Momofuku Nishi

David Chang's Momofuku empire expanded to Chelsea at the start of 2016, with Nishi ("west" in Japanese) becoming the hottest restaurant of the year right out of the gate. The glass facade and blond-wood communal tables look similar to Chang's first restaurant, Momofuku Noodle Bar, in the East Village. Here the noodle dishes are also mostly Asian and always playful. They include the Italian-themed ceci e pepe, in which fermented chickpea paste substitutes for pecorino. To start, be sure to get a bowl of sublimely soft tofu with smoked trout roe and crunchy bites of Japanese turnip. Chang and company like to change things up, but look for main courses like smoked trout with maitake mushrooms, pork shoulder with white kimchi, and moist pistachio bundt cake for dessert. No need to tip; the bill includes the service charge.