Chang Gives Chelsea a Swift Kick in the Pants With Plans for New Momofuku Restaurant and Milk Bar

David Chang and his army of Momofuku soldiers are planning a strategic attack on Chelsea — specifically the stretch of 8th Avenue between 21st and 22nd streets. Chang's business partner, Drew Salmon, applied for a liquor license for the storefront at 232 8th Avenue, which is currently home to a generic noodle and curry restaurant called M-Thai. A rep for the restaurant group says that this mystery restaurant is "in development," and that Chang and Christina Tosi are also planning a new location of Momofuku Milk Bar somewhere in the Chelsea area.

Word on the street is that Chang and his crew are planning a new spin on a classic. Could this be a new iteration of Noodle Bar? Or maybe a tweaked version of Ssam 1.0, with Koeran burritos and rice bowls? Or maybe a hybrid of Noodle Bar and Ssam Bar with Fuku's chicken sandwiches and Beef 7-Ways? Perhaps. Like everything related to the Momofuku empire, the possibilities are endless.

In recent years, Chang has made it very clear that he wants to spread the Momo gospel across the land. This new project could be another "beta test" for a scalable Momofuku restaurant that Chang might someday expand to the suburbs. Or it could just be a fun one-off. Anything is possible at this point. Stay tuned for updates as they become available.

Do you have a tip about a new restaurant opening in your neighborhood? Let us know!

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