Only in NY could you find 2 exemplary & complementary, yet completely different, restaurants less than a block away from each other. Momofuku is deserving of any lunch or late night dinner while in NY, but save room for dessert at the excellent Chikalicious just a half-block away. A trip to both is mandatory for one NY afternoon.

Momofuku

If ever there was a restaurant to dispel the myths of the ‘cheap eats’ crowd, Momofuku is it. The argument goes that authentic food, and thus good food, doesn’t have to be expensive to be great. No one denies that cheap, ethnic food can’t be tasty. The counter-argument is that by using better ingredients than their industrial wholesale suppliers provide, the food could be better yet. Momofuku shows that ‘cheap’ food can be even tastier w/ high-quality ingredients.

It’s a narrow space, perhaps befitting of a trendy bar, where diners line up at the bar and watch the kitchen cook. There are a few different appetizers, some shellfish, and bowls of noodles for the main course. The ingredients are top-notch w/ the farms of their popular bacon & pork getting mentions at the bottom of the menu. The prices are relatively inexpensive for the quality of the food.

1. Anson Mills Yellow Grits & Ruby Red Shrimp w/ Poached Egg $14
Sounds like a basic dish, but the grits are outstanding – they have an incredible corn flavor w/ extra richness provided by the egg. The small cubes of bacon add some saltiness and the shrimp are sweet and perfectly-cooked tender.

2. Berkshire Pork Steamed Bun $7
The buns are slightly sweet and the pork is absolutly delicious. You get pork buns often @ chinese banquet dinners but these are a model to follow – take the freshest ingredients and the yums will follow.

3. Barron Point Oysters w/ Kimchee Puree $3
Not a big fan of oysters but these went down fairly innculously. The kimchee puree was a nice touch instead of the usual hot sauce.

4. Wellfleet Oysters w/ Kimchee Puree $3
These were a bit too briny for me

5. Pork Neck Ramen $13
An excellent bowl of ramen – the noodles were fresh, the pork was slightly smoky, the broth had a nice depth and a poached egg added a small dimension to it all.

Momofuku is billed as a noodle bar, and while technically it is, don’t go expecting the usual fare. This is excellent food – pristine ingredients, careful technique, & wonderful flavors. There should be more smaller places like this.

Chikalicious tomorrow…

- chuck