We had been looking forward to the Fried Chicken Dinner at Momofuku Noodle Bar for exactly one month, since you need to make a reservation at 10:00:01 AM one month prior to the day you want to dine. We got a 6:00 PM slot on a Thursday night for 6 people... A solid crew of friends who we knew would enjoy 21 pieces of some of the best fried chicken this city (country?) has to offer.
But before I get ahead of myself, I'll sing the praises of their pork buns. We got 3 orders (1 bun/person) before the fried chicken, and it was a great set-up for the feast that was to come. The bun is as soft as cotton and the pork, hoisin, & cucumber inside melt into it. My only request would be to stuff that bun with even more goodies!
On to the big show... The dinner comes with 21 pieces of fried chicken - half "Southern" style (single fried & drenched in a buttermilk batter with Old Bay seasoning) & half "Korean" style (triple fried & marinated in bibum sauce). You get an even mix of wings, breast, & drumlegs.
But before I get ahead of myself, I'll sing the praises of their pork buns. We got 3 orders (1 bun/person) before the fried chicken, and it was a great set-up for the feast that was to come. The bun is as soft as cotton and the pork, hoisin, & cucumber inside melt into it. My only request would be to stuff that bun with even more goodies!
On to the big show... The dinner comes with 21 pieces of fried chicken - half "Southern" style (single fried & drenched in a buttermilk batter with Old Bay seasoning) & half "Korean" style (triple fried & marinated in bibum sauce). You get an even mix of wings, breast, & drumlegs.
Alongside the fried chicken are a wide array of fix-ins: pancakes, veggies/herbs (bibb lettuce, mint, basil, baby carrots, radishes, & peppers), & sauces (hoisin, bibim, ginger-scallion, & jalapeno-garlic).
The bibim, IMO, was similar to a sweet chili sauce, but much more chili than sweet.
Basically, once this is all in front of you, the table is your oyster! Everyone has a smile on their face & is ready to dig in. I suggest you get after it immediately cause the chicken is best as soon as it is fresh out of the frier & in the middle of your table.
The combos are limitless and your favorites will depend on your taste buds. Me? I liked the Korean style a hair more than the Southern style. It had more of a crunch to it, which might have something to do with the triple fry. My favorite combo was a chunk of the Korean (w/ skin on, of course) alongside mint & hoisin. My mouth is watering just thinking about it!
Basically, once this is all in front of you, the table is your oyster! Everyone has a smile on their face & is ready to dig in. I suggest you get after it immediately cause the chicken is best as soon as it is fresh out of the frier & in the middle of your table.
The combos are limitless and your favorites will depend on your taste buds. Me? I liked the Korean style a hair more than the Southern style. It had more of a crunch to it, which might have something to do with the triple fry. My favorite combo was a chunk of the Korean (w/ skin on, of course) alongside mint & hoisin. My mouth is watering just thinking about it!
Korean-style Fried ChickenI also loved the Southern style chicken dipped in the ginger-scallion sauce.
The batter plus the deep fry in both types of chicken make each bite crunchy & juicy. The chicken is so good on its own & the fix-ins just push the meal into another world.
Anyone who likes fried chicken NEEDS to get involved ASAP (if you can get a res - it's silly competitive). For those that don't, get involved & prepare to become a fan.
Anyone who likes fried chicken NEEDS to get involved ASAP (if you can get a res - it's silly competitive). For those that don't, get involved & prepare to become a fan.
All the info you need regarding Momofuku & their reservation system can be found here: http://www.momofuku.com/
(Jess & I also did a write up on their Ramen & Milk Bar: http://therestauranthoppers.blogspot.com/2010/02/momofuku-noodle-bar.html)
The atmosphere upon entering the dining room is infectious - the chefs yell as you walk by and the dining room is filled with people slurping their ramen bowls up with big spoons and chatting away. They really do pack you in but it's a surprisingly large space - much bigger than Momo.
We really did a throwdown between Momofuku and Ippudo by ordering the exact same thing at each. Pork buns > ramen. The pork buns at Ippudo had a great sauce and lettuce for some crunch, which was positive, but I must say that the lack of pork meat left a bad taste in my mouth. You only got two good bites with meat before you were left with a squishy bun and that's it! +1 for Momo. The Akamaru ramen bowls at Ippudo are wonderful - large, filled with lots of stuff and a delicious chutney/paste in the middle of the bowl so that when you stir it around, the broth takes on a heavenly, savory flavor. So the ramen bowl did redeem the pork buns, however I'm going to have to give Momo +1 for the ramen battle because my personal taste is in favor of their lighter broth, lots of cucumbers and scallions and the ginger flavor. However, Eric gives the +1 to Ippudo for ramen - to each his own. As I said to him last night, Ippudo gives you the dirty dirty ramen and Momo is a little more healthy-feeling, not as salty.