If you asked me right this second to pick the best snack in New York City, I’d probably say Momofuku’s pork buns. And legions of loyal bun fanatics would probably agree. And if you’re not already one of them, you might ask, why pork buns, or more specifically, why Momofuku pork buns when there’s cheaper versions available in Chinatown?

I think it comes down to this—tender morsels of melt-in-your-mouth Berkshire pork belly, roasted crisp on the edges and layered with slivers of succulent fat. There’s no substitute for quality, and when something is better than bacon, you just can’t argue. Secondly, these are a particular a twist on the traditional bready Chinese pork bun. The pork is wrapped, taco-like, in sweet, spongey bread, and sparsely dressed with scallions, pickled cucumbers, and tangy hoisin. They come two to an order ($9) so you can share if you’re so inclined—but one is never enough.

Back in the day (and by that I mean 2004) we had to queue up at the sole Momofuku (which means “lucky peach” in Japanese) for our pork buns. Now of course we can get our fix at the other restaurants in chef David Chang’s mini-empire: Momofuku Ssaam Bar and Momofuku Milk Bar. But I was curious about returning to the original Momofuku, and seeing what it had to offer these days.

After a wait of about twenty minutes, we were seated at a long, modern bar, ideal for a party of two (the wait is likely longer for a table).  The appetizers were seasonal specials that may be out of rotation by now—but if they were any indication, Momofuku’s small plates are really, really good. My favorite was a seared diver sea scallop flecked with lime zest and floating in a bed of smoky, chili-spiked corn ($12 for a single scallop—but what a scallop it was). My next pick, a summer squash salad with pickled beets, perfectly dressed with tofu vinaigrette ($12), stood out for its pine-nut brittle topping, which I thought, with a passing horror, was a pile of Bacos.

After these starters, the main courses seemed a bit of a let-down. A bowl of ginger scallion noodles, although nicely flavored and cooked to a just-right springy texture, is, when you come right down to it, just a bowl of noodles. The ramen ($16) was a little more exciting, since at least it featured a lot of stuff: more delicious pork belly, shaved pork shoulder, scallions, fishcake, poached egg, and noodles. The broth was so salty, though, that I couldn’t help but wish for a bowl from nearby Japanese chains Ippudo, or Ramen Setagaya, instead.

Verdict: go for anything with pork and no broth. Try the seasonal specials and check out the ever-changing $30 prix-fixe dinner menu. Also, Momofuku now serves a fried chicken dinner ($100 for two whole chickens, moo shu pancakes, and vegetables) which, if you can handle the online reservation system, and have four buddies to split the cost, looks a helluva lot better than a KFC bucket.

Worshiping at the Altar of Ramen - NYTimes.com
Pork Bun Recipe - Gourmet.com

Momofuku Noodle Bar
171 First Ave., between 10th and 11th street
Lunch: daily 12pm-4pm, Dinner: Sun-Thu 5:30pm-11pm, Fri-Sat 5:30pm-12am

The Japanese just might be the modern-day masters of cute. But wagashi, adorable pastries shaped like fruit, birds, and flowers, have served as traditional tea ceremony snacks for centuries. Although rare on this side of the Pacific, Minamoto Kitchoan sells wagashi in bright array, spot-lit in glass cases like the baubles at Tiffany’s.

Enjoyment of wagashi hinges on one’s opinion of the mochi (rice paste), sweet red-bean paste, and jellied fruits they’re made from. If you like treats that are sweet and potato-textured you’re in luck. But if in doubt, ingredient and freshness information is meticulously displayed on the oft-impenetrable plastic packaging.

A selection is pictured above. Hakuun-no-hotori ($3 – bottom left) consisted of condensed milk and sweet beans wrapped in crepe. Fukuwatashisenbei ($2 – top left) was really more of a classic vanilla wafer, with crisp, butter cookies encasing smooth crème. The pumpkin-shaped one ($2 – top middle) had a moist thin rice layer wrapped around sweet pumpkin-spiked beans. Wagashi can be bought individually for two or three bucks although a box of Shunen, pictured at the top of this post, will set you back a steep $27. (The petals are white bean paste wrapped in pink rice cake, while the middle is rice cake and merengue). Staff are unfailingly friendly, (as I stared at the daunting word Fukuwatashisenbei, one counterperson offered kindly, “cookie?”). Seasonal wagashi are available - this cherry blossom dessert on nycnosh looks too good to eat.

Minamoto Kitchoan
608 Fifth Avenue New York, NY
Sun-Thu 10am-7:30pm, Fri-Sat 10am-8pm