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Dining Out and About: Momofuku Noodle Bar
By Ann | March 10, 2008
Last night, I finally got a chance to dine at wunderchef David Chang’s New York noodle bar, Momofuku. Now housed in a new location, East Village hipsters are flocking to the 1st Avenue spot to slurp up Chang’s ramen. The crowd at 8pm on a Sunday night spilled out the door, yet thanks to a stroke of luck, we waited less than 10 minutes for a spot for three at one of the shared tables.
We placed our order quite quickly and then faced a l-o-n-g wait (apparently they lost our ticket…?). Finally, our steamed Berkshire pork buns emerged — a soft, snow-white roll stuffed with tender, intensely meaty roasted pork belly , slivers of cucumber and scallions, the slightly smoky, rich pork contrasting with the fresh crunch of cucumber. I’d eaten these at Chang’s other restaurant, Momofuku Ssam; the Noodle Bar’s buns lived up to my memory but I think I prefer Ssam’s shredded pork version. Another l-o-n-g wait and our bowls of ramen finally appeared. Unfortunately, due to careless perusing of the menu, I ordered the pork neck ramen, which featured flat, thickish noodles that quickly grew soggy (though the positives included a rich, meaty not-too-salty broth, and tender, flavorful shredded meat). I far preferred Chris’s shredded pork ramen noodles, which were slender and curly with a springier texture.
In the global ramen wars, how does Momofuku stack up? Though I enjoyed the pork buns, I’d rate the ramen here quite far below the best I’ve enjoyed in Japan, and would hesitate to wait for 30+ minutes for a chance to slurp here. Still, at $72 for three (including 1 big bottle of beer and tip) prices are fairly comparable to Tokyo.
P.S. Sorry about lack of pix.
Topics: Dining Out and About |
One Response to “Dining Out and About: Momofuku Noodle Bar”
Comments
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March 11th, 2008 at 8:25 pm
Though I’ve never met a noodle I didn’t like, I must say I was a bit disappointed and found Momofuku kind of mama huhu (or so-so). The heaviness of the pork weighed on the ramen. I prefer the smoky, boozy — yet lighter — miso concoction you can get at Ippudo in Tokyo. To be fair, we WERE in the East Village, not Ebisu. And Momofuku DID have a great, vibrant atmosphere. So I’d definitely go back. It was perfect for a late winter Sunday night.