Madame Mo’s

H to the Izzo. V to the Izzay. I remember the first time I travelled to Newcastle with my boyfriend to meet his family. Mention Islington or «Izzo» for short, and you were met with a look and a sheesh sound. «It’s not a part of town you want to be.» Fast-​forward a few years and Islington is turning herself around. There’s Suspension Coffee that started it all and the newest mark on the map, Madame Mo’s.
I stopped in for lunch on a Thursday to be greeted by one other customer. No sweat, that’s just more dumplings for me. Madame Mo’s is a curious combination of grocer (complete with a few shelves of Japanese specialty items), tea and dumpling restaurant. The setup isn’t fancy but neither is Islington so it works.
Entrees, despite being named exotic, are fairly standard. Miso Soup, Wasabi Green Peas and edamame beans aren’t too unfamiliar for a dumpling restaurant. Your dumpling options are split into Tibetan and Japanese. It’s unclear if Madame Mo is Japanese, Tibetan or Chinese. I opt for a mix of 8 which let’s me try two each of the Tibetan Lamb, vegetable dumplings and the Japanese pork, and vegetable dumplings.
Being one of only two customers, the service is attentive and my «Curly Clouds» green tea is delivered and quickly followed by the dumplings. They’re freshly steamed and the hint of ginger in the Japanese vegetable dumpling is quite the zing, but the one I’d suggest anyone tries here is the Tibetan vegetable. It’s plump and moist in your mouth.
The waitress does a great job to try and convince me to order another round of dumplings but I’m tapping out. There’s not even room for some of their green tea ice cream.
Pro Tip: Tibetan vegetable dumpling. All of the Tibetan vegetable dumpling.