THE NEW SIGNATURES

THE BUNS

Chang has seen his pork belly buns copied around the world, but he decided to embrace the steamed bun instead of running away from it. “If everyone is making one, we have to be the best-in-class,” he says.

The team is now making the buns in-house, too. The process is neither labor- nor space efficient, according to Kim: Every day, two to four cooks are dedicated to preparing them; it is also the base of the flatbread rotisserie meat sandwiches at the adjacent, just-opened Bang Bar.

The signature bun at midtown Noodle Bar is the French dip — fans of the pork belly version will have to wait for it to make an appearance on the specials board. “I’ve been eating a lot of French dips in L.A.,” explains Chang. Here, they are filled with chunks of braised short rib and onion with a bowl — shaped like a fancy shell — of black vinegarspiked broth. “This bun is the hardest thing we’re doing in this restaurant. Tim Ho Wan [the Michelin-starred dim sum expert] doesn’t mess around with the shape of dough. But we’re embracing the artisanship,” says Kim.

I found them sweet and puffy, with a pillowy, chewy bite.

THE DRINKS

The new Noodle Bar is a dedicated spot for drinks that, by itself, is about as big as the original Noodle Bar counter. Momofuku bar director Lucas Swallows worked with Anne Robinson (a Booker & Dax alum) to create what they call a “House Soda Fountain.” Their Highball Program includes the Sundial, made with tequila, suze, and clarified orange cordial and decorated with little orange cut outs. The Fun Guy features soju infused with dried shiitake and vermouth, with results unexpectedly like a cream soda.

Kim and his kitchen are pushing a handful of dishes that have made appearances at East Village Noodle Bar. Oxtail soup is served in a handsome Le Creuset pot, with rice cakes in a spicy broth. The meat is bone-in; Chang suggests customers pick it up with their hands. The same goes for the head-on Szechuan shrimp: a plate of plump shellfish coated in a piquant spice mix of coriander, cumin, and Szechuan peppercorn.

The team is considering serving then without silverware, so customers will be forced to eat with their hands. “There’s a lot of reasons for this dish. Head-on shrimp are the most delish, easiest way to eat them. People eat soft-shell crab; this is essentially that,” says Chang. I told him I would eat the whole thing but not the top of the head, with those giant eyes staring up at me. “You don’t have to eat them,” he said. He didn’t eat them, either.