/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/63691955/Rotisserie_Pork_Shoulder__3____Credit_Andrew_Bezek.0.jpg)
Landing a table at frequently packed Momofuku CCDC is no longer necessary for people desperate to sample executive chef Tae Strain’s scallion bing flatbreads, slow-roasted meats, and inventive noodle dishes.
The D.C. anchor for David Chang’s coast-to-coast restaurant group is opening a new to-go counter today just inside the front door of its CityCenter DC home. The news coincides with the release of a revamped lunch menu that uses bing as a shell for wraps packing in rotisserie pork shoulder, cumin-spiced lamb, and edamame falafel.
It was just about a year ago that Strain, a Maryland native who worked his way through kitchens in New York and San Francisco, was tasked with moving away from Momofuku’s ramen and bun roots and implementing his own vision.
The chef tells Eater he felt like the lunch menu he put out in August didn’t totally mesh with what he was trying to do at dinner. Along with the to-go counter, the refresh adds some continuity between the different meals and offers up “something really cool for people on the move.”
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/16199713/ccdc19_togo_2.jpg)
That includes a rotisserie pork shoulder wrap ($15) that features slices of slow-roasted meat that have been caramelized with sweet soy sauce, fried garlic, onions, and dried chiles. Pickled daikon and carrots go in along with herbs, rice, and kimchi mayo. A cured lamb neck wrap ($16) calls for searing the slow-cooked meat on the griddle with onions and cumin, then pairing it with bok choy pickles, cotija cheese, and a cilantro yogurt sauce.
Strain says the dishes utilize his bing program while continuing the sensibility of two Momofuku businesses in New York: months-old Bāng Bar and Momofuku Ssäm Bar.
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/16199819/Cumin_Spiced_Lamb__3____Credit_Andrew_Bezek.jpg)
A “doughs and grains” section includes one of Strain’s new favorites: a chilled noodle bowl that showcases an Asian-style ‘nduja — or Italian sausage paste — made with gochujang and Korean chile. The long, bouncy champon noodles are also mixed with mustard greens, Thai basil, chile-marinated shrimp, fried garlic, and toasted sesame.
“It was so hot that I was like, ‘We have to turn this into a noodle. It’s perfect,’” Strain says.
The new lunch menu also includes sections for “snacks” — think kimchi potato salad and smoked Carolina trout dip with salt and vinegar chips — and “market” vegetable dishes including curried red beets and a wedge-style iceberg salad with bacon ranch, pickles, and blue cheese.
Disclosure: David Chang is producing shows for Hulu in partnership with Vox Media Studios, part of Eater’s parent company, Vox Media. No Eater staff member is involved in the production of those shows, and this does not impact coverage on Eater.
- Chef Tae Strain Isn’t Done Shaking Things Up at Momofuku CCDC [EDC]
- Momofuku Just Named Its First-Ever CEO in Big Structural Switch-Up [ENY]
- Look Around David Chang’s New Spit-Roasted Meat Stall in Time Warner Center [ENY]
- Momofuku Unveils the Daytime Portion of Its Menu Shakeup [EDC]
- Ongoing Overhaul at Momofuku CCDC Nixes Ramen [EDC]