Momofuku chef opens Japanese restaurant in Brooklyn
When you think of Momofuku, you probably immediately think of David Chang. Understandably so: his mug appears everywhere on TV and online. But he no longer actually cooks himself in all of his restaurants; he has some very good chefs for that. One of those chefs is now opening a brand-new Japanese restaurant in Brooklyn.
When I was in New York, I dutifully worked my way through the Momofuku lineup. Noodle Bar for fantastic noodles and, of course, those famous pork buns; Milk Bar for cereal ice cream and crack pie; but the absolute highlight was Momofuku Ssäm Bar. From the paper-thin sliced ham with coffee mayonnaise to piping-hot shrimp and fried Jerusalem artichoke with vinaigrette: every dish was refined and incredibly flavorful. And that is all thanks to Joaquin Baca.
First employee
It has long been no secret that David Chang does not toil in the kitchens of his restaurants himself. A different chef is in charge at each restaurant, but Joaquin played a particularly special role at Momofuku. He was the first and only employee of Noodle Bar, Chang’s first restaurant. He was also responsible for turning Momofuku Ssäm Bar into one of the best restaurants in the group. He slipped away for a while to run his restaurant Brooklyn Star and is now hard at work on his latest venture: Teo.
Japanese x Southern x Momofuku
The focus at Teo is Japanese. The specialties include Japanese favorites such as okonomiyaki, yakitori and ramen. It can hardly go wrong, especially with such a great chef at the helm. However, it is anything but traditionally Japanese: his Southern and Momofuku roots also shine through. The ramen is served with a confit duck leg, the chicken skin comes with ranch dressing and Louisiana hot sauce, and the menu also features parsnip with yardlong beans and smoked molasses.
Add it to the list
Yakitori is made with smoked beef tongue with cucumber and mustard; rabbit with carrot barbecue sauce; or sweetbreads with teriyaki and kinpira gobo (a type of Japanese vegetable condiment). Oh, and that okonomiyaki? You eat it straight from a cast-iron pan. The restaurant could open at any moment. So, do you have a trip to New York planned? Sorry, that list of restaurants you absolutely have to visit has just gotten a little longer again.
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