NBC Locals Lunch with David Chang (Momofuku)

The editors of FoodGasm recently had the privilege of attending a very special NBC Locals lunch event, catered by Momofuku's David Chang. The event, whose location was secret until the very last minute, took place in an empty lot on the corner of Lafayette and Houston, next to a restaurant supply store. It was a very cool scene; outdoor kitchen, picnic tables, and security guards keeping the gates on top watch. There were 4 menu choices: vegetarian, pork, chicken, or dealer's choice (chef makes whatever feels). Unfortunately, when we got there, they weren't doing the dealer's choice anymore (which sadly turned out to be lobster, and then shwarma), so I went with the pork.

My meal consisted of Rice Fries, a Pork Bun, Rice Cakes, and everyone got a Pepsi Natural (new drink not on the market yet) and ice cream, but more about that in a bit. The pork bun was fantastic! It was served open, like a pita. There was a very generous amount of the tender pork, which was covered in a hoisin-like sauce, and a few cucumbers, which added a very nice texture and spring flavor to the mix. The bun was incredibly fresh, too.

The Rice Cakes were very interesting. They had the texture of candy with the hotness of the red chili sauce they were covered in. I liked these a lot. The Rice Fries were a nice side to the meal. They were light, salty, and addictive. Also to note, Pepsi Natural is really good. It tastes more like Coke than Pepsi and is quite refreshing.

Jon went with the Vegetarian meal. Here is his opinion on the food he got...

Hey folks, Jon here. I know what you thinking... "but Jon you aren't vegetarian and have frequently voiced your love of meat on this very site!" Exhale readers, I have not switched over to the dark side. I chose the veggie option simply because it was the "noodle" option. When I knew I was going to have the privilege of eating David Chang's food, I immediately knew some delicious noodles were coming my way. And delicious they were indeed. They were particularly thin, much like a "mei fun", and had a light ginger taste. Served along with the noodles was pickled cucumber, tasting something like Korean kim chi. Something else sat on my plate, but I simply couldn't identify it. It was certainly some sort of "greens", either kale, or bok choy, etc. Either way, it was tasty.

My meal came with the rice fries as well. They were really great. They reminded me of the asian rice snacks you occasionally find sitting on a bar mixed with some wasabi peas. I love that stuff, and these were a great execution of those. The shitake bun was excellent, but not as great as Jared's crispy pork bun. To be honest though, that was the only thing pork-tastic about Jared's meal. Those rice cakes were some strange love child of marshmallow peeps and chili sauce. All in all, I was very happy with my selection, although I would have loved to have gotten my hands on some of that Dealer's choice. I'll throw it back to Jared, who is going to tell you about the best ice cream I've ever had. Thats right... ever.

And now to the ice cream....by the time I finished the fries, bun, and cakes, I was already stuffed. But I still had to have the Old Fashion Donut Ice Cream! All I can say is that it's a good thing I found some room for it. This was one of the best ice creams I've ever had. It tasted like if you were to let a cinnamon donut soak in milk for a while and then you scooped it out with a spoon. Just wow. Fortunately, this is currently on the menu at the Momofuku Bakery & Milk Bar. I doubt it will be long before I go back for more.

Report Card

Food: A (i need to get to momofuku asap!)

Atmosphere: A+ (picnic tables on Houston, very awesome)

Price: A+ (it's hard to get better than free)

Overall: A+