Momofuku Toronto

Momofuku is a much anticipated restaurant of 2012. I was excited to check it out and headed there after work one day. Momofuku is a Noodle Bar from New York, and this is its sister restaurant, the first in Canada! They are an Asian fusion restaurant and feature ramen and steamed bun sandwiches on their menu.

The restaurant is set up in a communal dining style with clean wooden tables, benches and high seats. You can sit at the bar by the open kitchen and watch the cooks at work. We were seated, given menus…and almost immediately asked to place our orders. We declined..and were approached again within 2 minutes. It was kind of annoying…and they weren’t even busy!

The food arrived quickly and we shared a bowl of the Ginger Scallion Noodles. They arrived lukewarm, which was kind of sad. The noodles had shiitake mushrooms, pickled cucumbers, ginger and cabbage. It was a good size. I liked the noodles but found them a little oily. I think I would have liked them more if it was served hot.

Next up were the steamed buns. I really liked my Chicken Buns ($10)!  The bun was soft and fresh, and the chicken was tender and not fatty. The bun was stuffed with hoisin sauce, scallion and cucumbers. I would order them again. My friend on the other hand, did not enjoy her sandwich. She liked the pork, but found it too fatty. I expected the pork belly to be fatty, and that’s why I didn’t order it.

The overzealous waiter cleared our side plates quickly before we were finished. Sad! I understand that they are busy, but they should be careful in case patrons are still eating…

When we were done our meal we popped upstairs to see the rest of the space. There’s a nice walk out bridge on the upper level, allowing you to look out at Momofuku below. The bar area (Nikai) is also a lounge and has some pretty comfy seating.  Upstairs is also Daishō ( a dining area for large format meals) and Shōtō (serving an ultra exclusive tasting menu).

All in all, it was an interesting meal. If I came back, it would probably be for those chicken buns and the atmosphere.