12 March 2011

momofuku - noodle & milk bar

momofuku -  japanese for 'lucky peach' - refers to the restaurants owned by restaurateur david chang. chang and his restaurants are known for defying traditional restaurant etiquette with their "no reservations" / "no vegetarian option" policies.

today i tried both momofuku noodle bar and milk bar for the first time. i have to admit i was little weary about noodle bar ... mostly because my only previous experience with ramen is limited to those freeze-dried packages. anyways. for our appetizer we tried the pork buns, one of momofuku's signature dishes.

momofuku noodle bar pork buns
momofuku pork buns: $10.00

they were unbelievably delicious! i've never had steamed bread or pork belly before. having been a vegetarian for 8 years, i just started eating meat again a little over a year ago and can't believe i lived my life without ever trying pork belly. the combination of the pork belly's saltiness mixed with the slightly sweet + smoky flavor of the hoisin sauce was incredible & enhanced by the crunch of the pickles.

for my entree i went with the 'momofuku ramen' ... the bowl contained pork belly, pulled pork shoulder, hand-cut ramen noodles, bamboo shoots, scallions, fish cakes (those silly looking things with a pink swirl), nori and a two-hour soft cooked egg. i also added in sriracha* sauce which brought extra heat to the bacon-infused broth.


momofuku noodle bar: momofuku ramen
momofuku ramen: $16.00

our meal was absolutely fantastic and was like nothing i've ever experienced. we could have ordered off the lunch prix fixe menu (3-course for $20.00), but the options were limited and didn't include the pork buns which was one of the reasons we wanted to go ... despite ordering a la carte, it was still relatively inexpensive. the dining experience itself it also unique. noodle bar only has about four tables + a huge high-top community table and seating at the bar. the place was full of energy and worth the thirty minute wait for a table.

*a sauce made from sun ripen chilies which are ground into a smooth paste + garlic

after practically rolling out onto 1st ave, we ventured off to find momofuku milk bar ... noodle bar's sister restaurant known for its creative & nontraditional take on sweets (they also have some savory items, like bleu cheese or kimchi croissants). since momofuku ssäm bar and milk bar are right next to each other, we accidentally (and awkwardly) entered ssäm bar, but found milk bar's entrance further down the street.


momofuku milk bar treats!
cereal milk: $5.00  + candy bar pie: $5.25

for our dessert we tried the candy bar pie. the chocolate cookie crust was filled with peanut butter, toffee, house made nougat and caramel center, garnished with pretzels and a top layer of chocolate. i have to be honest. if i was forced to choose one dessert to eat for the rest of my life, it'd probably be that. we also tried the cereal milk ... it was interesting and worth a try. but it tastes exactly like you would think and exactly like something we've all experienced before (think milk after a bowl of frosted flakes). we also brought home a sampling of their cookies. and. as you can image. i'm very excited to try them! 

momofuku milk bar cookies
bag of (6) assorted milk bar cookies: $10.00  


for more information about the momofuku restaurant group/locations/+menus click here.

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