Momofuku Ko

Not worth at all.
Expensive ingredient but tastes very «interesting».
I don’t know how this restaurant can be rated for 4.5 starts.

Came here for a private dinner party and had a lovely time. I knew that I enjoy David Chang’s style and had the great opportunity to join in a group event at Ko so we sat in the private back room with a party of 12 (plus an adorable baby!) and the seating was very comfortable, the ambiance super trendy. The noise level in the room was louder than we expected which made casual conversation across the length of the table near impossible. Otherwise, very comfortable, plenty of space, and very private. I particularly want to compliment the cutlery and dinner ware,
Juan and K.C. did an amazing job making our party comfortable and the evening totally lovely. With almost magical grace the plates were swept into the room, the table set, and drinks refreshed.
I started out with the Sour followed by the Old Fashioned and both were drinks I’d easily spend an evening with. The Sour was tart, refreshing, served in a tumbler with a GIANT ice cube maintaining the temperature at a perfect chill without diluting the delicious concoction.
I am traditionally an Old Fashioned drinker and find that I really enjoy smooth, round flavors that aren’t syrupy sweet and definitely not a maraschino cherry type of person. Unfortunately this Old Fashioned has introduced me to a whole new level for my favorite drink, seamlessly blended in notes of warm fresh coffee with luscious bourbon and bitters. I am sure it will take a very long time before I can master this flavor profile on my own or find another that can make it– completely awesome.
For the rest of the meal, Juan generously paired our dishes with appropriate wines, all of which were delicious, unusual, and complimentary.
The front end of the tasting experience were definitely the more mind blowing combinations. Each dish maintained a simple overall structure and the flavor of each individual ingredient was preserved but in a tantalizing combination that danced with your taste buds bringing out hints of pepper or unexpected floral notes. I ventured for a dairy free pescatarian menu and was extremely happy I did! Every dish was equally as impressive if not more so than the normal counterpart and I left with a happy tummy!
For beginning bites we enjoyed scallops marinated in buttermilk (almond milk for me!) with floating flowers, sprinkles of of poppy to make for a very vibrant yet gentle introduction to the evening’s adventure. This ranks high as one of my favorite dishes as the first bite was quite revolutionary.
The next dish was a tuna tartare jelly compote that had interesting textures and good freshness, great to prepare the palette for the next savory bite.
This was followed by the uni and chickpea mousse. This is difficult for me because uni is one of my most favorite flavors and textures in the world while chickpeas fall in my least favorite category. The juxtaposition of the smooth mousse with the soft yet slightly grainy uni was awesome and while I ventured to pair the two for a few bites, in the end I gave my heart to the uni and the chickpea to my date. I cannot emphasize how much I enjoyed every bite of the uni and appreciate it’s fresh preparation.
This was followed by a small razor clam dish with sprouted basil seeds and oil. Another example of a lighter palette cleansing bite, this time with interesting contrast of chewy razor clam paired with slippery seeds.
Small bites were followed by a delightful stretchy bread paired with cheese cave aged butter. I’m not normally a fan of butter but this was awesome and I encourage enjoying your breads with this course!
Transitioning to more savory was one of the most artistic arrangements of the evening, a soft egg pouring delicate caviar into a pool of beet juice on top of a root purée with chips. I found this dish a lot of fun to eat, trying different combinations of all of the components and finally realizing at the end it’s best to have a little of everything.
Next was a lobster with white asparagus covered in a delightful rich sauce that I soaked in with the rest of the stretchy bread.
My final savory dish was a seared eggplant with mixed greens topped with roasted nuts. The eggplant was almost caramelized, the flavor was deep, and overall quite lovely.
The mid-​meal dishes presented the palate with more rich flavors and fewer subtle surprises, really hitting the savory notes. We were slightly surprised by the brevity of the transition from the meat/​eggplant dishes to the desserts and felt that one more savory carb would have done the trick.
Transitioning to dessert was a light lychee treat with shaved foie for the meat folks at the table. Finishing our meal, we all had a cherry blossom sorbet, mine was paired with a delightful coconut milk.
I left Ko wanting to experience again, I appreciate the generous creativity, flavor and charm. Well done :)

I’m a huge fan of David Chang and look forward to continuing my repeat visits to Ssam Bar and trying his other restaurants. I don’t see myself coming back to Ko unless it’s on someone else’s dime. It’s simple, I loved the small bites: Lobster Paloise, Chicken Oyster and the Kimchi. But after those courses, at no point did I think to myself, «this is incredible.» When the Razor Clams came out, I was psyched… until I tried them. Same thing with the Chicken Pie, Rhubarb, the Sirloin, the Foie Gras, the Baked Egg and so on. Nothing was bad, but not enough of the courses were incredible when it came down to taste (presentation was flawless). Every time I’ve had a meal in this price range: Le Bernardin, Per Se, O Ya, Daniel, or even Aureole back in the day, I’ve never come away with anything near the opinion I had of my meal at Momofuku Ko.
I have to hand it to Chang. The restaurant is beautiful. He did a great job giving each party their own space so that you can have a private dinner even though most of the restaurant is sitting around the open kitchen. I wanted to love this meal, but it was a miss.

This is a hard review to write, I have to admit.
Having participated in a magical evening at Ko a lifetime ago (2009), we decided that we needed to return now that Ko had moved to swankier digs. That meal loomed high in the lore of our lifetime best meals catalogue of stories: moments of real whimsy, fantastical preparations, daring combinations and most of all, giggle inducing fun on a plate. It was sensational.
Alas, the thrill is gone. Sure, the food still uses some amazing top quality ingredients and technique: there are dishes that surprise, there are dishes that sing. But it is all very, very safe. Maybe it is just that other restaurants have now hitched their stars to that same wagon of creativity, a little on the side of mischief just enough to thrill the diner, but if I’m going to spend hard earned food dollars and and an ever rarer night out without my kids, I want magic. It was in short supply at Ko this time around.
The wines by the glass and the cocktails, both is meager supply, were very good, I just wish they offered more choices (the 75+ page wine list was ostentatious in comparison). The pours were also incredibly ungenerous, and at $ 17-​$ 35 a glass, diners deserved more than a ¾ glass pour. I also scoffed at the ridiculous price for the wine pairings… no one when we were there, it seemed, went that route. I hope the management will take notice and pull it back from the stratospheric range.
Sadly, Ko no longer looms as large for us as it did before. I used to recommend Ko as that rare experience where you can’t imagine the sleight of hand required to pull together an enticing combination of flavors, but there was little here to wonder at any longer. The cat is out of the bag and they just aren’t trying hard enough to get it back. Judging by recent reviews of other Chang restaurants, perhaps that magic can only be spread so thin before it disappears altogether.

