One of the best experiences that I have ever had. My wife took me here for my birthday and the service, the food, the pairings, the small atmosphere is remarkable. I would recommend this small seating environment to anyone.

Momofuku Ko was even better than we expected! My wife and I got a seat at the counter, surrounding the open kitchen, and we were treated to an amazing evening of culinary theater. The staff was super friendly. Max, the sous chef, was amazing. He was super chill, and took the time to chat with us throughout the dinner, as he was prepping food. The relaxed atmosphere reminded me of my amazing experience at Alinea in Chicago.

The entire restaurant is very small (hence the difficulty getting reservations). There are only about 21 seats around the kitchen, plus an additional 2 tables off to the side, for larger parties.

I ordered the wine pairing+prix fixe, and we settled in for a wonderful evening. Here's a play-by-play of our meal:
1) Mendocino sparkling to start. My wife wasn't drinking. So, they made her a delicious sparkling aperitif with a Campari-like Italian bitter, Cappeletti, and soda water
2) Raw scallop with Thai basil, cucumber, radish mini wrap. Paired with a 2008 dry reisling
3) Raw sea bream with spray of shiso and fish consomme
4) Siberian sturgeon caviar with fermented radish and mashed potato. The mashed potato was so delicious and creamy. Take a seat Alain Ducasse! I don't even like caviar and this was delicious
5) Torched Mackerel with grilled rice on Wasabi leaf. Served with a mackeral dashi chaser. Paired with a Junmai sake
6) Santa Barbara uni with Korean chili-fermented chick pea puree. This was the best Santa Barbara uni I've ever had. Really rich and buttery. Served with a much older older vintage (1993) of the earlier Riesling. The wine was wonderful -- smokier and more aged in flavor
7) Lightly charred razor clam with cold-infused pineapple dashi and basil seeds. Absolutely delicious. Simultaneously savory, smokey, and refreshing (because of the pineapple dashi)
8) San Francisco-style sourdough bread with black radish butter
9) Nori-crusted lamb with a briny tomato sauce
10) Shaved Hudson foie gras with pine nut brittle over lychee. The foie was a little too rich for my taste. They paired this with a really great sweet reisling
11) Chocolate tart with Fernet Branca
12) Huckleberry sorbet with coffee syrup. Served with a sweet white vermouth
13) Macaroons

In my husbands words. Really cool space where most of the seats are at a kitchen counter around an open kitchen that is the center of the room. This was my kind of place where you could really see the cooking and plating going on. Service was excellent and dishes were well paced out. The first item on the menu was actually 4 different amouse bouche bites. My favorites were the Pomme Soufflee which was basically a lightly fried potato hollowed out and filled with a tasty crème fraiche and the chicken oyster – very tasty chicken bite. The striped bass was served in tartare form and very tasty. We are not the biggest Uni fans, but I liked the pairing with the chickpea puree. My wife thought that the dish fell flat. The barbeque zucchini was really really tasty and smokey. My favorite dish might have been the Ko egg and caviar. I’m a sucker for soft cooked eggs, somewhere between poached and soft boiled. Mixed with the caviar it was awesome. The next course was a very lightly seared Wagyu beef carpaccio. Tasty!! Then on to a razor clam salad with pineapple and basil. I don’t remember the potato bouillabaisse dish. The next dish was lamb and eggplant. We had watched them char these big white eggplant over a charcoal fire for the entire time we had been in the restaurant. We aren’t eggplant fans, but this stuff turned out awesome. I have to say, I don’t remember how the lamb was prepared, but I remember I enjoyed it, and the wife even tasted it. The “Naked Pruner” was a cheese course – sheeps milk. It was Ok, but cheese course aren’t our thing really. The foie gras was served as a dessert course, and then we ended with a celery root ice cream. We are more for sweet dessert people, but these were decent.

This is how bao should be done! I was introduced to Bao buns in London last fall. Until now I have yet to find one worthy of the same review. Hands down best bao bun I've had since I've been back! So that means, in my humble opinion best bao in America! hehe. I've been looking. The place is great. Awesome atmosphere, bar, drinks, socializing, fun, and great food! Well worth it to put on your places to eat. We had the vegetarian Bao buns they come in an order of 2 for about $12. SO SO GOOD! I imagine the meat bao are just as good. Another place I'm going back to you in December! I'm guessing on the time you go it's pretty crowded we had to wait about 35 minutes at about 8:15pm on a Friday.

The title says it all really, so let's get down to brass tacks. Can't drink because it'll interact with your medication? They will accommodate you with delicious non-alcoholic cocktail creations, but you'll be enthralled by the sommelier's knowledgeable descriptions of your partners wine pairing anyway. One thing is you have to come with an open mind and an empty stomach. The surprise tasting menu is comprised of small plates but you will be leaving full (though not overstuffed, and this is coming from someone with a generally small stomach). Each dish is as innovative and downright surprising as it is delicious. I did not have a single bad bite of food here. The chicken oysters and crab/white asparagus dishes were highlights, but I'm jealous knowing the next diner will be having all new highlights to talk about afterwards! The service is impeccably friendly and accommodating and the atmosphere is intimate and friendly though refined. Simply put, the highlight of my culinary adventures so far.