Lex and I spent the morning visiting the 9/11 Museum, which was incredibly moving and also very intense. We were both glad we went as it gave us a new perspective and attitude towards the smaller things in life.
After our visit, we decided to get naughty and enjoy Shake Shack near Brooksfield Place. During the busiest tourist times near NYE, we had seen lines at the door for Shake Shack, so we thought we would take advantage of the empty tables and try this popular burger joint. Nothing bad. The fries and burgers were probably a little better than good McDonald’s, but not on the level of Grill’d (if you’ve never had a Grill’d burger, you should!).
After what seemed like a heavy morning, we made a spontaneous decision and quickly headed to the East Village to see Jennifer Lawrence’s new movie, ‘Joy’ (we had 40 minutes until start time). On a day that had already included fast food, I saw the option to buy popcorn as a no-brainer (in fact, throughout this entire trip, I repeated to myself, “I’ll go to the gym when I get home.” been, tomorrow!). In the reclining seats we sat down and settled in …
Lex and I wanted to try Momofuku Noodle Bar in the East Village. We had passed a few days before and it was very busy so we thought after the movie and while we were in the area we might as well give it a try. Momofuku Noodle Bar was the first of many food venues for chef and owner David Chang, and now has several locations in the city, as well as others in Toronto, Washington DC, and Sydney. The Noodle Bar is the more casual (and affordable) option and focuses primarily on ramen dishes. I read once that it is affectionately called “sip line.” The locations are listed below, and for any Sydney chef and owner, David Chang recently opened one at The Star in Sydney.
Rentals:
Momofuku Noodle Bar (East Village)
Nishi (Chelsea)
Ssam Bar (Union Square)
Ko (NoHo – very exclusive and difficult to reserve a place)
Booker and Dax (Union Square – cocktail bar)
We waited about 20 minutes for a table and watched with enthusiasm huge (really huge) bowls of ramen being served to hungry customers. The place was buzzing with energy (and people were waiting for a table – after we got there the line went out the door). It really was a place that had a distinctive buzz and energy. The hostess walked us to our table and we really had the best seat in the house. If you go to Momofuku, I would recommend requesting this table, the chef’s table end seat. With the kitchen open, our table allowed us to see absolutely everything from the prep, cooking, and training to the new kid Sam who had just started that day (poor kid, he looked so stressed out). We also saw a little love story between who we think is the Chef and his assistant. Lex thinks he was glorifying the situation and they were just friendly with each other … you decide. A view at the chef’s table cannot be understated; It was absolutely amazing to see how our food was prepared and the fast, accurate and efficient operation of the kitchen. I also loved seeing exactly what was involved in creating my food, from the cooking techniques to the ingredients.
What we order:
Lex couldn’t resist starting with a portion of the chicken meatball buns. Although I’m not overly concerned about pork buns / buns of any kind, Lex insisted that I tried them (and I’m glad I did!). A tasty mix of chicken, jalapeno, iceberg, and paprika mayo sat very well on a bun. Lex was very impressed.
For mains, I couldn’t get past the Momofuku Ramen. It sat so proudly at the top of the menu and I had a feeling this was what Momofuku Noodle Bar was known for. I also saw the chef prepare this dish more. Lex opted for the spicy cold noodles. The waitress warned him that it was spicy, Lex was more than okay with this! I was tempted by this option too, but wasn’t sure if I wanted something cold on such a cold night. We also saw the chef prepare this dish and they were very careful not to put one more pinch of the required chili sauce in the bowl.
Both dishes arrived quickly in the huge bowls we saw earlier. We were very eager to dig deeper! Although I would have liked a chili kick to my Momofuku ramen, it was still delicious and slurp-worthy. The ramen consisted of pork belly, pork shoulder, and was topped off beautifully with a poached egg. Lex’s noodles were a combination of Sichuan sausage, spinach, and cashew nuts; He did comment that he felt the amount of cashews was a bit excessive. Of course, I asked to try Lex’s food, and if you’re not that good with chili, stay away. It definitely made a big impact. I’m not even sure I was able to get through the bowl with that amount of spice! Although Lex loved it.
Overall, a delicious and comforting meal. Neither of us were able to finish as the portions were large, but that does not reflect the quality of the food. Momofuku Noodle Bar, while definitely the cheapest option from David Chang’s ventures, still wasn’t cheap. However, you pay for what you get: generous portions, delicate and careful preparation, and great infused Asian flavors. I would recommend Momofuku Noodle Bar for smaller groups as it was a noisy place, and I would definitely recommend asking the hostess for a seat at the chef’s table (even if that means having to wait a bit longer). You can’t make reservations either, so try to go on a quieter night.
Read x