NYC Momofuku midnight snack

After our late night show we decided to head back south again and drop by Momofuku noodle bar a Japanese/Korean/Chinese fusion restaurant. My first attraction to this place was the fried chicken special which has to be reserved in advance and unfortunately also requires a minimum party of four. So we settled for a midnight snack…best late night decision!

The place has I feel a very Japanese influenced setting and reminds me a little of a sushi or ramen bar with clean cut wooden tables and benches or stools. We were lucky to make it just in time to order the from the more extensive dinner menu before they changed over to their late night selections.

For starters we shared a Shiitake steamed bun which is sautéed shiitake mushrooms and cucumber in a steamed bun or what in Chinese cuisine is called gua bao. Usually gua bao is served with slices of soy marinated beef in the past instead of the mushrooms. This was a great palette opener as the salty shiitakes have a naturally strong aromatic taste and the light sautéing amplified their flavour. This was contrasted by the crisp cucumber and the sweet, soft and Q steamed bun (Q is chinese colloquialism describing dough based products that are soft and yet retain their elasticity - anyone know what the English equivalent of this word is?).

Accompanying this we tried their refreshing Yuzu soju slushie. Yuzu is a citrus which has a grapefruit-like taste and great for a slightly alcoholic ice cold drink.

For the main I chose the best late night snack - noodles! So I tried the signature Momofuku ramen which comes with nori (dried seaweed), marinated strands of bamboo shoots, generous dose of green/spring onions, slices of quivering pork belly and a soft boiled egg. This was the perfect meal to help brace against the cold on our way home.

I have nothing but love for this place and will be back…now just need to find people to make the trip to NYC together so I can try the fried chicken meal!