Really nice blend of Asian and French styles mixed with the flair or American creativity provides a very nice experience. Finally some imagination in New York, this place reminds me of Schwa in Chicago.
The small bites were the stars of the show as they were tasty and came at an awesome rapid pace. Chicken oyster, razor clam, and the chicken pie were amazing. There wasn’t enough savory food as you leave a little hungry.
Great experience, I would come back.

The easiest five-​star and the most stress free dining experience ever. Just close your eyes, open up your appetite, and wait for David Chang’s genius to send your mouth and belly to a happy place.
To start, the décor is incredible. Converted from a old garage, the unique location in the hidden alleyway is decorated with an industrial feel that reminds you of gentrified Williamsburg, which may be overdone in Brooklyn but is a welcome change from the typical Manhattan joints. The restaurant could have doubled the number of seats and reservations per night — but it doesn’t for good reason, leaving it with an openness and grown-​up noise level that is perfect for any casually special occasion.
On top of the impeccable ambience, the service is immaculate and down to earth without being overly formal, and the coursing speed and portion sizes of the dishes just right, leaving you comfortably full but not overly stretched by the end of the meal.
Oh, the food. The food. Maybe just two of the 13 courses we had were not knock-​outs. The staples you have seen in food blogs and instagram photos (the uni and chickpea, caviar and sweet potato, shaved foie gras tart) will serve as a more than strong foundation for David Chang to get creative for the rest of the menu.
The best part of the overall experience is that you can just focus on genuinely enjoying the experience and the actual dinner table conversations, without worrying about whether you have picked the right dishes from the menu and expecting when the next dish will come. Just leave it to Ko to do all the work for you omakase style and enjoy one of the finest, no-​frill culinary journeys of New York City.

Wow!!!
That was one impressive (and creative) tasting menu.
Packed house, but the noise level surprisingly wasn’t too bad.
A treat watching Executive Chef Sean Gray and all the young chefs meticulously preparing each dish in the open kitchen.
Highlights: ALL (well, maybe one exception, the olive oil ice cream with yuzu/​chocolate mousse dessert… very creative, but… nevermind).
Only complaint (minor): I wanted a piece of that lobster that was used to make the bouillabaisse.
Impeccable service. I dined at Nishi the previous night, and one thing that stood out from both David Chang’s establishments was how down-​to-​earth and friendly the staff was.
Also, they give you the day’s menu in a nice folder to take home.
: A+
Reservation at the counter is difficult. Informed that you can walk-​in and sit at the bar, which offers a smaller 4-​or 5– course tasting menu at $ 75.

From the Mind of a Chef into my belly!
Mr. Chang definitely takes you on a journey that starts with a little foreplay and ends with an amazing climax on your palate.
The 14 courses left me and my gf so full!
Highlights:
Potato chip and Cheez it
Black Bass Shiso
Chicken Oyster
Chicken Pie with black truffle
Wagyu strip with home made A1 and potato churro
The service and ambience was amazing. The servers were attentive and were on point. Switching seamlessly from my request to switch from sparkling to still and giving free drinks for our anniversary.

What a phenomenal experience. We loved the ambiance of this place, which is both romantic and trendy, vibrant yet conducive to conversation, epicurean yet accessible.
Not every course was a hit, but there were certainly plenty of home runs. But the friendliness of the wait staff, the chefs, and especially the sommelier, Chase, Sinzer, are what really made this a remarkable evening.
I suspect most people her opt for the wine pairings, which we often do, too, but if so they are missing a terrific wine list, with exclusively great producers, and some very reasonable prices.
Truly a special dining experience, and one I look forward to repeating.

Sooooooo… I think it’s a tad over rated. Great night, great service, great beverage pairing but at some point, it just didn’t wow me. There was not one dish that made say «Holy shit… I never!». Yes, the frozen shaved foie gras was delish but still felt gimmicky. It just all felt a little perfunctory.

Great night, fantastic service (thanks Carlos).
Food and wine were obviously incredible, but not wowed as much as I’d expected to be.
Felt a little too clinical.

First off, I’m fat, I eat everywhere, and I pay my own food bills. So take these other reviewers with a grain of salt.
I’ve also eaten at many of the top restaurants in NY including almost every 2 and 3 star Michelin.
In the last two months I’ve been to Eleven Madison Park, Brooklyn Fare, and even Le Bernardin. Also, Semilla in Brooklyn.
My full ratings are at the bottom of this post.
So once again, here we see another restaurant that everyone automatically gives 5 stars because its «a Michelin»
This place tops the charts in many «best restaurants in NYC» lists including the San Peligrino Worlds Best and currently has 2 out of 3 Michelin stars.
But for a $ 195 price tag (not including tax and tip) for 10-​ish «dishes», rave reviews from everywhere, and a reservation system that makes this place harder to get into than the top NYC clubs … i was certainly expecting… a lot more.
Out of all the tasting menu’s I’ve tried in NYC, this is certainly the one with the most unconventional and eccentric set of dishes, which is exciting, but that isn’t necessarily a good thing.
For example, I think I counted no less than 4 dishes that had OLIVE OIL as a large part of the dish and that includes the dessert — yes, chocolate mousse with olive oil… eh
The first course? ONE HOME-​MADE POTATO CHIP and a CHEEZE-​IT with SOUR CREAM ON IT.
Now while you’e eating this, remember the price tag
Also, they served two dishes where the main ingredient was a gelatin (made out of so-​and-​so bones). Not sure many people would ever be excited to hear they were getting rich people jell-​O.
Don’t get me wrong, it was nice to see a place that didn’t prepare every other dish with truffle oil, but I think David went in the complete opposite direction here
The food was mostly good and interesting, but for the things they did REALLY well (their amazing meat dishes), they seemed to only produce 2 tiny courses — a small strip of steak, and a tiny slice of duck pie. Like another reviewer mentioned, I also noticed I was having a tough time cutting through parts of their steak.
The desserts were such a let down too, we ended up going down the street for some bread pudding at Mighty Quinns. YUM
I liked that the place was casual and had no dress code, but the experience felt almost identical to the $ 85 tasting menu I had at Degustation. Foodwise, that place really beats this one hands down.
I did like that you were able to watch everything being made by the team, like an episode of Hells Kitchen. In that respect, the 2 hour meal didn’t feel boring like Le Bernardin was.
Also, for a place that costs so much, if you tell them its your birthday, the only thing they will do is type an extra line that says «Happy birthday» on the complimentary menu they give you at the end of the meal.
What a dud
I can’t help but think this place was mostly hype and the restaurant reviewing industry is absolute BS.
I mean David Chang wasn’t even THERE.
Would I come again? no
This place doesn’t hold a candle to Eleven Madison park, and I would much rather spend my money there if i HAD to spend $ 250 on a meal for just myself.
Bottom line, this place somehow became a 2 Michelin star hotspot for offering the same experience as Degustation (same food, only $ 85) with worse food, but at 3 times the price.
Zagat and Michelin really need to reconsider.
==========
Here’s my Ultra-​High end tasting menu/​Michelin Star grading sheet from Best to Worst:
— Eleven Madison Park A
— Brooklyn Fare C
— Momofoku Ko D
— Le Bernardin F
— Semilla F

