All stories about "David Chang"
5 minutes ago, Changster, speaking at the New Yorker conference, on the Momo pork bun: "It was an 11th hour addition to the menu. Who would have thought people would be so crazy about, basically, a 'fat bomb'?" [ChangWire]
Speaking of Ko, Savory Tidbits has created a "Momofuku Ko Superlative Matrix", and it is quite a thing to behold. The Google spreadsheet lays out what each critic said about every single aspect of the restaurant from the service to the price to the cereal milk panna cotta. [Savory Tidbits]
Ko-BOOM: Tuesday Seats Repped Correctly
For those of you feeling down because you didn't get a Ko resy this morning, don't fret. The place is closed on Tuesdays (remember seats are released for 6 days from the current date), and it looks like the design guys over at the resy site found a way to accurately represent that in time for this morning's Bruni bomb. [KoWire]
As a prelude to Bruni's Momo' Ko review (hitting newsstands tomorrow), Ryan Sutton files his write up on Bloomberg today He says it's one of America's great restaurants, but not 4 star material: "You take a sedan to Per Se. You ride the subway to Ko." [Bloomberg]
Ko-BOOM: Greene's Review of Momo' Ko, Craigslist Tom Up
Gael Greene files her awaited review of Momofuku Ko, following last week's Craigslist Tom/double booking debacle. For the record, Tom is cute, the chefs, bored, and Chang, rude. As for the food, Greene finds it impressive but uneven overall. Some highlights:
· On Tom: "He seemed unimpeachably righteous to me in his business suit, taller than Clint Eastwood, with curly, dark blond hair and blue eyes."
· On the chefs: "The crew nimbly slicing, slivering, plating, announcing each dish as it was presented - were too joyless, rushed, indifferent, possibly bored".
· On girls and boys dishes: "And I’m sure an anti-feminist plot can be found in analyzing which dishes go to the 'ladies' and which to 'the gentlemen,' in courses that don’t come in pairs." On the resy confrontation, next.>>
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
> Ko-BOOM: The WSJ Review —Following Platt's lead, the Wall Street Journal files their Momo' Ko review after just one visit. But unlike Platt's piece, this is not an all out rave—the reviewer takes issue with the seats, the service, and the menu. [WSJ]
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Ko-BOOM: One More Way of Getting into Ko
According to the Columbia Business School student who forwarded along the screen shot of this job posting, there is just one more day to apply to the summer internship at Momofuku. Posted back in January, the ad is for a summer marketing internship with the contact person listed as Mr. David Chang himself. Seems like the Momo' trifecta barely needs help in the publicity dept, but everyone can use free summer help. If you don't have access to Columbia's job boards, send your cover letters our way. We'll make sure they get to the desk of DC.
· All Momofuku Ko Coverage [~E~]
Ko-BOOM: Nice While it Lasted
The Ko giveth and the Ko taketh away. A few weeks ago, when the powers that be at Momofuku Ko added four slots to their resy site, those obsessively working the system to get a reservation figured their quest would be made somewhat easier. Psyche! Looks like we're back to the original 10 slots. But if you think about it, your chances have only been reduced infinitesimally. It's all red X's after the first 4 seconds no matter how many slots are up there. Just try to have some fun out there.
· Ko-BOOM: Momofuku Ko's New Resy Slots [~E~]
Monday, April 28, 2008
> Ko-BOOM: Desperate Times —Resy scalping is bad enough, but when the price of the reservation is spending an evening with and paying for this guy...we're not sure it's worth it: "I recently achieved what most have found impossible. I have a resi for two (2) at Ko this Weds. I am offering my one extra seat to anyone who wants to treat me to this most coveted dining celebration. You pay for the food, if we have fun I will pick up the tab for the booze." [Craigslist]
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
> Ko-BOOM: Gone in 4 Seconds —The Los Angeles Times' food blogger logs on at 7AM Pacific time every day to get a Ko resy, and after days of failures, she emails the powers that be. This is their response: "This morning there were several hundred people actively logged onto the system and all the reservations went in the first four seconds. With everyone trying to get what amounts to 14 reservations the odds of getting a seat are certainly slim but your internet connection speed is basically irrelevant." [Daily Dish]
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
> Ko-BOOM: New Dish Documentation —Like dozens of blogs before it, Food in Mouth photographs every dish of a recent meal at Momo' Ko. But here's where things change: we haven't seen at least four of those dishes on any other blog. We've heard that Chang has been serving different courses to different people within a party, but this is the first documentation of note. There's a soft shell crab, something referred to as lasagna, a shrimp dish, and more. Maybe Platt should have waited for one more go, eh? [Food in Mouth]
Monday, April 21, 2008
Ask Eater: Tipping at Momofuku KoHave a restaurant or nightlife question that you'd like the Eater readership to tackle? Send it in to tips@eater.com and it may just get the "Ask Eater" treatment.
