We can’t choose what families we’re born into, but we can choose our family. For some of us, those we choose would be our friends. We find solace in each other. We find shelter, too. In a place so big, when we can get lost and our hearts broken, our friends uplift us in ways sometimes family can’t. Our friends become ours diaries; the people we bleed ourselves wholeheartedly into with our fears, dreams, hopes, and doubts.
To be so unapologetically ourselves and still be loved and respected after a full-on ugly cry/ice cream-binging meltdown is a rarity and when you find that quality in someone who is not related to you that rarity is even smaller. If you have found such a friend, when it comes to giving thanks in the month of gratitude, celebrating that person takes on a whole new meaning with Friendsgiving. Like any relationship, friendships must also be nurtured and not taken for granted. Such a celebration should be reserved for Momofuku.
Their secret private dinning room should really be referred to as the red room. Red carpet with intricate design; steel-like dragon tangled in a beautiful mess (reminiscent of tangled noodles) hangs above the black dining table; red plush velvet luxe seats for guests to cozy in and with the most dramatic old glamour red velvet drapes. The decor at Momofuku inside The Cosmopolitan is completely understated.
The private dining room has its own secret entrance that you’d completely miss if you weren’t escorted plus it’s own private bathroom. The room accommodates 20 guests for lunch or dinner with a large window overlooking the Bellagio fountains and the Las Vegas Strip. And if you’re a fan of karaoke, Momofuku also accommodates that need with a built-in TV screen. There’s even a large canteen group drink you can order…and yes you can keep the canteen.
Tangy, savory, and sweet. No matter what your unconventional Friendsgiving meal you’d like to have for Thanksgiving, Momofuku has dishes for all. Replace the Turkey for the rotisserie duck that serves about 3-4 people. Or, the savory “Dry Aged Prime Ribeye” with charred cabbage, bacon, and soy egg. I also recommend the “A5 Hokkaido Wagyu Potatoes” because their tangy honey mustard, crunchy garlic, tossed in chili concotion was not something I would’ve expected.
The “Bigeye Tuna” is another shareable contender and a must to complete your Friendsgiving meal. Ordrer 10 and then 10 more. Everyone will want their own plate. I ate it all of mine and I would’ve ate another one if they would’ve brought me more. It’s quite honestly the best tuna I’ve tasted in the past five years. Finely diced, melts in your mouth instantly, and the shaved foie gras with strawberry is palatably tantalizing.
Photo Credit: Momofuku