Momofuku Ko is the best restaurant in New York.
Just like the space that the restaurant occupies, the food is visually elegant but not pretentiously showy, it’s technically masterful but the servers/​chefs won’t lecture you on it, and most importantly it combines culinary influences and techniques in a way that make Ko a truly unique place to eat.
You can check out the dozens of other posts detailing the courses and see lots of pictures on them… or you can just go and be surprised and order the beverage pairing and enjoy the non-​pretentious atmosphere and eat all the food.
That’s all.

This is a tough place to review. I will say it’s a unique experience and I’m glad I went, however, I’m a little unsure it’s worth the ~$ 550 you’ll likely spend for two people or the time you’ll spend trying to get a reservation.
The breakdown of the dishes I had could be summed up as follows: 6 were GREAT, 7 were good, and 2 were pretty questionable.
I do agree with the other reviews saying it’s not an overwhelming amount of food. I didn’t feel overstuffed afterwards. And they do a good job pacing the dishes, the service is also quite good.
So, again, if money is no object I’d suggest going… I don’t think you’ll be blown away, but I think you’ll have a good time and taste a few memorable things.

I was miserable.
I, party of 1, was pacing outside Ko, 5 minutes before opening and my reservation. Freezing, but not freezing enough: a wintry mix pelted me like a pathetic fallacy made real. Devastated by the dissolution of a 2-​year relationship just after Valentine’s Day, I’d hardly eaten for almost a fortnight. And yet there I was, outside a fine dining restaurant in possibly the most ill-​suited frame of mind for food I had ever been in.
Why? I don’t know; there was nothing rational in anything I was doing then. Maybe, spiraling downwards, I was desperately trying to find something, anything that’d made me happy that had nothing to do with my now-​ex. I must’ve alit on that overjoyed moment years before when I earned my way to New York after over a decade away… the way I expressed it by scoring a Ko resy (during its true, impossibly-​fast-​click heyday)… the meal that was very good but not great… but heck it hadn’t mattered one iota, since I was so delirious to be back in this place that’d symbolized so many of my hopes and dreams since adolescence.
Trying to recapitulate such a moment at all is folly. To do so during an emotional sinkhole is straight self-​destruction. And I knew that. I was essentially there to throw away a couple hundred dollars, alone.
And you know what? I can’t tell you anything about what Ko’s new room looked like. Or how the service was. Where I was seated. If the old-​fashioned I numbly ordered was any good. What I was thinking when I spooned into the 1^st course.
But I can tell you about that 1^st bite. Raw madai and jellied consommé, tiny bits of jalapeño, shiso perfumed over it all. Cool, soft, refreshing, with those little pepper spikes for accent. And I remember being confused: «You’re NOT supposed to be enjoying this. You’re not supposed to be enjoying anything.» But some neural circuits operate deeper than we can ever guess. Sometimes, despite our most bullheaded efforts, the dopamine receptors will not be denied.
The 2^nd dish worked even harder to rip me from the cloak of self-​pity and grief I’d buried myself in. Evanescent pieces of raw scallop bobbed in a pineapple dashi (!) studded with basil seeds and drops of basil oil. The sheer surprise of that first sip was like a defibrillation, a deeply complex interplay of sweet scallop and sweet pineapple, undergirded by the savory dashi and the pop-​pops of the basil seeds. I slurped at it greedily, like a man hungry after deprivation, which is exactly what I was.
The courses rolled in front of me: a beautifully cooked sunchoke imbued with the flavor of dry-​aged beef. A nonsensical-​sounding uni/​chickpea hozon combo — orange blob, meet orange blob — that improbably ascended into near-​perfection. Soft-​scrambled eggs with fried potato bits and osetra caviar, like God’s gift to brunch. Kabocha agnolotti with smoked duck, the best pasta dish I would have all year until I actually went to Umbria.
Listen, I’m not saying that a meal at Ko ended up saving me. Of course it didn’t: I was depressed for months afterwards. But every dish was like a tiny, insistent beacon… All is not lost. Beauty still resides in the world, in the city. When I look back on that time, I can point to a lot of seemingly minor things in NYC that proved to be handholds for my eventual climb out of the gutter. The bustle of the subway. The Angel of the Waters in Central Park. And food, of course, most of it downscale: a bagel around the corner, a milkshake from the local burger joint, a Corner 40 Peking duck bun. But Momofuku Ko gets on the list too. Ko was there.
When it came time for the only repeat dish from my meal there six years prior, the famous shaved foie gras over pine nuts and lychee/​riesling gelee, I was enough back in the moment to think about what it means to address a piece of art at different points in your life. How a truly great painting, or book, or piece of music has many layers on offer, how it can show different facets to you depending on what you yourself bring to it in the viewing, even at your most resistant, even at your darkest.
After a few bites of this latest edition, I had the only interaction with a server that night that I can remember. «How is it?» she asked.
«I can’t even tell you,» I said quietly. «It’s been a long time.»
«Oh, I just started working here, so I never had it at the old place. It’s wonderful, isn’t it? So you’ve had it before?»
I looked up at her. And I smiled.
Probability of return within 1 year: 0%