The latest Ask Eater question is in regards to, what else, Momo' Ko: "Has anyone written about tipping at ko? How does one tip when there are no servers?" Good question. When you add your tip at the end of your meal, does all of it go to the waitresses who pour your wine and clear your plates, does part of it go to the restaurant, or does the staff divvy it up? Furthermore should you tip as much as you normally would given the circumstances? We put it to you. How would you tip at Momo' Ko? Put your answers in the comments or email the tipline.
· Ask Eater: 787 Seventh Ave. [~E~]
—photo credit
Thursday, April 17, 2008
> Ko-BOOM: Resy Auction —And from the land of terrible ideas, we have this proposition from Portfolio's Felix Salmon suggesting that David Chang should auction off resys to Momofuku Ko twice a week: "Rather than the first-come-first-served lottery, he could simply accept bids, over the course of the day from anybody wanting a reservation in one week's time, along with the preferred time that person would like to eat. If he serves say 30 covers per night, he could then accept the top 30 bids, and charge them all the same clearing price: he'd give the highest bidders their first choice on timeslots, but wouldn't charge them any extra. The clearing price would, right now, be well over $85; it might even approach the $400 level seen at Masa." [Portfolio]
Monday, April 14, 2008
> Ko-BOOM: Exceptions to the Rules —
The AP interviews Chang about the Ko resy system. He mentions the big names he has turned away, his hatred for resy scalpers, and the famous chefs he would have to let in: "Ruth Reichl, editor-in-chief of Gourmet magazine, asked David Chang for the hook up. Sorry, he told her. A former top Microsoft executive asked too. Same answer: Nope...'If my parents want to eat there, they have to make a reservation too. It's really quite simple.'...But what if the godfathers of food approached him _ French masters like Michel Bras, Pierre Gagnaire or Joel Robuchon?...'If Michel Bras came in and wanted to eat...what the hell are we supposed to do?...Those are the only people we'd actually consider.'" [The AP via FoxNews]
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Ko-BOOM: Momofuku Ko's New Resy Slots
Last week we heard Momofuku Ko would be opening up new resy slots due to the higher demand for seats, and lo and behold, they did. Four extra slots each for two, four, and one seat reservations. Now Bruni's intern monkeys and cadre of friends trying to get a free meal out of him will have an easier time of it. And those of you who like eating late might have a good chance at getting that 10:20 spot. Or maybe the resys will just go in the first three minutes instead of the first two.
· All Momofuku Ko Coverage [~E~]
Monday, April 7, 2008
> Wolfgang's Burn —Looks like not all culinary legends worship at the altar of Chang. In town for an awards ceremony, celeb chef Wolfgang Puck mentions having dining at Jean George and Brasserie Cognac, and Observer wonders if he plans to pay David Chang a visit: "But, what about New York’s new foodie darling, David Chang? Hasn’t it become a requirement for culinary enthusiasts everywhere to pay a visit to Momofuku or the newly opened Ko when visiting our city?...'Who? No, I don’t know him; I have never been to his restaurant,' said Mr. Puck." [NYO]
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Bruni Breaks Silence on Ko Resy Frustrations
"...you begin submitting a reservation request and then submitting it again...before all the other electronic requests, like sperms swimming furiously to be first to the egg, beat yours to the punch....Using a name not my own, I have tried this on several occasions, submitting requests between 9:58 and 10:02, trying to hit the right moment. By 10:02 or 10:03, I’m being told that all the reservations for the night just made available are gone, baby, gone.Who's doing Bruni's dirty work, next.>>
Thursday, March 20, 2008
EaterWire: Pies & Thighs Update, The Elvis Costello Momofuku Album, New Beatrice Inn Project
WILLIAMSBURG— If their appearance on last month's CB1 agenda wasn't enough confirmation that Pies & Thighs is moving to Driggs at South 4th Street, Gothamist has the triple confirm: "A scrap of news is no replacement for pulled pork, but fervid fans of the defunct Williamsburg DIY barbecue joint Pies ‘n’ Thighs will have to take what they can get. It seems the owners are indeed moving forward with their new location on the corner South 4th Street and Driggs, and there will be another Community Board meeting next month." [Gothamist]
