Of course, we had to jump on the Momofuku bandwagon while we were in the Big Apple. Jelloman last ate at Momofuku Noodle Bar a few months ago during her business trip and she was pretty happy about her meal. So tonight, she's leading us here.
Momofuku Noodle Bar has a no-reservation policy. We knew it's going to be a long wait but didn't expect it to be this long (more than an hour).
Pork belly buns ($10) - Gua bao (割包), or better known as pork belly bun, is getting more and more popular these days. It started off as a popular street food from Taiwan but everyone decided to add its own twist to it. This one came with hoisin, scallion and cucumber (of course pork belly). I think any good pork belly bun should start with a perfectly pillowy bun (and they have one here). Not bad.
Sausage buns ($12) - They called it sausage but it tasted more like spam. The sausage "patty" was matched with cucumber, mustard sauce and home pickles. I don't know if they were trying to create a different mouthfeel or what, but the buns were noticeably thinner and less spongy.
Smoked chicken wings ($12) - Who doesn't like charred chicken wings with smoky flavors, raise your hand!?
Momofuku Ramen ($16) - While the tortellini with pork's head would be the more sexy choice, we decided to take a more conservative route tonight; and that Monofuku Ramen was the ideal choice. Pork belly, pork shoulder, poached egg, fish ball, bamboo shoots and spring onion; the supporting cast was all there but unfortunately, the broth failed to deliver.
A pretty nice soft serve helped to end our meal on a sweet note.
David Chang's Asian-accented American fare was supposed to be cutting edge and ground breaking; at least that's what we all thought coming in. It was anything but cutting edge and ground breaking. Another thing that really annoyed me was a couple of groups sitting next to us. They were so very very loud. I know they probably got here after work, enjoying a nice dinner with some friends or co-workers, and after a few bottles of wine, maybe gotten a little too excited. But other people were trying to have a good time over dinner too. We had to literally yell across the table to communicate with each other. That's how bad it was.
Food Rating: 5/10
Price: $$$
Address: 171 1st Avenue, New York, NY 10003, USA
Closest Subway Station: 1st Ave
Tel: +1 212-777-7773
Website: www.momofukunoodlebar.com
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