Momofuku Nishi

Reviews

• MT A.

  star star star star star_border 9 June 2026

  This location has an Italian twist. Its small and reservations are recommended.
  The menu is simple and cocktails list is interesting. We had the endives salad and the pasta with blue crab, dessert was the pecan olive cake. It got busy pretty fast. Decor is minimalist and most tables are small but can group into bigger seating options.
  The only problem was that they needed the table and in a very impolite way we were requested to leave. We were almost ready to leave. Situation poorly managed. Too bad a lovely nite spoiled by poor communication skills.

• Su C.

  star star star star_border star_border 23 May 2026

  Pretty disappointing. Restaurant itself looks clean and modernly decorated, but nothing unusual. Service is good but they didn't have a lot of staff so they were running around.
  
  We ordered the famous bucatini and the crab campanelle pasta with old bay seasoning. Crab dish was served first and it was cold.. really small portion and it wasn't the visual I was thinking of so I thought initially we got a wrong dish. I didn't see any crab at all and the whole dish was green covered with chives or something. I had to stir around to find crab meat and they were shredded and mixed with sauce which was also really little. I couldn't believe they were charging $27 for that little pasta with barely any sauce or crab meat. Also, I didn't like the chives. Bucatini was pretty disappointing as well. Extremely small portion, and the pasta was too undercooked where I can taste the uncookedness. The sauce was a bit too waterly and sweet.
  
  Just like all his other restaurants, it is overpriced and small portioned and overrated.

• Belle L.

  star star star star star 18 May 2026

  Wow. Honestly, I never believed in the Momofuku hype but let me tell you... it is real!
  
  Wow wow wow. Slap me and call me Suzy! I came here with a friend and we made reservations the day of. We were able to secure the bar seats and was quickly brought to our area once we arrived. The bartender was very attentive and made sure our waters were always filled. We ordered the endives and some other appetizer that I forgot but holy cow the endives were extremely delicious. I still have dreams about it even though it's been over 2 months. Anyways I forgot what pasta dish I got but was able to order it with an egg. My friend got some other pasta dish that I don't remember but was good. When my pasta dish came out I thought that it was pretty small but ended up being a good sized portion.
  
  Overall I was blown away by all the food and really impressed with everything. I'll definitely need to come back again and try their other dishes!

• Vincent L.

  star star star star star 18 May 2026

  This venue is classier and more refined than the casual Momofuku outlets (ramen bar, ssam bar) that I've been to downtown. While it's focused on pasta with a faint Asian flair, you'll find a modern, sleek interior, a thumpingly upbeat soundtrack, and joyfully upbeat service from Erica at the bar. Note that unless you're in line at opening for a potential bar seat, you'll most likely need reservations for a table.
  
  I opted for the $68 tasting menu, which looked a bit pricey at first, especially as the first few courses were rather petite. But each dish was packed with unique flavors, and by the end of the meal, I was sufficiently stuffed. To start, the English pea agnolotti was a surprisingly sweet and filling dish, despite its small size, thanks to the natural pea flavors that were evident in the pasta as well as the presence of a mint oil. Next, the bucatini was prepared with a nicely firm texture and had a sharp flavor reminiscent of rosemary or capers.
  
  Two savory courses followed. Like the ones before, the tortellini with mushroom and wakame packed an outsized, filling punch relative to its small size - as did the orecchiette, thanks to a strong tomato sauce. The desserts were also full of flavor, whether a dense blueberry sorbet whose strong, sharp, fruity notes were juxtaposed interestingly against a lemon verbena sauce. Finally, a cherry blossom tiramisu provided a grounding denouement to a most satisfying meal.
  
  Despite the not-so-small price tag for the small portions, I felt that the food, quality, and overall experience was definitely worth 5 Yelp stars. This might not be for everyone, but if you're willing to tickle your taste buds with some provocative flavors, then Momofuku Nishi is a great choice.

• Pandy S.

  star star star star star_border 15 May 2026

  I'm so happy to have finally tried Momofuku Nishi! While it didn't blow my mind, the food was very tasty, and the service was great!
  
  So I came in on a Wednesday evening, around 5:30p. The place was empty, which means that I got A+ service. Everybody was very attentive and that was really nice.
  
  For food, I got the hiramasa (yellowtail amberjack) appetizer and the tagliatelle (like an Asian interpretation of a classic bolognese). The hiramasa was simply divine. The fish was soooo tasty and didn't taste super stale (I'm used to Texas sashimi). The lemon, green chili, and salt complemented the fish PERFECTLY. Seriously, the fish alone gets 5 stars and it was so refreshing. The tagliatelle was a little disappointing. It was recommended to be by the waitress (she said it was her favorite) but the flavor was far from unique. It tasted very yummy to be sure, and was homey -- reminded me of a hot home cooked meal, but with tagliatelle instead of Asian noodles. The portion sizes weren't bad, but this isn't a place you come to stuff your face.
  
  Over all, I would come back again, but would probably try a different pasta. The bolognese sauce is basically just pork and chive dumpling filling, plus tomato and Chinese douchi. It was very good, but I think I would rather try something more unique, like the cheese-less chickpea cacio e pepe. I also want them to put their uni pasta back on the menu (waitress said they might sometime in the future so don't despair just yet).