Lex and I spent the morning visiting the 9/11 Museum, which was incredibly moving and also very intense. We are both glad we went as it gave us a new perspective and attitude towards the smaller things in life.

After our visit, we chose to get naughty and indulge at the Shake Shack near Brooksfield Place. During the more touristy times around NYE, we had seen lines out the door for Shake Shack, so we thought we’d take advantage of the empty tables and give this popular burger joint a try. Nothing bad. The fries and burgers were probably a little better than good old McDonald’s, but not Grill’d level (if you’ve never had a Grill’d burger, you should!).

After what seemed like a heavy morning, we made a spur-of-the-moment decision and quickly headed to the East Village to see the new Jennifer Lawrence movie, ‘Joy’ (we had 40 minutes until the start time). On a day that had already included fast food, I saw the option of getting popcorn as a no-brainer (in fact, this whole trip I was telling myself “I’ll hit the gym when I get home” – I’m home now and still haven’t I’ve gone, tomorrow!). In the reclining seats we sat down and settled…

Lex and I wanted to try Momofuku Noodle Bar in the East Village. We had stopped by a few days earlier and it was very busy so we thought after the movie and while in the area we might as well give it a try. Momofuku Noodle Bar was the first of many food joints for chef-owner David Chang, and he now has several locations around the city, as well as others in Toronto, Washington DC, and Sydney. The Noodle Bar is the more casual (and affordable) option, focusing primarily on ramen dishes. I once read that it is affectionately referred to as “slurp row”. The locations are listed below, and for any Sydney chef-owner out there, David Chang recently opened one at The Star in Sydney.

Rentals:

Momofuku Noodle Bar (East Village)
Nishi (Chelsea)
Sams Bar (Union Square)
Ko (NoHo – very exclusive and hard to reserve a place)
Booker and Dax (Union Square – cocktail bar)

We waited about 20 minutes for a table and excitedly watched huge (seriously huge) bowls of ramen being served to hungry customers. The place was buzzing with energy (and people waiting for a table – after we got there the line was out the door). It really was a place that had a distinctive buzz and energy. The hostess ushered us to our table and we truly had the best seat in the house. If you go to Momofuku, I would recommend asking for this table, the final seat at the chef’s table. With the kitchen open, our table allowed us to see absolutely everything from the prep to the preparation and training of the new guy, Sam, who had just started that day (poor guy, he looked so stressed). We also saw a little love story between who we think is the head chef and his assistant. Lex thinks that he was glorifying the situation and that they were just friendly with each other… it’s up to you. A sight at the chef’s table cannot be underestimated; it was absolutely amazing to see how our food was prepared and how fast, precise and efficient the operation of the kitchen was. I was also delighted to see exactly what went into creating my meal, from the cooking techniques to the ingredients.

What we ask for:

Lex couldn’t resist starting with a serving of the chicken meatball buns. Although I’m not too concerned with pork buns/buns of any kind, Lex insisted I try them (and I’m glad I did!). A flavorful mix of chicken, jalapeno, iceberg, and paprika mayonnaise sat nicely on a bun. Lex was very impressed.

For main, 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 watched the chef make this dish more. Lex went for the chilled spicy noodles. The waitress warned her that she was spicy – Lex was more than okay with this! I was also tempted by this option but I wasn’t sure if he wanted something cool on such a cold night. We also watched the chef prepare this dish and they were very careful not to put even a dash more of the required chilli sauce in the bowl.

Both dishes arrived promptly in the huge bowls we saw earlier. We really wanted to dig! Although I would have liked a touch of chili in my Momofuku ramen, it was still delicious and slurpable. The ramen consisted of pork belly, pork shoulder and was nicely topped with a poached egg. Lex’s noodles were a combination of Sichuan sausage, spinach, and cashews; he commented 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 great with chili, stay away. He definitely had a hit. I’m not even sure I was able to get through the bowl with that amount of spice! However, Lex loved it.

Overall, a delicious and heartwarming meal. Neither of us could finish as the portions were large, but that does not reflect the quality of the food. Momofuku Noodle Bar, while definitely the cheapest option of David Chang’s companies, still wasn’t. However, you pay for what you get, generous portions, delicate and careful preparation and great Asian flavours. I would recommend Momofuku Noodle Bar for smaller groups, as it’s a loud place, and I would definitely recommend asking the hostess for a seat at the chef’s table (even if it means having to wait a bit longer). You also can’t make reservations, so try to go on a quieter night.

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