Snow Lion is one of several Tibetan restaurants in Bloomington — the city has the largest Tibetan exile community in North America, and the food reflects that. The menu covers the staples of Tibetan cooking: momos (steamed or fried dumplings filled with meat or vegetables), thukpa (noodle soup), and tsampa dishes, alongside some pan-Asian additions. The cooking is home-style and generous.
The Tibetan community in Bloomington dates to an IU program in the 1990s that brought Tibetan students for graduate study; many stayed, brought family members, and built a community centred on Tibetan Buddhist institutions and businesses. The restaurants that emerged serve food you would find in Tibetan homes rather than in adapted tourist versions. Snow Lion on Kirkwood Avenue is the most accessible for visitors.