EAST VILLAGE— Rolling Stone notices the curious name of Elvis Costello's newest album—Momofuku: "Did Costello, who currently lives in New York, name his new release after the hottest restaurants in the city: chef David Chang’s Momofuku Noodle Bar, Momofuku Ssam Bar, and the new, impossible-to-get-into Momofuku Ko?...Costello’s reps weren’t immediately able to provide an answer, so I went straight to Chang...'We’ve heard he’s a fan of the restaurant, but I doubt he’d name his album after us,' says Chang. 'That would be too weird. It blows my mind. There’s just no way! He’s Elvis Costello, for Christ’s sake!'" [RS]
Another project from the Beatrice Inn team, next.>>
Monday, March 17, 2008
Great Moments in Dave Chang: The New Yorker Profile
As mentioned earlier, this week the New Yorker drops a mega piece on David Chang and the opening of Ko. Writer Larissa MacFarquhar follows team Momofuku around from weeks before the opening until the first friends and family night, and the epic, 8,000-word-plus profile includes an unwieldy number of details and revelations about the weaknesses and brilliance of our hero. Since the story is only available in print, we're going excerpt here for you aggressively, starting with an opening graf, then moving on to The Chang's ruminations on various subjects, like anger management and his girl (separately):"
Chang is only thirty, but in the past couple of years he has unexpectedly and, in his mind, accidentally and probably fraudulently, become one of the most celebrated chefs in the country. He is way too neurotic to handle this, however, so he compensates by representing himself as a bumbling idiot. He is five feet ten, built like a beer mug, and feels that most food tastes better with pork."Chang revelations, one click away.>>
> Chang Profiled —The New Yorker runs a typically epic profile on David Chang and Ko this week and, being the forward thinking publication that it is, piece isn't online. While you're waiting for the mail or a trip to the newsstand, Ed Levine published some of the choice quotes: "Mario Batali, who has opened twelve restaurants and appears on three television shows, has counseled Chang about coping with success. 'Mario’s big thing to me is ‘Dave, would you fucking be happy?’ He loves it. He loves life. I want to love life as much as Mario loves life,' Chang says. 'It’s not that I’m not happy; I’m just fearful for the future. I’m fearful that everything’s gonna be taken away.'" [Ed Levine Eats]
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Ko-BOOM: Resy's Go in Under 2 Min
The Momofuku Ko added a fun new feature: it shows the exact time you tried and failed to get resys. Today, the first seats released since Tuesday's Ko ResyGate went in two minutes at the latest. Could have been 30 seconds. Either way, chances of you getting a table anytime soon are looking downright bleak.
UPDATE: Official word from the Ko: "It sold out in one minute and 32 seconds. At 10:00am there were over five hundred unique users logged onto the system at the same time. The system got hit unbelievably hard and it survived."
· Ko-BOOM: Ko Resy Site Live [~E~]
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Ko-BOOM: Wrap UpWhat a day. Those of you who managed to refresh at the right moment and scored the choice resys, well played. The rest of you, meet us back here tomorrow. Unless that is you were never able to set up an account; we're not sure what the story is there. Seven hours in, there are already resy scalpers in the comments, on Craigslist, and eGullet, and one can witness the entire spectrum of human emotions splayed out in the comments. Anger (at us, at Momofuku, at the scalpers), joy, doubt, self righteousness, and of course, greed. These sum it up:
Best comments of the day, next.>>
Ko-BOOM: Is Someone Attacking the Momo Server?
We just had a chat with Drew Salmon, the Momofuku official who has been overseeing Ko reservation ops, to get his reactions to the shitshow in progress at http://reservations.momofuku.com. Turns out that, get this, someone is actively trying to crash the site:
The word from the hosting/it provider is that the site is currently under a 'denial of service attack.' Of course we planned for the site to be busy and we tested the heck out of the application but—apparently—there are just some things that are very, very, difficult to guard against. Currently we are trying to identify the attacker(s) and bring the system back online. Even if we spent another “x” amount of dollars or used something like “opentable” the reality is if someone really wants to bring down a site then it will go down. It happens often. The bottom line from our end is that we are really sorry for the inconvenience. That someone has chosen to attack the site is unfortunate for a variety of different reasons.The non-tech speak, up next. >>
Friday, February 8, 2008
Plywood Photo Gallery Special: Momofuku KoWe'll have more of the good 'wood coming your way later this afternoon, but our East Village mole has just returned with the following. Brace.