Every dish was delicious, especially the scallops and spicy fried pork buns. Service was excellent. Will go back with a group of friends to try the pork shoulders

Much has been written about this establishment already. So, I’d like to keep this review short.
Every bite a Momofuku Ko is a special experience. The composition of each dish is beautiful and forces you to think about what you are tasting. The uni with chickpea and hozon is a good example. Beautifully presented and paired with a most interesting beverage on this particular evening, made Ko a new level of dining for us. I wish I could have a fernet branch macaroon every night during 2016.
If you like unique food, save your pennies and be prepared for a great meal. It will cost you but if you can experience this restaurant, it will be worth it. Oh, the beverage pairing is a must and it will make for a fantastically fun dinner!

My husband and I have been to pretty much all the other Momofuku establishments, Noodle Bar, Ssam Bar, Milk Bar etc., everything was just OK, not amazing. As a result, I was reluctant to shell out $ 175 per person (which has now increased to $ 195 since Jan 1^st 2016) to try Ko if it turned out to be just mediocre. So when the hubby announced he was able to make a reservation on Dec 30, I finally decided to give David Chang’s fine dinning place a try. Other than my year end bonus, I’ve got nothing to lose right?
On the night of dinner, I underestimated the city’s public transportation system and arrived over 15 mins early for our reservation, too early that the door was still locked when I tried to open it. The host saw me, he walked out, opened the door, and greeted us with the biggest smile. We were first seated at the bar for some cocktails, then were seated at the open kitchen bar.
As always, I don’t want to go into details on every single dish. Some standouts are:
— Uni: Sea urchin with Chickpea hozon (I actually looked up what «hozon» is, it’s originated and produced in the Momofuku culinary lab in 2012 and is a fermentation process that combines koji, salt, and something like chickpea or lentils). Hozon was slightly overpowering the sea urchin probably because it’s fermented, but I’ve never had a combination like this and the sweet aftertaste of sea urchin actually worked well with hozon.
— Mackerel sawarazushi: this is one of the best mackerel nigiris I’ve had. Fish was slightly seared and melted in your mouth. It was complimented with fish bone broth that was so rich in flavor.
— Razor clam: it was very light and refreshing, and apple & basil were adding some sweetness and minty taste to balance out the flavors.
— Venison tartare: I was originally thrown off by this because (1) I don’t particularly like venison as the meat could be tough, and (2) I don’t like raw meat unless it’s fish. But this dish successfully changed my opinion towards venison. It wasn’t tough at all, and sunchoke purée perfectly complimented the earthiness in the meat.
— Foie Gras — Amazing. Lychee and pine nuts and jelly worked soooo well to balance the richness of foie gras. I’ve never had anything like that.
The two dishes I didn’t really like were monkfish liver and beef. Monkfish liver was actually really bland compared to all the other dishes. Beef’s cut was not the best, I got some un-​chewable muscle in my piece that I had to spit out.
There were two desserts plus a macaroon, my favorite was carrot cardamom, which reminded me of my childhood favorite, an orange creamsicle.
To summarize, there were two dishes I didn’t particularly like, but everything else was near perfect. Service was impeccable, execution of dishes was perfect, wines recommended by staff went very well with the courses. If you are able to score a reservation, don’t hesitate to give it a try.

The hubs and I came to Momofuku Ko to celebrate my birthday (Dinner #1) — I have been holding out in trying out the other Momofukus, as I wanted to first try the main 2 Michelin-​starred restaurant before anything else (and, no, Milk Bars don’t count. as that’s Christina Tosi’s brainchild, and I’m not particularly a fan of that bakery chain anyway)! I was pretty excited that we were able to get a reservation, as the restaurant only takes online ones only, opening it up at 10AM each morning — this is to ensure that everyone has a ‘fair shot’ and an even playing field: P This restaurant has been around since ’08, and the cuisine is created by Executive Chef, Sean Gray (!). I was a little disappointed, as I had learned that Chef Chang had been out of the kitchen for quite some time, as he is busy managing the Momofuku empire. In addition, the original Momofuku Ko used to be more pork-​heavy, but the new Ko had evolved into more of a French/​new American fare. I just assumed that the menu would still all be the creations of Chang’s, but we had learned that that was NOT the case, and it is all by the current executive chef de cusine — however, we still enjoyed our dining experience! We first sat up at the bar for a bit, talking to Juan, who was the most awesome bartender ever! We were then seated at the sushi counter a little earlier than our reservation time, which was pretty cool! We started off with a mini vegetable roll (wasn’t a fan of this, as this was literally julienned vegetables in a roll; it would have been great with some type of sauce, but I believe it was a way to cleanse the palate before the main menu began that was sodium-​focused!), a pommes soufflees (yum — one of my favorites, as it was a crispy potato with a chive crème filling), a lobster paloise, and millefeuille; next came: madal — consommé, shiso, and fingerlime; uni — chickpea and hozon (the uni is from Hokkaido); sawarazushi — wasabi and ginger (a pressed Spanish mackerel sushi with a cup of hot soothing dadashi tea); razor clam — apple and basil; venison — with sunchoke and juniper (tartare form; probably the best prepared venison I’ve ever had!); siberian sturgeon caviar — potato; sourdough bread and radish butter; monkfish — liver and poblano (wasn’t a fan of this, as it was a little too bland); pyramidi — broccoli and aged cheddar (this had a nice little tang and contained black truffles with aged cow cheddar cheese); duck — lime pickle and spinach (one of the least favorites; the duck was aged for 2 weeks); foie gras — lychee, pine nut, and riesling jelly (Hudson Valley foie gras with grated lychee on top); carrot cardamom — meringue (this was an interesting take on an ice cream, as the carrot taste made it slightly sweet!); and, for desserts: chocolate — mint and fernet branca (the chocolate patty was thin with a crispy exterior, and the pudding tasted like basil), and macarons (with sunflower seed, this was one of those sweet and salty types). We noticed that all of the dishes were definitely heavily seasoned with salt, which I didn’t really mind, and I really liked the small bites for each course. Marlon and Simon, our servers, were both super attentive and was on point with clearing the plates/​refilling our drinks, and the chefs, Ian (!!!) and Nelson, were both incredibly sweet and made sure that they described each dish that was presented. Before we left, we received a copy of the menu, and we were able to talk with Chase and Richard (who both had a great sense of humor and made sure that we had a great evening) :D Overall, I am glad that I was able to finally check out Momofuku Ko out, and would love to come back to check out their changing seasonal menu: D
+ALL creations by Chef Sean Gray: D
+pommes soufflees: D
+venison — sunchoke and juniper: D
+Pyramidi — broccoli and aged cheddar: D
+macarons
+the bites are more on the saltier side — keep that in mind!
+ask for Juan, the awesome bartender: D
+ask for Marlon D:
+ask for Ian and Neslon: D
+ask for Chase and Richard: D
+online reservations only

