Mo Money Mo Pork Buns

David Chang finally opened a Momofoku in Toronto. A 4-in-1 location, with the prices climbing as you ascend (litteral) the different restaurants. Saturday night, I opted for the "lowest" level, the buzzing Noodle Bar on the ground floor.

All the decorations were various shades of minimalist, Eastern beige with elevated bar counters surrounding a set of communal table. But no matter where you sit, you'll be sharing with other diners so get comfortable. The music got progressively louder as the evening progressed but oldies like Guns N Roses Don't Cry should be mercifully ignored.

For appetizers, I ordered the famous pork buns ($10) and the shiitake buns ($8). Both were the outstanding dishes for the evening. The cucumber added some nice crunch and the hoisin gave everything a slight sweetness. The shiitake mushrooms were earthy while the pork belly was deliciously fatty. If you wanted a spicier kick, the house chili sauce can be squeezed on top. The sweetness of bun has been toned down from its traditional chinese inspiration.

For mains, it was chicken & eggs ($15): a bowl of rice topped with artfully sliced cucumber, scallions, a runny egg, and smoked chicken. The chicken was excellent, crispy and flavourful. But the rest of the dish resembled an anemic bi bim bap; not bad but not worth fifteen dollars. The hanger steak ($18) came pre-spliced topped with brown butter and accompanied by fingerling potatoes. Though temptingly red and meaty, the too sweet miso marinade was a disservice to the steak.

Finally for desserts, it was two jars filled with lemon curd ($7) and rice pudding ($6). They were fine for a spoonful or two but in the end were respectively too sour and too sweet. The lemon curd had a lighter texture which was kinder to a full stomach.