Momofuku is an international group of restaurants owned by chef-founder David Chang. The collection of restaurants include Momofuku Noodle Bar, Momofuku Ssäm Bar and Momofuku Milk Bar amongst others.
I had received a Momofuku gift card 2 months back and finally decided to use it on the first Momofuku restaurant that was established – Momofuku Noodle Bar. This restaurant is most famous for its ramen (surprise surprise) and flavored buns, specifically the pork belly.
The noodle bar opens for dinner at 5:30pm. We arrived at 5.40pm on Saturday and waited in line for about 15 mins (which wasn’t too bad at all). This restaurant is always busy and packed so I recommend going there early to avoid the long wait.
Spotlight Dishes
Here are the dishes that I tried:
Smoked Chicken Wings: Pickled chili, garlic, scallion sauce
These tender chicken wings are coated in a delicious sweet, tangy and spicy sauce. I definitely recommend this appetizer to share, so delicious! It was probably my favorite dish of the night.
Chicken Meatball Bun: Jalapeño, iceberg, paprika mayo
Sumptious and tender chicken meatball sandwiched between a soft bun and coated in a tangy paprika mayo sauce, topped with jalapeño – very tasty! I’ve also heard that the pork buns are notoriously good here. It’s not on the official menu but just ask the waiter, and they’ll serve it to you (too bad I only heard about this after eating here). According to the waiter, the brisket buns are also extremely popular here.
Momofuku Ramen: Pork belly, pork shoulder, poached egg
A well presented hearty bowl of ramen, perfect for a cold winter’s night. The tender pork meat produced a hearty flavor but the broth was not very salty, unlike some of the other ramen I’ve had in New York. It was appetizing and satisfying, but in all honesty, I preferred the ramen at Ippudo slightly more. It was better suited to my palate.
All in all, Momofuku Noodle Bar was a thoroughly enjoyable dining experience! The food was great, the service was attentive and the restaurant was buzzing with energy – an East Village treasure.
