Momofuku Ko

163 1st Ave., East Village, NY

8.9

map & more

Neighborhood
East Village

Cuisine
American

Nearby
Mercury Lounge
Webster Hall

Official Website

By Chris Stang
July 20, 2010

It’s been a few years since Momofuku Ko opened, and now that the restaurant world is done freaking out over it, we figured it was time to check in on the place and see how it’s holding up. Well, that and it took us this long to finally get a reservation. By our calculations, that means we’ll be hanging out at the Boom Boom Room for the first time sometime during the summer of 2016.

In fairness to the Momofuku Ko system, it’s actually a very democratic, albeit competitive process for securing a reservation. No special treatment, no secret phone number, just log onto the website and pray that one of the 70 available dinner seatings for the week will be open. Repeat. Should you manage to secure a reservation, this is what you need to know. It’s going to be an expensive meal. It’s $125 per person just to eat dinner, and drinking will cost you quite a bit more. That hefty price tag affords you very little in the way of traditional luxuries. No white tablecloths (no tables, actually), no doting waiters, and no busboys with breadcrumb scrapers. Just a front row seat to some of the most creative cooking you can find anywhere…and some really good tunes. If you’re expecting fine dining for that kind of money and want to show off your new boat shoes at dinner, allow us to suggest Eleven Madison Park. We love that place too. But if you’re looking to put a notch in your culinary experience belt, Momofuku Ko has to be on your list. Good luck getting in.

Photo Credit: Noah Kalina

Food Rundown:

Our standard food rundown seemed inappropriate for a Momofuku Ko meal. Part of the experience is sitting down and having your mind blown by the unexpected. Plus it doesn’t seem fair to rave about something that may or may not be on the menu when you visit. However, there are a few things that will definitely happen that we can touch on.

You will have somewhere in the neighborhood of ten to twelve courses.

One of those courses will have frozen, grated foie gras on it.

You will like that.

Some things will be simple and delicate, others bold and complex.

There is an arc to the meal – the best things will come in the middle.

A least three things that you eat will confuse you and at the same time make you very happy.

At least one dessert will be served (we had two).