As if Washington, D.C., residents and visitors needed another reason to go to CityCenterDC, they have even more motivation now. Chef David Chang has brought his Momofuku restaurant group to the nation's capital with the opening of Momofuku CCDC and Milk Bar.
Slice yourself a piece of this pumpkin pie cake from Momofuku's Milk Bar! — Photo courtesy of Momofuku / Milk Bar
Momofuku CCDC
With a menu that changes daily and seasonally, Momofuku CCDC offers creative takes on Asian fare. The noodles and rice section tends to be a favorite among guests, and who could blame them when you get to sample such delightful dishes as ginger scallion noodles, kimchi stew and hozon ramen?
Starters on a recent menu included spicy cucumbers, biscuit bites and Old Bay pork rides.
Don't leave without trying the pork buns, which feature hoisin, scallion and cucumber. And check out the "Etc." menu section for all the meals they have that don't fit into a specific category, including oysters and country ham.
They do take a limited number of reservations online and by phone for dine-in seating and for their bo ssam and fried chicken large party meals. Korean for "enclosed," the saam meal features a slow-cooked pork shoulder, shrimp cocktail, white rice, bibb lettuce and other condiments guests may chose to make as many wraps as their appetite desires.
The fried chicken dinner includes two chickens, but each cooked differently – one Southern style and the other Korean style. Guests may use moo sho pancakes to create wraps with the chicken and other accoutrements.
A majority of tables at the restaurant are held for walk-ins, so if you didn't plan ahead, don't worry.
Milk Bar
Once you have finished dinner, head next door to Momofuku's Milk Bar for sinfully delicious dessert. When this spot opened up in late October 2015, wait times reached two hours just to get in. Yikes! So don't expect to walk right up to the counter. Lines may still continue to be out the door for this eatery, so come prepared for a wait.
Be prepared to tell lies to your personal trainer once inside, because you will want to sample everything! Out of the cookie menu, the compost cookie is a favorite, which features pretzels, potato chips, coffee, oats, chocolate chips and butterscotch baked inside it.
Three-packs are available if you are aching for a truffle in such cake flavors as vanilla rainbow (known as b-day), chocolate malt and pumpkin pie. Crack pie, made with toasted oat crust with a gooey butter cake, is also a top seller and may be purchased as a whole pie or by the slice.
If you're looking for a cake for a special occasion, they carry a limited number in store but advise customers to make reservations at least three days ahead of time. Online inventory includes strawberry lemon, apple pie, chocolate malt, vanilla rainbow and salted pretzel.
So whether you're in the mood for some Asian cuisine or want a sweet treat, the Momofuku restaurant group has two great options to choose from in the nation's capital.
