I joined a friend for an early dinner at Momofuku at the Cosmo. I'd been curious about Momofuku restaurants for ages, but I never had the opportunity to swing by one of the NYC outposts. The new Strip location is convenient, and spacious too.
Momofuku knocks it out of the park in terms of atmosphere. The front bar area is casual and lively, while the dining room in the back is more upscale, with an eye-popping panoramic view of the Strip. (Seriously, request a window seat when making your reservation.)
After being seated, our server came by to take our orders. We skipped the booze this time around, instead choosing to indulge in an array of different buns -- pork belly, shrimp, and chicken karaage. The karaage was easily my favorite, with a nice crisp and tender center. The shrimp was tasty too, but a little on the briny side. While my guest loved the pork belly, I found it too fatty and gristly. (I think we just had very different expectations.)
Where Momofuku knocks it out of the park is the ramen. I had the chickpea ramen with scallions, chickpea miso, and bokchoy. I absolutely loved the rich, miso-infused broth, and the doneness of the bokchoy. The superstars of the dish were the crispy chickpeas sprinkled generously on top, which are addictive in both texture and flavor.
Service is friendly and efficient; the prices are hilariously out-of-control. I get that the Cosmo is a high-rent space, but the prices are literally twice what they should be.
Minor gripes aside, I'm 99% sure I'll be back to Momofuku -- if for no other reason than that chickpea ramen.