Momofuku Ko is David’s Chang’s fine dining leg of his Momofuku empire. Make sense? If not, mofo f u. The restaurant is located on the border of Lower East Side and East Village. It’s a fairly large restaurant but there is limited seating. There’s a chef’s table with 18 – 20 seats around the kitchen, two tables for larger groups, a private dining room, and a bar that seats 6 people. It’s a very modern and «new money» atmosphere. However, people here know how to act unlike me on a Friday night.
David Chang is an alumni of Daniel Boulud’s kitchen and a complete celebrity now. He has a TV series, a magazine, restaurants and voted the best IG page for foodporn from a chef. Here are Momofuku Ko’s accolades:
1) 2 Michelin star in 2014
2) 2 Michelin star in 2015
3) #70 on the San Pellegrino 2014 World’s Best Restaurants
4) #69 on the San Pellegrino 2015 World’s Best Restaurants
The service is pretty awesome. My buddy and I had dinner here on a Saturday night and it was a packed house. There were couples dressed up, another couple sitting there showing too much PDA and we were in our jeans and t-​shirts looking like complete scoundrels. The Sommelier, Wait Staff, Manager and Chefs were all fantastic. I had a really good time dining here cause we were the only ones acting like total degenerate heathens. It’s a really young group of people here and the whole staff had the same fun personality. Plus, our waitress was a total cutie but my buddy was creeping on the one at the bar. I mean he was literally undressing her with his eyes then ravaging her in his mind. I totally saw the animalistic tendencies in his eyes. I had to tell him to wipe the saliva off his face and to put a bib on.
Anyway, the food. Ko only serves a tasting menu and there’s a wine list with beers, sake and soju. We decided to skip the wine pairing and get a bottle of 1995 wine. It’s 15 courses and heavily influenced by Asian flavors and ingredients. Here are my favorites:
1) Vegetable Roll — The vegetable roll was presentation resembled a Vietnamese spring roll. It included pommes soufflees, lobster paloise and layered. It was a great dish to start the tasting menu. The refreshing flavors in the start of winter was perfect. The texture was crunchy due to the layoring of the carrots. The mint leaves provided a great aroma like when a gorgeous girl walks by you on the streets. Well, let’s hope she wasn’t crop-​dusting when she walked passed you.
2) Sawarazushi — A slice of mackerel served on top of a bed of rice and presented as a nigiri. This was easily the best dish of the night. As I ate it, I turned to my buddy and said «Now, that’s how a nigiri is supposed to taste.» The mackerel was slightly seared on the outside and placed on the perfect balance between vinegar and cooked rice. It was buttery and full of flavors then gone like your wallet in the wrong side of town.
3) Foie Gras — The foie gras was grated and served on lychee, pine nut and riesling jelly. It was the last savory dish but I mistaken it for a dessert dish. I really like the grated foie gras because it provided a great texture to it. It melted in your mouth and was the perfect topping for the lychee. The flavors had a dessert feel to it. It shows the creative side of the Ko’s kitchen to come up with something like this. It’s kind of like when people have all these grand ideas when they’re stone.
Overall, I really enjoyed my dining experience at Ko. I personally thought it was a lot better than Daniel, Marea, and a few other Michelin 3 stars. It wasn’t as stuffy as the other places and it was a really relaxed atmosphere. The courses progressed very well and the delivery was efficient. We weren’t overly stuff and the dining experience didn’t drag on for too long. I would definitely recommend Ko over Daniel and Marea for a more relax experience. However, don’t make your creeping too obvious. Use your peripherals.
This is my last 2015 Michelin and San Pellegrino’s 2015 World’s Best Restaurant. Here is my final tally from April 2015 to December 2015:
US 2015 Michelin 3 Stars Count: 12 Down. 0 More.
2015 Michelin Rated Restaurant Count: 44
San Pellegrino 2014 World’s 100 Best Restaurants Count: 31
San Pellegrino 2015 World’s 100 Best Restaurants Count: 34

Momofuku Ko is David’s Chang’s fine dining leg of his Momofuku empire. Make sense? If not, mofo f u. The restaurant is located on the border of Lower East Side and East Village. It’s a fairly large restaurant but there is limited seating. It’s a very modern and «new money» atmosphere. However, people here know how to act unlike me on a Friday night.
The service is pretty awesome. My buddy and I had dinner here on a Saturday night and it was a packed house. There were couples dressed up, another couple sitting there showing too much PDA and we were in our jeans and t-​shirts looking like complete scoundrels. The Sommelier, Wait Staff, Manager and Chefs were all fantastic.
Anyway, the food. Ko only serves a tasting menu and there’s a wine list with beers, sake and soju. We decided to skip the wine pairing and get a bottle of 1995 wine. It’s 15 courses and heavily influenced by Asian flavors and ingredients. I personally thought it was a lot better than Daniel, Marea, and a few other Michelin 3 stars. It wasn’t as stuffy as the other places and it was a really relaxed atmosphere. The courses progressed very well and the delivery was efficient. We weren’t overly stuff and the dining experience didn’t drag on for too long.
Overall, I really enjoyed my dining experience at Ko. I would definitely recommend Ko over Daniel and Marea for a more relax experience. However, don’t make your creeping too obvious. Use your peripherals.
This is my last 2015 Michelin and San Pellegrino’s 2015 World’s Best Restaurant. Here is my final tally from April 2015 to December 2015:
US 2015 Michelin 3 Stars Count: 12 Down. 0 More.
2015 Michelin Rated Restaurant Count: 44
San Pellegrino 2014 World’s 100 Best Restaurants Count: 31
San Pellegrino 2015 World’s 100 Best Restaurants Count: 34

