Momofuku Noodle Bar

YoNYC!  I will admit, the trendiness of the Momofuku empire, along with the supposed hassle of acquiring the necessary reservation, has kept me away from the empire in the past.  But I received good advice from a coworker and was able to “sneak in,” figuratively speaking, to the Momofuku Noodle Bar with no reservation or even much of a wait.  This feat is likely impossible with a party of more than two people.  However, our experience made me question the impossibility and elitist claims so lauded over the internet.  I’ve waited longer for a burger at Wendy’s.

Noodle Bar is a very barebones, crowded, and loud place.  It’s also fun in the crazy, frenetic energy kind of way.  If you’ve been to any popular Yakitori place, you will feel the same vibe.  Just don’t expect a quiet dinner – it’s just not that kind of place.

Pork Belly Sliders

We were seated at stools in front of the open kitchen, which influenced our order as we could see first-hand the dishes being prepared.  The menu is a short-order chef’s dream, but although the dishes can be prepared quickly, the finishing touches, quality ingredients, and technique are what made the meal.

To start, we ordered the Pork Cheek and Pork Belly Slider appetizers.  For our mains, we had the Chilled Spicy Noodles and the (Hot) Momofuku Ramen.  Our expectations were tempered with the ramen and noodles – and we were spot on in that respect.  There is only so much that can be done with Ramen without either making an entirely new dish or completely fucking it up.  Momofuku did neither and both noodle dishes were true to form.

The Pork Cheek was tender and delicious, although I have to admit that since it was the first thing that came out we completely demolished the dish.  That’s what happens when you hit a restaurant straight from work.  The surprise of the meal however, and the one dish that lived up to and went beyond the hype, were the Pork Belly Sliders.

The Pork Belly Sliders really stole the show.  The pork melted as soon as it hit your mouth.  The fluffy “Tbao,” similar to what is used for Peking Duck dishes, was the perfect vessel for the pork.  Everything from the physical size to accompanying garnish added to the dish.  And like everything else the dish was unpretentious.  We knew this was going to be good as soon as we saw it, but the surprise came when we realized that it was BETTER than we expected.  I would KILL to have these as a regular part of my diet.

• Pork Cheek Appetizer
• Pork Belly Sliders
• Chilled Spicy Noodles
• Momofuku Ramen

Pork Cheek Appetizer

Chilled Spicy Noodles

Momofuku Ramen