Award-winning chef David Chang is a Korean-American who received Japanese culinary training. That explains the culinary mishmash on Momofuku Noodle Bar's menu, with dishes ranging from kimchi stew to ramen and pear salad.
Having grown up with Chinese kong bak pau, Momofuku's famed pork buns ($10 for two) was no new dish to me. But they were an admittedly excellent, refined take on this classic. Slabs of Berkshire pork are braised till meltingly tender, then slathered in sweet hoisin and nestled in pillowy steamed mantou. Slices of crunchy cucumber slices add contrast to the drippingly juicy meat. I'll take a dozen, please?
The Momofuku ramen ($16), however, failed to impress. The slices of pork shoulder and cured cabbage were fall-apart delicious, but they failed to redeem the generic alkaline noodles and the uninspiring, one-dimensional broth. As perfectly executed the slow-poached egg was, it did not complement the ramen as well as seasoned ajitsuke tamago would have. To be honest, I'm truly puzzled about how Momofuku could be well-known for its ramen.
The friend's kimchi stew ($16)
I'm not sure if the rest of Momofuku's menu is worth visiting for, but why not drop by Momofuku for a couple of pork buns if you happen to be in the East Village?
Momofuku Noodle Bar
171 First Avenue (Between 10th and 11th Street)
New York, NYC 10003
Opening hours:
Lunch: 12pm-4.30pm (Mon-Fri), 12pm-4pm (Sat-Sun)
Dinner: 5.30pm-11pm (Sun-Thurs), 5.30pm-2am (Fri-Sat)
I'm not sure if the rest of Momofuku's menu is worth visiting for, but why not drop by Momofuku for a couple of pork buns if you happen to be in the East Village?
Momofuku Noodle Bar
171 First Avenue (Between 10th and 11th Street)
New York, NYC 10003
Opening hours:
Lunch: 12pm-4.30pm (Mon-Fri), 12pm-4pm (Sat-Sun)
Dinner: 5.30pm-11pm (Sun-Thurs), 5.30pm-2am (Fri-Sat)