The latest word from David Chang's forthcoming knitting circle, Momofuku Ko, located in the old Noodle Bar space on First Avenue: a) they're looking to upgrade from a beer and wine license to a full liquor license, hence the community board notification; b) word from the inside is that they're a few weeks away from open; c) word from the dark side is that they may be close enough to open next week, at least for friends and family. And so we wait—and in the meantime, play with our brand new photo gallery tool seen above. Go ahead, have a click. C'mon.
· Peter Serpico Named Chef at Momofuku Ko [~E~]
· Momofuku Ko: The Full Reveal [~E~]
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
From The Desk of Dave Chang: Peter Serpico Named Chef at Momofuku Ko, More Changes at the Momo EmpireContinue reading "From The Desk of Dave Chang: Peter Serpico Named Chef at Momofuku Ko, More Changes at the Momo Empire"
Dave Chang—man of the year, Mayor of the East Village, keeper of the bo ssam, ice cream shoppe king (he could if he wanted to)—writes us today with news from his growing empire. He's made some personnel changes at all three of his East Village restaurants, including the unopened Momofuku Ko (currently on a track for February/March), where Peter Serpico has been named a chef/partner. From here, we better to go directly to his note, which arrived on Chang brand letterhead, sealed with an orange peach embossed into melted orange wax.
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
The Year in Eater: Best Meals of 2007To close out 2007, Eater once again invited many of our favorite food correspondents to join us in assessing the year's best eats, biggest surprises, and favorite neighborhoods for dining out. We'll begin celebrating the Year in Eater 2007 with a look at the Meals of the Year, Good and Bad.
A rare exterior shot of Momofuku Ssäm Bar, with collectors' edition Ssäm inset; circa August 2006.Dave Chang, Man of the Year: 2 way tie - tasting menu at wd-50 - popcorn soup, french onion soup, eggs benedict, knot of foie, flat-iron steak, horchata, turbot & bbq lentils, - so tasty & A Voce - all the pastas, gamebird terrine, finished with a small scoop of josh grippa's sorbet.
Mimi Sheraton: La Grenouille..fabulous
Danyelle Freeman, NY Daily News Food Critic, aka The RG: Bad: Wakiya. Let's leave it at that…
Drew Nieporent, No Affiliation to Bun (via phone call): "Taillevent, no question. It was absolutely spectacular. The table top, bread, cheese, service. The roast pigeon!"
The Gotham Gal, Midtown Lunch, and many more are up next. >>
Thursday, December 6, 2007
> ChangWire —Spend New Year's Eve with David Chang and friends at Ssam Bar; all in, $300. This is probably as good a time as any to ask, you do have your New Year's Eve dining plans set, yes? [Cutlets]
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
EaterWire: Momofuku Ko In '08?, Flay Flayed at 1 Madison?
