Las Vegas, NV (The Joy of Food) — Sin City, once known for cheap buffet troughs and 99-cent shrimp cocktails, now has one of the most formidable and sophisticated dining scenes in the world. If you worship at the altar of the pig, a lunch or dinner at east-coast icon Momofuku should be on your list.
Some chefs work their entire lives perfecting a highly specific type of food. There may be enough nuance to ramen and pork buns to occupy thought for a lifetime, but the food here goes beyond any singular convention or tradition. In fact, it’s hard to put anything that David Chang does in a box, but I’d say Momofuku is an izakaya experience if we’re going to call it Japanese and a mishmash of Korean, Asian, French, and American flavors if we’re not.
You might be expecting a twist on the appetizer called spicy cucumbers, but nope, they’re really just diced-up raw cucumbers dusted with togarashi (Japanese chili pepper powder), crushed toasted almonds, and scallions. This is a simple starter plate that lets you know you’re in for something fresh, it will be good, and you’re going to pay lots of money for it.
The tonkotsu ramen is built on layers of chicken bones, kombu, rendered bacon fat, powdered mushrooms, and their own house-made taré infused with bacon ends, making for a broth that’s darker, sweeter, and thinner than you’ve probably had elsewhere. The philosophy here is that under-seasoned broth is a crime, but I actually think they go a little too far in the other direction. The sous-vide’d soft-boiled egg is creamy and cuts into this a bit, or it can be eaten on its own. Noodles are predictably springy and made in-house.
Even better, the pork buns are probably what put Momofuku on the map, a simple mix of roasted pork belly, a schmear of hoison sauce, some quick cured cucumbers, and scallions enveloped in a fluffy steamed bun. These are sweet-savory heaven with a nice ratio of fat to meat, plump little gems that are truly next-level. Pork buns weren’t invented here, but a decidedly more luxe style of them was, one that now gets copied in restaurants across America.
There are also the aptly named large format plates, giant things you’ll see on a few of the tables around you that could feed entire countries for a week. The five-spice roasted duck is something to behold, a whole duck with confit fried rice, lettuce, steamed buns, and fixings like kimchi, hoison, and fresh herbs. Even a group of ten people would have tons of leftovers. Order ahead for guaranteed availability.
Inside, the hip hop sound track is blasting and the walls are typically brohard grunge chic for a Chang establishment, lined with bright murals from friend and painter Dave Choe. Next door is partner restaurant Milk Bar helmed by Christina Tossi, once Chang’s pastry chef who broke out on her own with her brand of spoiled milk desserts (I’m not a fan). If you’re going up through the Cosmopolitan with the escalators, make a right at the Egg Slut.
Written by Joy
Thanks for reading. The Joy of Food blog celebrates eating well, traveling often, and living la dolce vita. San Diego, California is home base, but thoughts are from all over. Reviews and photos help to highlight wonderful (or not) food experiences from around the world.
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Next time I go to Vegas I’ll have to try the roast duck.
Yum! I’ve always wanted to get it but my party has never been large enough to warrant it. They also do a crispy duck confit which I’ll have to try one of these days.