The first time the Engineer and I went to Momofuku was a year ago. We arrived on empty stomachs only to realize that they don't open until 5pm! We decided to alleviate our hunger by filling ourselves with subpar ramen from Rai Rai Ken and then shared Momofuku's signature dish- Momofuku Ramen which has a pork combo with a poached egg. We were not impressed.
Was it because we were already full? Or was it really because their ramen was average and overrated? In any case, we decided to give it another try.
On our way there, we bumped into the Dessert Truck! Woohoo! I've been dying to try something from their truck.
We ordered the "Chocolate Bread Pudding" and was simply satisfied! (Dessert before the main meal? Heinous!) The cold vanilla creme on top added a delicious touch to the warm chocolate pudding on the bottom.
When we finally arrived at Momofuku Noodle Bar (at exactly 8pm) we were surrounded by people outside and inside the restaurant waiting for a bowl of ramen. When I put our names down the estimated wait time was 30min. I knew it would be longer but I wanted to give this place a fair chance so I refrained from my urges of going somewhere else and waited patiently (or at least I tried). We were finally seated 55minutes later at the bar so we were able to see where all the magic happen. Here's the dude making our ramen.
The Engineer's Pork Ramen
My Momofuku Ramen
The poached egg was definitely a treat! I love egg yolk and the combination of noodle dripped in egg yolk was simply divine! The noodle by itself, however, was SALTY. In fact, everything was salty except for the egg. There wasn't much to the taste except for salt and MSG. In the end, my first impressions held and I will stick to my favorite ramen shop, Minca (more on that next time). For $16, Momofuku was DEFINITELY not worth it.
Our view of the kitchen was quite disturbing. The chefs had various roles and a man who was sweeping the floor made the raw fish WITHOUT washing his hands, ew! He mixed some garlic sauce with a spoon, tasted it to see if it was still fresh enough, and then put the SAME spoon back in to mix it some more! Double ew! Ignorance is bliss, yes, but I can't help but feel that the notoriety of the place and the vast amount of customers have caused this place to lose a few notches in cleanliness.
On our way back to the train station, we stopped by Chikalicious for some dessert. There was a LINE to get into Chikalicious but Dessert Club Chikalicious was line free and just as inviting. The Engineer and I decided to order frozen yogurt topped with strawberry sauce and REAL strawberries, blueberries, and grape. MMMmmMMmmm... couldn't have ended the night any better.
For your references:
Momofuku Noodle Bar
171 1st Ave
New York 10003
Btwn 10th & 11th St
(I suggest you to NOT go, save your money for something better and cheaper)
Dessert Club, Chikalicious
204 E. 10th Street
Btwn 1st and 2nd Ave
(Go I say, GO!)
Dessert Truck (@ night)
Around St. Marks, 8th Street, and 3rd Ave