The dinner was sensational. I would come here every day if I could. My boyfriend and I went to Momofuku Ko for our anniversary, and the experience at the restaurant was phenomenal. The servers and chefs were extremely friendly and calm. The place exudes a very chill atmosphere — from the décor to the people working there to the effortless way in which the food was presented.
My boyfriend and I felt very comfortable, right from the start, and also very entertained. The customers are seated in a u-​shape, around the kitchen. All throughout the dinner, we watched the chefs create our dishes, completely entranced. From tonight’s menu, the star dishes for me were the sea urchin (with chickpea & olive oil), carrot sorbet & meringue, and pressed spanish mackerel. My boyfriend loved the mackerel and the macaron (with fermented sunflower seeds as the filling).
I thought each dish was unique and so flavorful and fresh. The gradual progression from the first plate to the last was excellently executed.
We took so many pictures and asked our servers to take pictures for us, and they didn’t even give us a hint of judgment, which I really appreciated.

What can I say that hasn’t already been said by the other reviews?
Mind blown.
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KenScale: 8.75÷10
Momofuku Ko was one of the hardest restaurants for me to give my KenScale score. Ever since it’s been the fine dining destination of acclaimed chef David Chang’s empire (the restaurant did close once and moved to the current Extra Place space recently), it has collected numerous accolades. For some reason, however, my palate didn’t quite match up with chef Chang’s places elsewhere, from Ssam Bar to Noodle Bar to Ma Peche (I have really liked the various desserts at Milk Bar, however). I was hoping things would be quite different at Ko. The verdict: Yes, Ko is a legitimate fine dining destination, but it didn’t quite have the wow factor I was looking for. Some dishes were absolutely sensational; others were more or less pedestrian. Still, there is enough to like about this place that I decided to cheat one more time and deviate from my 0.5 scale to give extra 0.25 on top of 8.5, which usually stands for very good, memorable dining experience.
The assortment of appertif looks quite interesting, but nothing particularly stood out, whether it’s the vegetable roll or the mini millefeuille that seems to have gained a lot of praise. On the other hand, I couldn’t get enough of uni and chickpea mousse. The silky smooth texture was totally worth it, and the somewhat incompatible combination of these ingredients was spot on. The mackerel sushi was a very tasty bite, and the Siberian surgeon caviar with potato was another winner. I obviously loved the white truffle that was sprinkled across the tiny pici pasta noodle strand (who doesn’t love white truffle?), and foie gras with lychee and pine nut had some interesting mix of flavor and texture as well. Razor clam with apple and basil and sunchoke with blood orange and tarragon, on the other hand, were somewhat underwhelming, and I was very confused why the venison with kale and olive berry didn’t come as tender as I had hoped (perhaps that’s just the way venison is supposed to taste?). The best savory dish of the night belonged to halibut that came with cauliflower and Hungarian pepper. The fish was just beautifully cooked, and I can’t stop thinking about the elegant balance of flavor of the dish. For the dessert, carrot cardamom with meringue was absolutely sensational; one of the chefs would blow torch the outer edge of meringue that would create awesome flavor and texture. Pistachio ice cream was also quite nice, not too sweet to my liking.
Getting a reservation at a Momofuku restaurant can always be a challenge. The Momofuku group has its own separate website to make reservations up to 15 days in advance. Given that there is a single counter at Ko and it’s always popular with people who are looking for expensive, special-​occasion type dinners or who are otherwise in love with David Chang, my suggestion is to plan exactly 15 days in advance (starting at 10 a.m. every day). I did really liked the modern, minimalist setting of the place with a single counter where you get to see chefs in action. The restaurant has an extensive drink menu, and if you’re wiling to splurge, go for at least the half pairing ($ 85 per person, full pairing is at $ 155 per person), where you get to try a lot of interesting wine and other drinks like sake and beer. Yes, Momofuku Ko is a worthwhile destination to visit if you’re looking for a special dining experience. Maybe perhaps I’m getting spoiled by all the fine dining experience in NY and beyond, but it was just a tad short of magical for me.

Momofuku Ko is what food is all about. Casual, fun, and incredibly tasty. Despite some difficulties with a third party, Momofuku Ko showed what it meant to be accommodating, friendly, and just an all around classy demeanor.
Cannot say enough about Su and Juan. Su has this zen thing going on with her and makes you feel totally at peace with the world. Juan makes incredible drinks and put up with my curiosity that bordered an interrogation regarding certain drinks. Despite being an upscale restaurant, the team felt really down to earth and made you feel at home-​restaurant goals if I have ever had them.
Usually I like writing crazy over the top reviews for awesome places but not feeling it right now.
Highlights!
Lobster Millefeuille– incredibly delicate and crispy pastry that encased really sweet lobster and cream cheese. An awesome and subtle way to show off dem pastry muscles and to start the meal.
Razor Clam with Apple and Basil– Sweet, acidic and light. It gets the mouth watering and wanting more– it is a great precursor to the next dish of venison and incredibly creamy sunchoke
Venison and sunchoke– my god this dish was incredible. Sunchoke was the best texture ever.
Duck– the sauce was not of this world. I don’t even know what lime pickle or whatever is in it but it was magical and I don’t want to know how its made. Duck was chewy– but it was so ducky and flavorful and the sauce was so delicious that who really cares? I stole my friends dish too. And mopped everything up with bread. Yay.
Foie Gras– Such a fun dish and a great transition from savoury dishes to sweet ones. So creamy.
Carrot and Cardamon and lime– Great dish-​familiar flavors presented in a different way. Really nice. Simple complexity?
For drinks-​there is a beer and a pear cider that pair especially amazingly.
This meal is definitely one I will remember for the rest of my life! Not even being dramatic. (I remember the first steak I liked when I was but a wee lad.) Momofuku Ko is seriously one of those aha moments when you realize that this is everything you want.

