Momofuku Ko

I love to eat, I love researching up new places, new cuisines and new restaurants and share them with my friends. In my circle of friends, I am the unofficial restaurant picker. But I have this insane list of restaurants that I hope to try. It never seems to dwindle since I always end up eating at my favorite restaurants and since a new restaurant seem to be opening every day in NY. So hopefully by starting this blog, I will be obliged to eat at new places. I will start off with the most memorable restaurants I ate at during my two years in the East Coast:

1) Momofuku Ko, Babbo, Degustation, Szechuan Gourmet, Chikalicious (NY)
2) Oya (Boston)

3) Rangoon Burmese Restaurant (Philly)

Momofuku Ko

I remembered attempting to get reservations for Momofuku Ko for two entire months and having absolutely no luck. Every morning without fail, I would get into work at 9am, log into the Momofuku website and hit "refresh" constantly for the next 45minutes. After 2 months, I was at my wits' end. Fortunately at some point in time, my boyfriend (DBF) got involved in this endeavour and on his 2nd attempt, managed to snag us two dinner reservations at 6.30pm. His curious streak of good luck applies to Priceline too (but that's another story).

It was a rainy day but the boyfriend and I were almost 15 minutes early for our appointment and chose to walk around the block before showing up. We didn't want to go in as they only had 12 seats and we mistakenly thought they had a first seating before us. Momofuku Ko was a small space, with a wooden counter where everyone can sit and observe the chefs in action. For some people, paying $100+ per person to sit on the counter seems excessive but for the two of us, it was dinner with a show.

Our amuse bouche arrived:

Chicharrón - pork rinds made from Four Story Hill farm pork skin. Perhaps these were prepared well before we arrived but there was no crunch, was rather spongy and tasteless. Since the only pork rinds I had are deep fried an an accompanient to congee, I am not the best judge.

The second amuse was English muffins with pork fat and green onions. It was grease to me - at this point in time, I was doubting my uneducated palate. Thoughts of "Why don't I get this? Everyone is raving about it."

1st course - Fluke with poppy seeds, buttermilk and yuzu - I loved this dish. It was so light and refreshing. I love the different textures of the dish and wish that they choose microgreens instead.

2nd course is where DBF and I started to receive different courses:
Him - grilled oyster, well-crisped pork belly and bok choi in kimchi consumme

I - pea soup with crawfish and morels in yuba

He hates oysters (which I happily polished off) but loves pork belly and pea soup. Honestly I don't remember much abt both dishes except that the pea soup was satifsying for a cold, rainy night.

3rd courses

Him - sous-vide egg with caviar and fingerling potato chips

I - chawanmushi -- egg custard with asparagus, caviar and braised cashews

These two dishes are some of the best egg dishes we ever had in our lives. Being Asians and brunchy people, we have so many different types of eggs. But we always reminisce about these two egg preparations. DBF stole my dish from right under my nose because it's soft, flavorful and has nuts. The sous-vide egg with caviar was out of this world - I wish I could remember exactly why but it has a lot to do with that tangy, sweet and vingery sauce they had.

4th course

Both of us - Lasagna with escargot, morels, ricotta salata and broccoli flowers, and a ricotta foam sauce. This was IT. I have never had a lasagna like that - the mushrooms were so earthy coupled with the escargots, the pasta was al dente and the ricotta foam and broccoli flowers - different levels of umami!!. If I didn't have a boyfriend, this will when I will just gaze in admiration at David Chang and hope that he marries me and cook me this dish for the rest of my life.

5th course

Both - halibut in red beet purée topped with diced radishes, bok choy and burnt onion
Anti-climatic after the lasagna.

6th course

Both - shaved foie gras with lychees, pine nut brittle and grape wine gelee

One word - orgamisic. How does David Chang come up with these combinations? To freeze the foie gras with liquid nitrogen and shave it so fine like parmesan cheese, with the lychees, the pine nut brittle and grape wine gelee. DBF later told me that he hated this dish. If only he had said so earlier, I would gladly take it off his hands!!

7th course

Him - Deep fried short ribs, daikon with mustard seeds and pickled carrots

I - Chicken roulard with baby turnips and zucchini

The deep fried short ribs were insanely fatty and the reduced sauce looked and tasted like demi-glace. The chicken was overcooked and I chose not to finish it since I hated overcooked meat regardless of where I am eating.

8th course

Both - cantaloupe sorbet with cashew butter

I never figured David Chang to be a dessert guy. I loved when chefs played with sweet (sorbet) and savory (cashew butter) for desserts. DBF once again hated this, since he doesn't like it when chefs mix these two flavors together.

9th course

Him - Fried apple pie with sour-cream ice cream and toasted miso paste
I - "cereal milk" panna cotta with corn flakes, chocolate, and avocado cream. Sweet, salty, sour, silkly, crunchy... the perfect desserts to a wonderful meal. The desserts were so good I didn't feel the need to hit up Chikalicious, my usual dessert joint in the EV.

Would I go back to Momofuku Ko? In a heartbeat!!