2 bowls of ramen any1?

Last week, I had an enormous craving for a bowl of hot steaming ramen. It could be the -12C weather or just missing my trip to Tokyo. My business trip to Tokyo should be more accurately termed my semi-annual pilgrimage to the shrine of food. After doing all the research, I decided to visit this place raved by New York Times and many others - Momofuku Noodle Bar. Having heard that the wait could be as long as an hour, I rushed there after my facial hoping to beat the lines. Since I was very early, there was only one other person in this tiny establishment. I ordered the signature dish which is supposed to be this mouth- watering Berkshire fatty pork ramen. What a let-down! The noodles were soggy and the soup was obviously just some kelp soup. There is no taste of pork bone in it at all. A poached egg was served instead of the nice hard-boiled egg with the runny yolk. The other signature dish is fatty pork in a steamed bun that sells for $9. It is just our Chinese fatty pork buns. Kong ba bao. Shocking! This chef was nominated as the rising star in the James Beard awards. I am all for creative new chefs but I don't think that should be at the expense of the food. Thankfully, he did not win. I was only able to swallow 2 mouthfuls and left to get a real bowl of ramen somewhere else.

The lesson learnt here is not to trust an angmo's opinion on Asian food. This is the second Asian place I have been where the hype outweighs the quality of the food. In Momofuku, the waiters and the "chefs" at the counter were too busy trying to look cool to care that I did not touch my food.

Ah, I miss the feast in Tokyo.