テーマ： カフェ・グルメ
I have heard about the Momofuku restaurant family for years, but the stories of no reservations and long lines have kept me away despite my curiosity. I am not known for being overwhelmingly patient when it comes to a meal; I would tell you to ask the last person who made me wait, but let's just say I made sure he'd be difficult to find. Further, Japanese food for me is a tricky endeavor as a New Yorker since I have had the real thing in Japan. It always feels like anything we produce here just cannot compare to the taste (and oftentimes, the price: can you really beat a dango or yakiniku street vendor? Also: no tip!) you get back in ol' Nihon. I have my favorite izakayas and karaoke bars around this city, but I always find that the restaurants that do Japanese food the best are the ones that recognize where they came from, but try to put their own unique spin on a classic staple.
So when I finally got around to go to the Momofuku Noodle Bar (the original Momofuku restaurant before they got more luxurious, expensive, and inaccessible), I was anxious about, a) the wait, and b) their take on the most hallowed of Japanese street foods: ramen. Ramen that strikes that perfect balance between a dense, savory broth and chewy-but-not-too-chewy noodles with the added bonus of a cheap price (paying more than, say, 800 yen for a bowl in Japan was unheard of on my student budget) is basically non-existent in this city. I've had to temper my own expectations now that I am outside of Japan.
And I was pleasantly surprised on all accounts. The wait for a table was under 10 minutes (I'm sure it helped that we were out on a Thursday rather than on the weekend), and though Momofuku couldn't meet my favored price range (each bowl of ramen ran from $11 and up), everything was delicious and pretty reasonably priced for a New York hot spot. Please also keep in mind that Momofuku Noodle Bar's menu is seasonal, so though the dishes I am about to describe were pretty standard and likely still on the menu, they may also have been replaced.
The restaurant itself is laid out simply, with the eponymous noodle bar to the left, and communal tables and stools off to the right. It is a pretty tight fit, often with 2 or 3 groups of people sharing tables meant to fit about 10 people. But the number of people and the noise level did bring back memories of rambunctious lunch counters in Japan, though I feel like the noise in Japan comes largely from the clattering of dishes, and the slurping of noodles rather than from young Americans shouting over each other.
First up were Momofuku's famed pork buns. In short: they were absolutely amazing. I've always been a fan of hum bao and will never miss an opportunity to down a couple whenever I am out for dim sum, but I didn't realize what a treat I was in for. Momofuku's pork buns are served like little mini tacos, the downy bun wrapped around tender pork belly, cucumber, and hoisin sauce. It really was the perfect combination of taste and texture; I'm sad I had only one.
http://blog.ameba.jp/ucs/entry/srventryinsertinput.do
But it was a good thing I could only have one bun, because I was overwhelmed by the amount of food that came along with an order of Momofuku Ramen. The dish consisted of tonkotsu broth with two types of pork, a poached egg, and assorted vegetables. And amazingly, I didn't finish! That almost never happens, but this fact should speak to the sheer volume of food in the bowl. It should go without saying that it was suitably delicious.
All in all, it was definitely worth the trip, and I would definitely consider going back. So long as there are no hole-in-the-wall-ramen-at-midnight-type shops hidden around this city, I may have to get my ramen and pork bun fix from Momofuku.
Momofuku Noodle Bar
171 1st Avenue (East Village)
New York, NY 10003