I’m not sure I’ve ever had such a positive restaurant experience in my life. What could have turned into a disastrous (strong word, but for my food-​loving self, yes, disastrous) night turned into a wonderful one, and it was thanks to the staff (and food) at Momofuku Ko.
My friend and I made reservations at Ko two weeks prior to our visit and as neither of us are NYC natives, we were very much looking forward to dining here. The morning of our dinner, we were informed by the concierge app we had used to make the reservation that ours was actually mistakenly made and thus… non existent (cue internal screaming).
Long story short, after many phone calls and despair, we were able to reach a compromise — we would be seated at the bar at Ko (first come, first serve), and settle for their shortened tasting menu. Fine.
Once we got to Ko at 6PM, we were greeted very warmly by Su (even though we were 20 minutes late), and we told her about what had happened. We were seated at the bar and decided to opt for the shortened tasting menu (+ a wine pairing for my friend + glass of wine for myself). After getting the first course, Su came over and informed us that although tasting menus are typically reserved for the chef’s table only, the chefs were willing to make an exception due to our unusual circumstances (cue tears of gratefulness).
Now, onto the food.
What I love about David Chang’s food is that it is unpretentious. While I appreciate presentation and aesthetics, ultimately what I look for is good flavors and textures, and his food speaks for itself without unnecessary frills. I’m not going to bother talking about every dish (15 total), but I will talk about the highlights/​lowlights.
My favorites of the night:
1. Venison tartar with sunchoke and juniper. Holy crap… the flavors on this dish. So savory and a wonderful contrast of textures. I would have licked the plate but I was trying to keep it classy.
2. Siberian sturgeon caviar with potato. Ultra savory and complex. And I love potatoes.
3. Sourdough bread with radish butter: their house-​mode sourdough was the best sourdough I’ve ever had in my life. It was delightfully fluffy while still retaining the chewiness that I love in sourdough. I had four slices and hated myself after because I was so full, but no regrets. I could eat this for days.
4. Foie gras with lychee, pine nut, and riesling jelly: woah. Such an interesting combination of flavors and textures. Innovative and fun.
I also loved the razor clam, kabocha with aigre-​doux, and the carrot cardamom dessert (shall refrain from going into details or else this will turn into a run-​through of the entire menu).
My least favorite:
1. Uni with chickpea and hozon. Not bad, but fell short in terms of flavor, especially compared to the other plates. I also thought it was rather one dimensional in texture.
As fun as it would have been to be seated at the chef’s table and watch the masters in action, the bar ended up being just as (if not more) fun due to the opportunities to interact with Juan and the Somm. Both were clearly knowledgable and passionate about what their work and it was really amazing to be able to talk to them.
Overall, what sets Momofuku Ko apart from other establishments of this caliber (besides the food) is the people. While dining at places like Alinea was a once in a lifetime experience, the environment was a bit intimidating and very formal. At Ko, I felt that I could really relax, enjoy my food, and have meaningful interactions, and this was a nice change of pace.
Solid 5 star experience. Forever grateful to Momofuku Ko and the staff for salvaging my NYC trip! Special thank you to Su and Juan :)

Amazing experience and worth every penny. We had 17+ courses (some had multiple different bite-​sized items). From reading the Unilocal reviews, it seems like there are some dishes that regularly appear like the shaved foie gras, but most are actually different or they’ll substitute one kind of fish for another. Loved that there was no menu (they do give one to you in a really nice little folder as a keepsake in the end), so everything was a surprise.
Highlights were… all of the amuse bouches, the razor clam in a very creative and flavorful pineapple and basil cold soup, roasted chicken, and buffalo mozzarella ice cream made from leftovers from the night before when a famous Italian guest chef took over and he had brought some amazing ingredients from Italy. So cool how they can improvise. They actually had a bread course about halfway through. I don’t normally want to waste stomach capacity on bread, but it was, of course, the most amazing bread ever. It’s like they were showing off… there’s nothing they can’t do well!
I loved being able to see all the chefs and being served directly by them. They were clearly very focused and took pride in their work, but also looked like they were enjoying themselves and happy to be there. You can see for yourself how much care they put into every dish.

It’s so hard for me to write this review (so I put it off for so long) because I don’t know what to say besides that it is amazing. I have always had a huge soft spot for Chang and I love whatever is happening in his brain and his heart for food. So pretty much Ko has been at the top of the list for restaurants I need to try.
It was pretty straightforward getting a reservation, just needed good timing. Came here with my amazing sister for my birthday dinner. It was everything I could have imagined.
The attention to detail per course was incredible. I loved being able to watch the chefs prepare and plate each dish. Each course got progressively richer and richer until we hit the shaved foie gras – I think that was my tipping point. Anything else that savory would have made me feel sick so it was the perfect transition point to desserts/​sweets. My favorites at the time were probably the mackeral sabazushi (best piece of sushi I’ve ever had), soft scrambled egg, and the lamb. I also got a birthday cupcake that had some notes of ginger and it was delicious. Best birthday cupcake :)
Do this at least once ever. Unless you have dat cash money then do it all the time! Carlos was da bomb, it was fun chatting with him as he prepped the food.

