David Chang’s first Momofuku Noodle Bar opened in New York’s East Village in 2004. It was an instant hit, its backless chairs packed with “foodies”—then still a relatively fresh slang word—and chefs alike, who came to slurp noodles and broth from massive bowls late into the night. Indie rock piped in from the chef-owner’s iPod, lines stretched around the block and travelers crossed the country and even continents to sample Chang’s otherworldly good Tokyo-style ramen hit with Korean-American influence.
The restaurant expanded to a larger location, netted a four-star review from Time Out New York as well as countless national accolades, and, perhaps most importantly of all, would lay the groundwork for Chang’s now-global restaurant empire. And while both Toronto and Sydney received their own Noodle Bars—and L.A. finally received Chang’s first California restaurant, Majordomo—we’ve been waiting a long time for our own location. That all changes in 2019.
View this post on Instagram
As reported by Eater, Chang will slide a Momofuku Noodle Bar into West Hollywood sometime next year. "This will be our first Noodle Bar on the West Coast," a Momofuku representative told Time Out L.A. "The restaurant will be informed by the DNA of Noodle Bar in New York but uniquely built for Los Angeles."
Whether Noodle Bar NYC’s fried chicken and caviar options will make their way to this coast is yet to be seen, but L.A.’s should include a number of the original concepts—and if there’s no ramen, and none of Chang’s famous pork bao, which originated at Noodle Bar, Angelenos might take to the streets.
Chang’s noodle bar locations always supplement ramen and buns with small plates and rotating larger dishes, often inspired by seasonality, and as he’s already learned with Majordomo, California’s produce is some of the best in the world. We’d bet we’ll see a a number of vegetable- and produce-forward dishes here, à la Majordomo’s Bounty Bowl or the seasonal fruit dessert.
If you’re unfamiliar with Noodle Bar or feel like taking a time machine back to the mid aughts, take a peek at this 2007 Savory Cities video tour of New York’s Momofuku Noodle Bar, complete with an interview with a young Chang:
Momofuku Noodle Bar is set to open in Los Angeles at 514 N La Cienega Blvd in West Hollywood sometime in 2019.