plus rice, buns, salad, and rice pudding with raisins. Overall rather good and tasty. For a $7.50 all-you-can-it buffet, this was rather better than many other options around (typically Indian or Chinese) that are heavy on the grease and where vegetables can be really bad.
Service was efficient but not uber-friendly.
I'll definitely go back, since it seems that the items on the buffet change everyday! Their take-out menu is pretty long and looks appealing, too.
Last tips: they're closed on Mondays, and there is a $10 minimum for credit cards.
I have two words: Vegetable Momos. Besides the joy of saying the word "momo" outloud in a meaningful context, these little Tibetan dumplings are delicious! I think they stuff them with some form of greens and onions; personally I dip them in a little soy sauce and a lot of hot sauce. Try them as take-away for a snack, or kick off your meal with some.
Besides the momos, this cute little shining example of free market commerce has a variety of other dishes, many vegetarian, that are also palate-pleasing. A few are on the bland side, and be prepared to have the same ingredients pop up in many dishes. Still, a fun place to eat with friends and share dishes.
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Those momo things are good. The rest, eh. I had beef with green beans and the beef was incredibly dry. Not a fan of this place.
If you want to eat lke a Tibetan peasant then you should visit this place. If you want a better meal, go to McDonald's a few doors down.
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BOMB!!!! Martsa's is da bomb! I eat here all the time. The momos(dumplings) are great and so is the tofu, mango thing. The buffet is also pretty good when it's fresh and the menu is so very vegan friendly. The staff is too, now if only they could bring back that cute waiter that used to work there a few years ago...
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