Momofuku Toronto officially closes doors after a decade in business
In the recent trend of high-profile and beloved restaurants and cafes in our city closing down, Momofuku Toronto, including its main floor Noodle Bar, mezzanine Milk Bar outpost that sold delectable cookies, cakes and ice cream, and upstairs steakhouse, Kojin, is the latest casualty.
blogTO broke the news that the first Canadian location of David Chang's Momofuku chain would be vacating the Shangri-La Hotel in late September after a source confirmed suspicions that the restaurant's lease was coming to an end.
Shortly after, Momofuku Toronto's Instagram account confirmed that the restaurant would continue operations until the end of the year.
"We have decided not to renew our lease at this location. We are deeply grateful to the Toronto community for the support over the past decade," read the post.
Our anonymous source said they noticed changes to the restaurant that hinted at the restaurant's imminent closure including long-awaited repairs.
"We watched these people come in and take measurements, watched the third floor struggle, watched fridges not get repaired. Morale was awful when I left," the source said.
The final official day was Dec. 23, last Friday, meaning the decade of Momofuku is now done and with only its legacy left in Toronto.
Through the journey, the space welcomed the ultra-exclusive, tasting menu-only top table Shoto alongside group-friendly Daisho, which served large format bo ssam and fried chicken platters, plus Nikai cocktail bar.
It’s rumoured that Mott32, an extremely high-end and fancy Chinese establishment with multiple international locations, will be moving into the now-empty space.
Momofuku shared one final post to their account, thanking the city for embracing them over the years just before the holidays.
"Thanks to the incredible suppliers who have brought the bounty of Ontario to our restaurant. Thanks to the locals who came every week and the folks who made a special trip to visit us," it read.
The post also recognized how unique the Toronto location was compared to the "cramped confines" of the brand's New York outposts.
"Over the past decade, we got to work with the best of the best in Ontario: getting wild leeks from Jim Giggie, collaborating on a Momofuku beer with Oast House, sourcing the best produce from 100KM Foods and Country Boys."
Though the brick-and-mortar establishment is gone, Momofuku Goods, the brand's pantry line is now available in Canada, meaning you can order some Momofuku nostalgia right to your home.
The post ended with a somewhat cryptic statement, possibly hinting at another Momofuku update in the future. "We hope to have more to say in the future but for now we'll end the way we started: thank you for everything."
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