EAST VILLAGE—Emails one of our Wall Street correspondents, "What's the latest on Momofuku Ko? Last I heard it was supposed to open immediately after Noodle Bar relocated, but I think we are long overdue for an update. Can we page Dave Chang, please?" Per Alan Richman's epic screed on Chang today, Ko is already open (GQ excerpt: "To taste the consommé at Ko—made with kimchi and pork—is to believe that Asian sensibilities combined with French technique might be the future of fine dining.") Except, er, Eater operatives cased Ko—aka the old Momofuku Noodle Bar space (above)—last night, and noted no noticeable construction work since the place shuttered a few weeks back. Now, perhaps they're starting in the back—but, uhm, this place is so small it really doesn't even have a back. Or perhaps the overhaul is less ambitious than we'd been led to believe—certainly possible. Still, we're putting it out there: the smart money now is on no Ko until 2008, kids. Let's set the over/under at January 10. [EaterWire]
LOWER MADISON—The website for One Madison Park is live, something that the good ship Curbed is going to get into tomorrow. But for now, recall that this is the development that will force chef Bobby Flay's Bolo to close. Curious, that, as among the promises listed on its shiny new website is "a five-star restaurants by one of the best culinary minds in the world." Now, some do say Flay is a genius, and perhaps this is to say that Flay is getting himself new digs for Bolo. But, more like, we have first word that Flay is being booted for one of his more worldly peers. Developing. [EaterWire]
> ChangWire —GQ has named Dave Chang chef of the year. We knew the kid was talented, but, good God: "Three years ago, David Chang was an obscure cook with a failing Manhattan noodle bar. Now he is being hailed as the most innovative and exciting chef America has seen in decades..." UPDATE: Okay, we just got through this beast: 4646 words, people, including an aside on Chang's dating life. Set aside the next half-hour of your life and click on through. [GQ]
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
MomoWire: Momofuku Noodle Bar 2.0 Opens Tonight, Has Soft-Serve
12:03 AM: Left, Momofuku 2.0 on the night before open; Right, Momofuku 1.0 closes its doors for the last time.Momofuku Noodle Bar 2.0, which we may have mentioned here before, opens for business tonight at 6 PM. As shown above, the original Noodle Bar is now closed and will become Momofuku Ko, which, if Chang's current promise of a highly rigid first-come-first-served reservations system plays out, will give you and Alice Waters equal chances of getting a table. At Noodle Bar 2.0, you may want to inquire about their new soft-serve ice cream, served in brownie-filled sugar cones in flavors like espresso. And thus, ends another episode of MomoFever.
Friday, October 19, 2007
> ChangWatch —Courtesy of a Craigslist job listing, a touch of fresh intelligence about David Chang's forthcoming Momofuku Ko: "The restaurant will have a very unique operation, with the possibility of no servers... We expect a early winter opening. We will have new equipment & 14 seats, expect a set menu with a few a la carte items." [Craigslist via Eat For Victory]
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Fall Tracking Report: Momofuku Noodle BarFall is a time for restaurant openings. Lots of them. Restaurateurs will make promises, excite us, with their grand plans. Consider this here the intel you need to keep abreast of it all—and start obsessing at just the right moment.
Momofuku Noodle Bar: 9/24/07
Momofuku Noodle Bar, 171 First Avenue, East Village; (212) 475-7899
Initial Debut Projection: Summer
Current Sched On the Books: October
Odds, On Time Arrival: 125-1
Eater Projected Opening Date: 12/15/07The above snap of Dave Chang's new Momofuku Noodle Bar, a relocated, expanded version of the original, comes to us from a top level street correspondent. Chang, if we know the guy, is lining up a big time reveal of the space in, say The New York Times, but, hey, if the door is open, we're taking a photo. Chang in his own words: "At the new Noodle Bar we’re going to have more seats (55 versus 27) and more kitchen space (not that you care). The menu will probably grow a little bit (Will Kevin Pemoulie make daily specials for Larry Bird? We can hope. Will there be cutlets on the menu? Almost certainly not) and we hope that waits will shrink and the food will improve."
Below, an early floorplan, to make the above photography all the more thrilling.
Continue reading "Fall Tracking Report: Momofuku Noodle Bar"
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
On The House: Momofuku Ko, The Full RevealOn the House is our regular column written by the owners and operators of the great food and beverage establishments of New York. Today, your proprietor is Mr. David Chang of Momofuku Noodle Bar and Momofuku Ssam Bar.
So, yes, we’re opening another restaurant.
It seems that somebody on the staff got ruffied at one of the Beard afterparties and let it slip: Momofuku Noodle Bar is changing into something else. Something called Momofuku Ko, which all you attentive students of Japanese will recognize as “sewing circle.”
Why try to keep it under our hats and reopen like a bunch of silent ninjas in the night?
Because if we – me, Quino, all the guys in the crew – have learned anything, it’s that we’re terrible at opening restaurants and really good at making mistakes. We’re okay with that – learning from our mistakes has helped us grow as cooks and restaurant operators – but it’s harder to change and learn and grow when you’re constantly under a microscope.
Also, too much in the restaurant business is about hype right now. (I know we are lucky in that department and, trust me, we are thankful for the opportunities the attention has afforded us.) But chefs are not rock stars and are not cool. Restaurant openings are not movie premieres. All the bullshit distracts from the real task at hand – cooking – and from the food, which is what we’re in it for.
So how about this: I’ll tell you every boring detail of everything that’s happening with Momofuku and then we’ll all be quiet about it for a while? Deal? Pinky swear? Okay:
All the Momofuku intel you can handle, up next. >>
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