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[Mar. 14th, 2008|04:15 pm] |
So Marci and I took advantage of our pain-in-the-ass-to-get reservation, and ate at Momofuku Ko last night. There's no disputing that the food is definitely, without a doubt, really, really damn awesome. And it's sort of thrilling to eat there, because the space has room for no tables — just a 14-seat bar that opens onto food prep space. Not exactly a bustling, hot kitchen, but a swift-moving efficient operation with the minimal set of tools necessary. The food prep staff is as close to you as bartenders would be at a regular bar, and every oyster shucking, pan sear, and deep frying is immediately visible to you. In other words, the entire place is one big chef's table. And true to form, David Chang was there, overseeing the entire operation, occasionally stepping in to do some slicing and stirring, but mostly just watching and tasting.
There's no food choices here; Instead, a Moleskin notebook is placed in front of you, and the first austere page shows you the cost for the food and the cost for wine pairing. That's it. You have to love a place that has a disclaimer "we apologize but the current menu at momofuku ko does not accommodate guests who do not eat meat, fish or dairy."
But in spite of all that, I can't really say that it's worth the effort or expense.
We were served eleven courses in all:
- Chicharron dusted with togarashi
- Mini-english muffins with whipped pork fat infused with bay leaf
- Fluke sashimi in spicy buttermilk with poppy seeds and chive
- Seared pork belly with a single half-shell oyster, over wilted cabbage in a kim chi broth
- Soft-boiled hen egg with hackelback caviar over onions soubise, with fingerling potato chips and chervil
- Pan-seared scallops, manila clams, and sea beans, with dashi and and mushroom puree
- Shaved foie gras over lychees, lychee gelee and pine nut brittle
- Deep fried short ribs with daikon and pickled mustard seeds, with carrot and grilled scallion
- Grilled rice roll with pickled vegetables, served with a miso broth
- Pineapple gelato with caramelized pineapple wedges
- Fried apple pie with sour ice cream and miso syrup
$85/each for the food, $50/each for the wine & sake pairing. Total bill, pre-tip, was just under $300. And the food was unilaterally outstanding.
I've come to realize that when I'm dropping this much bank and working this hard for a reservation, I expect a lot more than just excellent food.
The geometry of the space demands that the visual barrier between kitchen staff and diner is completely obliterated. But curiously, in spite of this, I felt like social wall between staff and guest was larger than most restaurants. Definitely larger than at restaurants that offer comparable dining at similar prices. Usually when a meal crosses the three-figures-per-person barrier, you can expect that the staff will be working hard to make your experience an enjoyable, comfortable one. Not necessarily leisurely or overly friendly, but at least concerned with your level of enjoyment. At Ko, the staff's emphasis on efficiency and minimal intrusion seemed to be at odds with a layout. The whole approach seems to intend to rethink the traditional dining experience and collapse constructions of formality, but ultimately it came out on the opposite end of the spectrum. I got a strong "look but don't touch (or talk)" vibe from everyone involved, and actually felt less comfortable there than at other high-end joints. It's also hard to justify the high cost when the restaurant takes a stripped-down approach to staffing, where the hostesses triple as the wine stewards and busers. I'm sure a good portion of it goes toward high quality ingredients (and NYC rent), but it's hard to make sense of it. And yes, I'll even complain that the wine pours were tiny.
Still, I'd want to go back. Not for a while, though, when the menu has undergone a complete overhaul. |
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