Momona

About

Momona is a noodle and bao restaurant located in downtown Chico.

Story

Momona is a noodle and bao restaurant located in downtown Chico. Momona offers a selection of dishes including Japanese ramen, steamed buns (bao), and culturally and locally influenced small plates. Momona makes every attempt to source locally and sustainably.

“Momona” is a Hawaiian word meaning “satiated, well-fed, satisfied, fat, fertile”. We love the idea of “momona” because it evokes being content, happy and full. We, as a team, live to eat and be happy.

Our inspiration comes from the traditions of Japan, Taiwan, and Hawai’i and is a combination of many memories, from saimin at Zippy’s to ramen ticket machines in Shibuya. Momona is our personal view of, and relationship with, noodle and bao. We are not a traditional ramen house, nor do we offer a traditional atmosphere. We are a combination of what we like most, the chefs who inspire us most, the parts of the world that melt our hearts; the moments we’ve felt most “momona”.

We make all of our broths, sauces, and pickled items in-house. We source our pig products from Llano Seco in Chico, CA. We source our produce locally and seasonally whenever possible (you’ll often see our executive chefs wandering the Saturday morning farmers’ market). Our ramen noodles are provided by Sun Noodles; they are fresh (not dry) alkaline ramen noodles, a recipe created to keep noodles both firm and chewy in the extremely high-temperature broth. Our bao buns are made in-house every day.

Momona is a counter-style service at lunch and full service at dinner time. We value a relaxed, positive environment and prioritize your personal time and quality in every moment. We want to give Chico fine-dining quality food in a casual atmosphere. Our primary hope of our restaurant is to offer the community of Chico a new, different, and absolutely delicious place to share a meal.