Momofuku Bakery-Milk Bar

February 18, 2009 10:50 am

Anyone who follows the culinary scene in NYC in the slightest knows the name Momofuku and all that it connotes: brilliant and inventive chef David Chang, the deification of all things pork, a re-imagining of Asian flavors and those infamous pork belly buns. The first Momofuku restaurant to open was a noodle bar, and its immediate success led to the opening of two other full service restaurants. Though all share a stark interior and casual atmosphere, each restaurant stands alone in its culinary offerings and ambitions. I have dined at all three of the Momofuku restaurants and loved my experience at them all.

However, when I learned that a Momofuku Milk Bar was opening, I had been suffering from Momofuku fatigue. All the media coverage and blog hype surrounding the other restaurants (justifiably), and the buildup surrounding the opening of the Milk Bar had me envisioning rabid foodies clamoring to get their first taste and storming the web with their initial impressions. It all seemed so exhausting. I was also thrown by the concept of a Momofuku bakery. I could understand the Momofuku chain evolving to include the other restaurants, from the impressive Ssam Bar to the hyper-ambitious Ko, but a dessert bar? I had my suspicions and decided I could wait a while before trying it out.

Four months later, I was ultimately persuaded to visit the Milk bar by my good friend who has an insatiable sweet tooth. After her hearing her rave about the cakes there on more than one occasion, I decided that I would have to sample the goods for myself. I am not much of a sweets person, a trait I felt would bode well in determining if the Milk Bar was worthy of joining the other Momofuku restaurants in the dining firmament of excellence. I visited early on a Monday evening, and was surprisingly charmed by its appearance. The Milk Bar is consistent in its minimal decor to the other Momofuku establishments, with blonde wood communal counters to stand around. The lighting is dim for a bakery, but makes sense visually as it is connected to sister restaurant Ssam Bar. However, unlike the other Momofuku, the Milk Bar is warmer and more inviting, with a hand scrawled menu on chalkboards that hang above the counter. Another factor I appreciated was its open baking area, where you can watch the pastries and cookies being prepared by the pastry cooks. After having consumed unlimited mussels at a nearby seafood restaurant, I knew I would have to be narrow and wise in my selection.

After consulting with the friendly staff behind the counter and my friend, we settled on a slice of their banana cake and an assortment of cookies. The banana cake was a multi-layered beauty with a banana cake base interspersed with layers of banana cream and crunchy hazelnut bits. It was topped with a thick layer of gianduja fudge. The banana cream was the highlight for me, as it was rich and full of pure banana flavor, but remarkably light. It served well to join together the various textural elements, from the bready cake to the crunchy bits and creamy topping. The cookies we tried were the blueberry cream, the "compost" cookie, and the cornflake-marshmallow-chocolate chip. Each cookie was generously sized and, like the cake, satisfied the palate texturally. The centers were soft and chewy, but were ringed with a enjoyable crisp and had a nice density that was very satisfying. Given my general lack of enthusiasm for sweets, I was impressed that neither the cake nor cookies were overwhelmingly saccharine, and the cake lacked the cloying, artificial nature that can be customary of banana desserts, especially. The Milk Bar also serves up an eclectic assortment of soft-serve flavors, a collection of baked breads (banana green curry!), pies and shakes. For those who want to snack on something more savory, there is an abbreviated menu of bar snacks that include those fabulous pork buns as well as other porcine-friendly rolls and muffins. As an added treat, the Milk Bar also offers beloved Portland-based Stumptown coffee and popular Korean canned juices and sodas.

I left the Milk Bar thoroughly impressed by the indisputable caliber of its treats and its casual, comfortable ambiance. After having seeing the creative scope of Milk Bar pastry chef Christina Tosi's menu and having experienced the quality of the goods personally, I understood exactly how the Milk Bar fit into the Momofuku family. The Milk Bar exemplifies the same commitment to originality and novel flavor pairings that has defined the other Momofuku branches, along with technical skill and execution. I am looking forward to many more visits in the future.

Susan Kum

Momofuku Bakery-Milk Bar
207 Second Avenue
New York, NY 10003
212-254-3500