momofuku!

For quite some time now, there's been a buzz about David Chang, a former line cook at Craft (another brilliant dining institution that I haven't had a chance to actually try yet), bringing a popular and wildly successful noodle bar to the East Village.

For long enough, we've postponed trying out Chang's creations for ourselves, but after tonight we can tell you the facts: My friends, Momofuku lives up to everything you've heard and more.

The interior and the decor: simple. minimal. truly reminiscent of the noodle bars crowded with Tokyo salarymen.
The service: stellar.
The food: Divine. Awesome.
I was going to say 'divine', but then, I want to do this place justice: This isn't the $400 foie-gras and truffle meal at Per Se with a bottle of Krug. This is eating-on-a-counter noodles-your-mom-could-never-make with side dishes reminiscent of traditional Chinese staples, but with a wild twist downed with a bottle of Hitachino (or, if you must, Stella).

This, my friends, is just plain old good ramen. The way it was meant to be.... And then. It's also not.
It's everything great about eating a good old bowl of ramen loaded in with Berkshire pork.
And with side dishes like spicy (I mean spicy!) tripe and roasted rice cakes.
It's everything you think the old staples are - and what they're not.
And it's executed so flawlessly, that horrible, ugly word fusion never once entered my mind.

What did come out of my mouth though (between the inhaling of the noodles, pork, and side dishes) was the repeated phrase to my wife, "My God. This is damn good." (or something to that effect).
And what did go through my mind was: Man. This David Chang guy really just gets it.