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Momofuku Ko, the trendy new 12 seat restaurant by acclaimed chef David Chang, is getting more attention for its maddening reservation system than for its food. That’s partly due to the fact that no critic has been able to get into the place and review it, not even the top dog in town, Times restaurant critic Frank Bruni.
The problem is that Chang refuses to give anyone preferential treatment, and all who would dine at his counter, from the lowliest blogger to the loftiest V.I.P., must log onto the website at 10 a.m. and try to score some of the 32 slots made available for one night a week later.
Like many, Bruni has been venting his frustrations online, though supposedly it’s just a “friend” named “B.” who’s really starting to lose it: “My friend B. has just about had it. He’s gone from yearning to fretting to scheming to fuming. He is Ahab and Momofuku Ko his white whale. It’s gotten away from him and it’s getting the better of him.” B., hm? And is B. also the one driving Bruni to fire off 3 blog posts totaling 2,016 words about the white whale in the last 30 hours?
Despite help from a “posse” of friends who dutifully try their luck online at 10 a.m., Bruni has been stymied for weeks. At least “his friend” has learned to enjoy losing: “It is nice to have an outlet for my aggression. Getting mad about Ko makes the rest of my day quite productive.” Even Jason Kottke has chimed in with a long analysis on the fairness and effectiveness of the reservation system.
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Somehow I can't imagine the food being THAT good.
On a somewhat unrelated note, I passed by Ippudo yesterday around 6:30ish, and the wait was 2 hours. Blech.
@ 1, don't sleep on the food, unless you are a vegetarian.
Isn't this story, like, a day or two old?
Momofuku is overpriced crap. It blows my mind why people go there.
no critic has been able to get into the place and review it
That's because they're not petite enough.
Ha ha!
In any case, I tried the original Momofoku, and found the broths greasy and the noodles not very flavorful. I recommend any number of other ramen places. My favorite is one I'll never tell about, for fear of you all crowding the place. They don't need you! They've got a zillion Japanese customers, and their faithful followers like me. Mmmmmm.
But go ahead and wait for Momofoku, and ponder what that name sounds like.
#5 I think know where you're talking about. You can't get better food away from home than that place...and it's great because it's not full of BS.
Frank Bruni and his buddy "B." are obviously dipsticks who dont know how to use the internets. I got a rezzy just now for next Friday night. In fact this is the second rezzy I got. The previous one I got was a random cancellation. Today I played the 10am game. w00t!
Oh and #6, I willing to bet you're talking about Setagaya. Ramen is all well and good, but Ko aint about ramen.
For a few years now the word on Momofuku noodle bar has been to skip the ramen and get the small plates. The pork buns are the signature dish. We've only made it there once, it was indeed pricey but very tasty and fun.
Might as well spill the beans; I thought cucarachita was talking about Village Yokocho. That's bar none the best Japanese food I've had in New York, because it's the kind of stuff you eat at home, but I can't cook for my life.
The food is as good as any other place we wait on line for here in the city. Bruni really is a poor writer and an uneducated food critic. Glad that the place was spared his E! online lifestyle food review. If you mind waiting for a table somewhere try Columbus, Ohio.
re: #9
What exactly makes Momofuku noodle fun?
Been there, food is good, not hype worthy, but, what defines that place as fun? The only thing remotely fun for me was staring at all the suckers, I mean customers, lined up and waiting at the door for their table.