Momofuku Noodle Bar

10/07/09

Not worth the hype!

by randyg09

Overrated, Overrated, Overrated!

Skip this place and try any number of sushi/noodle places in the east village (for much less money)!

Here, you will wait two hours for small indescribable, non-creative dishes that are nothing special. (I had to go to Pomme Frite after dinner because I was so hungry!!)

Unless you know the manager don't expect good service here.

• Pros: Nothing I can thing of...
• Cons: Service, Price, Menu Options

05/01/09

not worth the price tag

by bucentaur

we followed the recommedation from another well known restaurant guide to this Japanese noodle bar with high hopes. However it turned out to be a not so enjoyable experience.

The first thing we noticed was that the seats were REALLY uncomfortable to sit on no to mention the elbow to elbow setting (although that's a given for any city dinning).

After settling down with a view of the kitchen, I realized that this so called "Japanese noodle house" has no Japanese chef in the kitchen, not even a single asian face in front of the stoves. A great indication of the authenticity of the food one would expect.

When our food came, the whole meal experience went downhill even more quickly. My wife ordered a serving of diver scalop with a price tag of $12. It turned out to be ONE single scalop, yes, ONE single not-so-big prefrozen scalop! Not the fancy type with the shell on, even smaller than the kind of scalop you would get from costco for $10.99 a POUND! What a rip-off...

when the noodle came, again the portion was miniscule. The ramen it self was pre-made dry noodle, and the broth, which is suppose to be the essence of Japanese ramen, was plain and salty.

For anyone interested in Japanese ramen, I strongly suggest you to turn away from this over-rated place. In fact, with a similar price tag, the nearby ipudo-NY can make you much happier after a meal.

• Cons: small portion, too salty, high price

03/28/09

Poor food, good location

by chenjilltw

While this restaurant is indisputably hip, I think that food-lovers and ramen-connoisseurs will be highly disappointed in this place. If you really want a delicious bowl of ramen, this WILL disappoint you. My bowl didn't have nearly enough broth or ramen. The staff was pretentious and unsympathetic when I told them I wasn't happy with my entree, and my waitress made me feel as if I were wrong for having high expectations. "Men Kui Tei" or "Sapporo East", also in the East Village, are far superior options in my opinion. If you want a great bowl of ramen, I recommend you go to a place that cares about quality more than a place like this. To be honest, I get the sense this place seeks to take advantage of its location and seeks to make business off customers who don't know quality ramen. You can do much, much better if you want a better meal! Top Ramen brand instant noodle might be comparable to this restaurant. However, if all you care about is modern decor, you may enjoy this place.

• Pros: Hip neighborhood
• Cons: Poor food and service

03/02/09

nice food

by sswww

Noodle is delicious esp. the soup.Noodle is delicious esp. the soup.Noodle is delicious esp. the soup.Noodle is delicious esp. the soup.Noodle is delicious esp. the soup.

• Pros: Example: best croissants in town
• Cons: What are the drawbacks?

02/02/09

Don't need to go back

by vpellsmo

Were there for lunch on Sunday...not the same as going at night-not crowded, no wait. We've been there a few times before, so we decided this time to take the parents for lunch. We were seated at the bar facing each other, and a few minutes after being seated, our neighbors were kind enough to let us know they were leaving, and if we wanted to take their seats (which were better) we were welcome. So, we slid down to take their 2 seats, keeping 2 of our original seats. WELL! Three staff members swarmed us, and the little poser w/ the Metallica band shirt very rudely said, "Can you just wait a minute until we can clean off the tables?!" (and I quote her). In all my 10 years of waitressing, I may have felt like saying that to people, but had the sense and the manners to just say, oh, ok, no problem. Little Hitler needs to get a grip on herself, because MOMOFUKO is not the end-all be all of noodle shops. And if it were, they'd likely have better customer service!! We started going there because of the review in NY Mag, but wtf?? Come to think of it, the service has always been rather eh, and quite frankly, you can get noodles just as good at Minka.

• Pros: ginger scallion ramen
• Cons: service, rude troll working door

01/29/09

Disappointed with salty food

by CheRibiti

Hi folks - I was so disappointed with my Momofuku experience. The food was way overpriced for what it was - and SO terribly salty! I began with the mushroom buns and the pickles - buns weren't bad, but the pickles just paled in comparison to REAL Japanese pickles, and the presentation in the pickle jar was just gimmicky. For entree I had the only vegetarian item on the menu - ramen. It was SO salty - my pressure must have skyrocketed after the meal. The ice cream was tasty, but again the gimmicky presentation in a Keebler cone with Stars and Stripes paper cone holder was slightly annoying. It struck me as something tourists would find "really cool". When my bill came for over $50 I knew I had to write this review. I m not a complainer or a hater! I know everyone is doing their best - if you guys are reading cut down on the salt! That's what SOY SAUCE IS FOR. The 45 minute wait didn't exactly endear me to the place either. Also my standards are high - because I've actually been to Japan.

01/24/09

Overrated!

by chefyinbrooklyn

The pork buns are delicious but very expensive. The three occasions I've been there the broth in the noodle dishes was too salty. It has potential for having great ramen but the salt factor is unbearable and I have a heavy salt palate than most. The best ramen by far is Village Yokocho and far cheaper.

• Pros: None
• Cons: Expensive for what it is

12/17/08

Still good, but not consistently amazing

by zebu

I think this place is still tops. Just not tippity tops. They seem to have some provisioning problems. Tough Steaks and Mussels that were a bit too briny.

• Pros: Pumpkin Horchatta
• Cons: Tough Steak

12/08/08

AMAZING NOODLES, EXPENSIVE BEER

by reef1020

Momofuko is one of my favorite restaurants in NYC by FAR. I have been going there for over a year, and I am absolutely a loyal fan. The noodles are delicious, and any appetizer is to die for. I also recommend the grape ice cream. My only thing I do not like, is the drink menu. It has changed so much over the past 6 months, the prices have been raised, and now the cheapest thing on the drink menu is a beer for 8 bucks. Mind you, i have a steady job, and like nice dinners, but I can go drop 150 bucks on dinner and still be able to buy a 6 dollar beer. My only complaint, more variety or drinks for cheaper.

• Pros: amazing noodles
• Cons: expensive beer

10/24/08

CRAMPED, BUT GOOD

by rsgrimes

The place is tightly cramped and loud, but the food makes up for it. The portions are rather small, my girlfriend and I shared 3 "entrees" that borderline put me at satiety. The pork bun was nice and juicy, regrettably I did not get chicken, which is stuffed with more meat. The roasted chicken wings were unlike anything I've tasted. I had my reservations about the ramen noodles, but its nothing like tha packages that you get 5 for a dollar at the supermarket. It was all very good.

It's a place to go with work buddies or good friends, not with a new date. Oh yeah, and if you don't ask for a fork, they won't give you one. And if you have a lot of pride, like me, then get your chopstick game up because EVERYBODY in there knew how to use them, except me and my date. I was kind of embarassed with my awkward chopstick use, until I gave up and used a fork.

• Pros: cheap (compared to nyc restaurants), tasty food
• Cons: no forks, small portions, little dessert selection, expensive drinks, cramped