I have been hearing and reading about David Chang and his Momofuku (Japanese for ‘lucky peach’) empire for years. What gave me the final push to actually go and try his food was the fact that Tony wrote a whole chapter about him in his book, Medium Raw. The restaurant’s focus is on ramen noodles and Korean-inspired dishes.

I ordered two of their most popular dishes. First: the luscious, mouthwatering, absolutely and perfectly divine pork buns ($10). A pork bun is a thick slab of roasted pork belly wrapped in an airy steamed bun, along with sliced cucumbers, hoisin sauce and chopped scallions.

These pork buns changed my life. The pork tasted like it’s been cooking all day. The fatty skin-side of the pork slab melted in my mouth with each bite. The meaty, savory flavor was contrasted perfectly by the cool, sweet-and-sour hoisin sauce. The thinly sliced cucumbers provided just enough crunch. There was nothing on this plate that didn’t belong there. I’ve always been a fan of pork, mostly chops and bacon, but this dish showed me how versatile, and truly magical, the pig could be.

The second dish was the ramen ($16), which consists of fresh, chewy, al dente (is there another term for this in reference to Asian cuisines?) noodles, a slab of pork belly, shredded pork shoulder and a poached egg. The dish is garnished with iceberg lettuce, scallions and squares of nori. The broth had a fantastic, homemade essence - it actually reminded me of my mom’s noodle soup. I let the dry nori steep in the broth, which made it soft and chewy, and added a nice textural element to the dish. Much like the pork buns, the ramen was incredible and essentially perfect.

This restaurant is always packed. If you plan to go here, try not to go with more than one person - they do not take reservations and a table for more than two will mean a long wait.

Click here to view their menus on Appetude

Courtesy of Appetude