When Monique Guffens moved to Toronto from the Netherlands in 2010, she dreamed of opening her own restaurant. After working in restaurants in the St. Lawrence market area, in 2016 she finally got the chance to live her dream when she opened Real Mo-Mo’s. “I always wanted to own my own restaurant,” says Monique. “I didn’t really think it would happen, but you put your head to something and there you go.”
When planning the menu for her new venture, Monique knew Real Mo-Mo’s had to be based on the food she knew growing up. “I’m originally from Holland, and there was not a lot of Dutch food in Toronto,” she says. “So I thought it would be fun to get people in Toronto, with all this multiculturalism, into another culture here.”
Real Mo-Mo’s serves a variety of new and exotic dishes in a familiar environment. The space is designed to create an atmosphere resembling that of a living room more than a restaurant, making for a comfortable, welcoming experience for diners. On the Winterlicious dinner menu you’ll find bitterballen (crispy Dutch-style meatballs served with selection of mustards); nasi goreng (Indonesian fried rice with chicken, leek, fried egg and peanut sauce); and a Rockslide Square (a chocolate and toffee brownie).