A Guide to Momofuku Restaurants

A Guide to the Restaurants

Momofuku Noodle Bar

171 First Ave.

Cuisine: Mr. Chang’s first restaurant, opened in 2004, features items like ramen with pork belly (shrimp and grits, pictured above, has appeared on the menu). A “late night” menu, served from 12 to 2 a.m., includes smoked chicken wings.

Famous dish: The $9 pork buns— homemade, fluffy white buns stuffed with braised pork belly and topped with hoisin sauce.

Prices: Small dishes are $9 to $15; larger dishes run $11 to $20. A fried chicken meal for four to eight people costs $100 and comes with side dishes and sauces.

Getting in: Reservations are generally not taken, and waits for a table average 30 minutes to an hour, Mr. Chang says. Reservations are, however, needed for the fried chicken meal, and are available only through the Web site; currently all fried-chicken meals for the month are booked.

Momofuku Ssäm Bar

207 Second Ave.

Cuisine: Mr. Chang’s fondness for pork is evident in a menu that includes several kinds of country ham, steamed pork buns (pictured above) and crispy rice cakes with pork sausage.

Signature dish: The $200 Bo Ssäm, which serves six to 10 people, consists of an entire pork shoulder, a dozen oysters, sauces and lettuce leaves to wrap it all up.

Prices: A prix-fixe lunch of three courses is $25; dinner entrees range from $19 to $30.

Getting in: No reservations are accepted except for the Bo Ssäm meal, and long waits for tables are typical. Bo Ssäm meal reservations are relatively easy to land, however, especially for off-peak times.

Momofuku Ko

163 First Ave.

Cuisine: At Mr. Chang’s fanciest restaurant (above), the meal is a pre-set menu featuring complex, inventive preparations and luxury ingredients, from foie gras to Wagyu beef.

Famous dish: A soft-cooked hen egg stuffed with caviar and served with crisp potatoes and soft onions.

Prices: The three-hour prix-fixe lunch is $175; the two-hour dinner is $125.

Getting in: Scoring one of the 12 seats is legendarily difficult. Reservations can only be made online, through momofuku.com. Potential diners must create an account, then submit requests constantly until a rare slot opens up. Mr. Chang suggests checking for tables at 10:40 a.m., or from 3 to 5 p.m. weekdays and on the weekend.

Momofuku Milk Bar

207 Second Ave.

Cuisine: Pastry chef Christina Tosi is gaining a following for her desserts, from shakes to panna cotta, made with “cereal-milk” flavors—they taste like the milk left at the bottom of a bowl of breakfast cereal. Also on offer are cakes, pies (pictured below), cookies and savories including pork buns.

Famous dish: Cereal-milk soft serve ice cream, $4.15

Prices: 10-inch cakes are $90; cookies are $1.85 each.

Getting In: Attached by a long hallway to Ssäm bar, Milk Bar does not accept reservations. Most orders are taken to go, though purchasers can also eat at high-topped tables.

Source:
Recipe for an Outrageous Cookbook
KATY MCLAUGHLIN  
WSJ, OCTOBER 16, 2009  
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704107204574471561810281526.html