Momofuku Noodle Bar Summerlicious

I first heard about Momofuku after hearing David Chang share a story on my favourite podcast, The Moth. So when I heard that he would be bringing an outpost of his acclaimed restaurant to the great white multicultural north, I knew I would make it my mission to go there. Which I did, albeit much later than expected. Aka last week, during Summerlicious.

All debates about Summerlicious aside, it's a great time to sample some of the city's finest without the commitment of an imposing price tag. Some may argue that it's not a reflection of what a restaurant truly offers. In my [very humble] opinion the key is to go in with an open mind and to some extent, tempered expectations.

Standard Summerlicious lunches run for $15, Momofuku included. My group arrived for 12, and it was surprisingly less busy than expected. The minimalist design, high ceilings, contemporary music (Jay Z played during lunch) and servers in tees and jeans displayed a distinct brand of self-aware trendiness.

Now let's talk about the stuff that matters: the food.

Appetizer: Salmon Crudo
Main: Fried Chicken
Dessert: Strawberry Lemon Truffle

The Good:

Food was fast. Almost alarmingly so. Within 5 minutes of ordering, appetizers appeared at the table. Not that I'm complaining, but upon greater reflection this is level of efficiency is probably due to:

• Competent kitchen staff
•  Lots of partially prepped food

The salmon crudo was artfully presented and lightly smoked. Although I'm not a huge fan of smoked flavour, the smoke was delicate and allowed the freshness of the fish to shine through.

The fried chicken, normally only available by reservation to groups of four or more, was on the menu for individual consumption during Summerlicious. The chicken was crisp without being oily and not overly battered. That being said it fell into the realm of 'good' instead of great.Which in all fairness, might be due to the catering-style efficiency that many restaurants employ during the Licious events.  

The (Subjectively) Bad:

The chicken didn't come with a starch or significant side ( it was served with two lettuce leaves and a smattering of kimchi) but I guess they figured that serving fried chicken individually was enough of a concession to warrant not serving anything major with it. 

Just Desserts

The dessert was a largely forgettable strawberry lemon truffle that tasted (not so vaguely) like a Starbucks cakepop. But this was only a precursor to the Milk bar bakery goodies housed upstairs (not included in Summerlicious). 

After lunch, we visited the Milk bar 'bakery'/refrigerator on the second floor of the space. I picked up a slice of the famed Crack Pie ($6 +tax) and a Compost cookie ($2+tax). The compost cookie tasted like grown-up chocolate chip cookie with an aftertaste reminiscent of coffee. 

Now I'm not a lover of sweets, but I was a fan of the Crack pie (no mayoral affiliation intended). Then I realized why...it tastes like a raisin-free butter tart with a slightly more interesting crust. So much so, I managed to power through the sugar overload and finish the slice in two days (record time for me).

Don't let the looks fool you...this is a slice of butter-tartesque heaven

Final thoughts: For $15 it was a good introduction to a well-regarded restaurant. Nonetheless, I left feeling like Momofuku was a little bit style over substance.  And I'm a fan of substance. Wait, that didn't sound right.

What are your thoughts on the effects 'Licious' events have on restaurants and diners? Have you been to Momofuku?