So before you can even come here, there’s an online reservation process you have to go through. It’s similar to the cronut preorder site. Seats open for weeks in advance. You have to sign on at a precise time to snag a reservation.
Once you get a reservation, you have to find the little dead-​end street: Extra Place. The restaurant itself is beautiful and chic. The counter seating of course gives you front row seats to the kitchen. (The bathroom is also gorgeous, A+)
They start the courses when you are seated — so it’s not like everyone is having the same course at the same time. In fact, we kept peeking at the guy next to us to see what the menu looked like for the night.
MENU
amuse-​bouche: pommes soufflees. lobster paloise. tartlet. vegetable roll. millefeuille.
snapper: consommé, shiso.
razor clam: pineapple, basil.
sunchoke: dry aged beef, tarragon.
beef: oyster cream.
mackerel sawarazushi: wasabi, dashi ponzu.
mackerel dashi: king oyster, asian pear.
soft scramble: potato, osetra, herbs, bread and butter.
kabocha: algre-​doux, parmesan.
lobster: sweet potato, tonburi, sauce.
pork: kimchi, onion.
foie gras: lychee, pine nut, riesling jelly.
huckleberry: laurel bay, bee pollen.
chocolate: mint.
dessert: mignardises
First, you do not need to worry about being too full. I was satisfied, but definitely could still eat by the end of the experience — and I’m a tiny Asian girl. Second, I also forgot to mention on my reservation that we were going for my dining companion’s birthday. But when we got there, the chef working in front of our section of the counter asked if we were there for any special occasion. I mentioned it was his birthday; and by the end of our meal, he got a chocolate cake with a candle! Nice of them!
As for the courses, I was woefully disappointed. Honestly, I don’t know what I expected, given that I’m not a fan of the other Momofuku locations (the ramen is abysmal and the milk bar is meh at best). The dishes do try to be innovative and they are incredibly beautiful, but in the end it’s still Asian/​French fusion. To be a little harsh, it tasted like average ethnic-​inspired French cuisine caked in Asian sauces/​broths (shiso/​miso/​dashi).
It’s definitely an experience that I’d recommend. But if you are looking for good 2 star Michelin level food, I’d go elsewhere. Aureole is half the price and the food is definitely better, imo.

After reading the reviews below on the way to dinner made me a little nervous. Many thoughts crossed my mind like. how disappointing can the dessert be? Are we really going to get full? Where is our second stop after dinner to fill our bellys? My fellow Unilocalers, please dont be nervous about portions. I spent 3 years being a «foodie» and honestly I never thought i would still be surpised when it comes to food.
Momofuku ko was definitely a great experience. Everything was on our plate was carefully thought out. texture, taste, colors. The first few plates was one bite items but as the meal carrys on, one bites builds up to something greater, and even better. For the price you are paying, you are paying for the ingredients that are combined with even better ingredients and a experience that changes your palate forever!
Highlights:
Uni with pea purée? What?! It was delicious!!!
I loved the small bites in the beginning. Everything was so delicate yet so delicious. It was a party on my taste buds.
Dessert was NOT a disappointment. Especially the savory macaron at the end.
Everyone was super friendly, from the bartender to chefs to servers. Not only was everyone professional, they also had a sense of humor. The price is too high for me to regularly visit but i will definitely recommend it to everyone I know. Great place for people who love food and want to experience something different.

Ok I admit I made the reservation 10 days ago at 10am sharp by using the alarm, otherwise I would not be able to secure a spot right at dinner time 6:30. And I was informed as well it was going to be a long-​lasting one, so well prepared myself with not too much food consumed at noon.
Every dish, as expected, was prepared with delicacy and kindness, and you can directly taste it out using palate. I especially enjoyed the duck and sea bass, which supposed to be their «main» courses. Their special duck confit mixed with lychee was one my most remarkable experiences.
Towards the end of meal, they will provide you the menu, so you can remember exactly what was explored at this top notch restaurant!
Don’t know whether I will come back again here as we have so many choices in the city, yet this is definitely some places you gotta try out if you are someone exotic!

We were lucky enough to get reservations here only a week before. Make sure to book at least 2 weeks in advance. The restaurant is located in a strange alley-​like area. You will know what I mean upon arrival.
Momofuku KO only offer counter top seating and one tasting menu ($ 175). I won’t go into too much detail about the food because you only get one option. But i WILL say that it was one of the BEST tasting menu dinner I’ve ever had. It was also one of the longest. Everything was VERY different, creative, and interesting. From the Shaved Frozen Foie Gras w/​Lychee to the Egg w/​Caviar — you will keep surprising your taste buds. There were flavors in dishes that I’ve never had before. Simply AMAZING.
Although dinner took almost 4 hours, it was well worth it. Time flew while watching everyone cook away. The course starts with lighter/​colder dishes and gets heavier/​hotter towards the end. I believe there were around 21 courses.
Dessert was one of the best set of desserts I’ve ever had in a tasting menu. It somehow consisted of all my favorites. Very impressive. You will leave STUFFED.
I recommend this restaurant 100%.

The reservation system starts at 10am eastern time daily and must book 10 days before your desired date. I highly recommend signing on to the website prior to booking the reservation and get a feel of how to book. Get yourself a timeclock, and click on the website 10 seconds before 10am. Then CLICK CLICK CLICK nonstop and don’t be picky with the timeslot available. Yes, reservation will be gone within 2 minutes from 10am. That was my experience… it was quite nerve wrecking.
The $ 175 tasting menu (~18 courses) is well worth it. The experience of watching the chef prepare your food and the curiosity of what will be serve on the plate was quite enjoyable. The photos doesn’t do justice on how flavorful and delicious the food taste. You must try it to believe it. The presentation was nice, but compared to other tasting menu, the food is not quite portrayed as a piece of artwork. The waitress was very attentive and feel free to chitchat with the chef as he prepares your food. The food preparation was well executed like a assembly line. Each person in the kitchen has a purpose and it’s well organized. As you are watching the show (chef at work), you may catch an asian guy wearing blue apron walking around. Guess Who? It’s DAVID!!! Luckily, he was in town and a scored a photo and chitchat with him. That was the highlight of my NY trip: oP
My favorite:
Lobster paloise — looks simply and plain, but a mouthful of lobster and creamy flavor. May i ask for more? the answer was no…
Madai consommé — raw fish with a blob of flavorful jelly was quite interesting and gooey. I like it!
Bay scallop — a bowl with about 5 scallops. The scallops were lightly seared with a blast of scallop and flaming charcoal flavor complimented with basil and pineapple liquid. I cleaned out the bowl…
Uni with chickpea and hozon — SOOO Fresh and chunky. Very generous portion of uni with chickpea. It predominately taste like Uni.
Soft scramble egg with caviar and herbs — Looks simple, but it was delicious and taste crispy. Love it!
Foie gras with lychee and riseling jelly — Chef pulls out a refrigerated/​frozen sausage looking chunk and started shaving it off on the bowl. It didn’t look appetizing, but by far the best dish! Imagine bits and pieces of cold foie gras mix with lychee flavor and jelly. As you chew, it melts with a mouthful of foie gras!!!
Kabocha tortellini — very generous portion of kabocha and duck tortellini. This was one of the last few dishes.
For my next visit to NYC, i will return!