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| - Let the record show that my visit to Momofuku Noodle Bar was during Winterlicious. Having said that, I am well aware that Winterlicious menus are typically not indicative of how a restaurant prepares food on a regular night.
But in spite of that fact, this is ramen I'm talking about. The broth is prepared well in advance as are most of the condiments. The only things actually made to order are the meat (which was chicken thigh in this case), poached egg, and noodles, which do not require much precision to cook.
After having said THAT, this was a very disappointing ramen experience. The broth was extremely plain, reminiscent of chicken broth, and the portion size was noticeably smaller than the small sized serving at all other ramen restaurants.
The pork bun was good as expected, but not mind-blowing as other reviews may suggest. Yes, seared pork belly is delicious, but at the end of the day, it's JUST pork belly with hoisin sauce and green onion. The bao was soft and balanced well with the pork and sauce, but again, nothing amazing.
Lastly, not to be outdone by the ramen, dessert was their cereal bar milk soft serve, and this was the "cherry" to top off a rather underwhelming tasting experience. It's basically milk soft serve, with pureed corn flakes. If someone told me that a child came up with this dessert idea, I would completely believe you. This was like something a child would say they made. Why are people paying money for this? This is an absurd dessert. My friend opted for the Soy Milk Panna Cotta, which was arguably worse. The panna cotta was flavourless, and the pomelo garnish didn't improve the experience.
Overall, if you're looking for a great ramen experience, you've made a ghastly error in going to Momofuku Noodle Bar. There are many (hell, even just one would do) other better ramen options within walking distance. I understand that it's Winterlicious. I also understand that Momofuku's prime location obligates them to up the price on food. And I'm totally fine with that. But they should ensure that their product is on par with their competition. And at the very least, for Winterlicious, their food should pique my curiosity enough to want to return on a regular night.
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