We recently tried Yummefy, a new Asian-fusion restaurant located in The Waites development at Seventh Avenue South and Richard Arrington Jr Boulevard. Owners Sam and Rose Pokhrel opened the establishment after losing their former business, an Asian corner market, in a raging fire last March. Chai Market, founded in 1973, sold fresh produce, frozen food and other grocery items from Asia, India and Africa.

The Pokhrels, natives of Nepal, present a immensely diverse menu that reflects the diversity of their home country. “In our country,” Sam said, “we have China, India, Thailand and many other countries nearby. Our food is a reflection of them all.”

We started with the Pork Momos; Nepali style dumplings stuffed with pork (or chicken) and vegetables, ginger, garlic and cilantro. These were AMAZING! The dumplings are made in-house and are topped with a mild (Thai-style) curry sauce that leaves a silky coconut milk flavor on the palette. A tomato vinaigrette dipping sauce was served alongside, but with the curry sauce it wasn’t necessary. These were the best momos we’ve had. Plus, an order comes with 10: enough for a light solo lunch or plenty to share without having to fight over the last one.

We also had the Veggie Spring Rolls as a starter. Although you’ll find these popular fried appetizers in many Asian restaurants, these certainly stood out from the rest!

From the Nepali Special Menu, we had the Pork Thukpa, a popular soup in the northern Himalayan region of Nepal. The noodle soup is filled with spices, pork, cilantro, and vegetables, topped with green onions. Perfect for the dreary weather we’ve been experiencing lately!

The Chicken Chow Mein is one of the most popular dishes on the menu at Yummefy. The chow mein noodles are similar to those that you would find at a typical Chinese restaurant, but the spicy, chili infused sauce brings a new flavor to the dish, making it more savory.

Another standout item offered at Yummefy is the house-made kimchi. Kimchi is a spicy Korean side dish created from salted, fermented vegetables, usually cabbage and radishes. It gets its unique kick from a paste made of chili powder, garlic, ginger, red pepper and sugar and its recognizable tang from fish sauce.

Customers come in for fried rice with yum yum sauce or white rice with kimchi and eat that as their meal. “This is the next big foodie thing,” said Sam. The kimchi was out of this world.

For more information about Yummefy call 205-324-4873 or go to their website: yummefybirmingham.com.