Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Food
Critic Dishes on the Momofuku Ko Reservation Mishap
By
John Del Signore
Published May 5, 2008
Modified May 5, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
John Del Signore
Published May 5, 2008
Modified May 5, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
To bring the Momofuku Ko Craigslist reservation controversy full circle, Insatiable Critic Gael Greene (pictured incognito) has finally published her side of the story.
For those just joining us, one Tom Dobrowski posted a Craigslist ad inviting a guest to buy him dinner in exchange for his impossible-to-get reservation at David Chang’s 14-seat Momofuku Ko. Greene took him up on the offer, but last week witnesses from Eater reported that their date was meal by confusion – with Ko’s staff claiming that Dobrowski had canceled his reservation.
Greene’s version of the contretemps goes like this:
When first one, and then a second hostess told me there was no 9:15 reservation for Dobrowski, I was startled and grew anxious. “How can that be?” I asked.
“Don’t worry. When he comes, he’ll have his confirmation and we’ll see,” hostess #2 assured me. Then suddenly, a handsome young man burst through the door, shook my hand and surrendered his email reservation to the scrutiny of the two gorgons... There was some muttering between the two women, but they didn’t summon the FBI, and one led us to our designated infamous backless unpadded wooden stools... Then suddenly, there is Chang himself, “inviting” the happy-go-lucky Dobrowski outside for a chat...
I try not to let the Hitchcockian plot spoil my pleasure in the pineapple sorbet on spicy pineapple... Tom asks for the check – his treat for the pleasure of my company, he says. But the hostess announces there is no check. “Your meal has been comped... I believe Chef Chang feels that if we have made a mistake, you should be our guest and if you have made an error, we don’t want your money.”
Greene goes on to call Chef Chang “stupid and insulting,” his food “uneven” but “brilliant,” and his chefs toiling behind the counter “expressionless Stepford cooks.” But who canceled the reservation? And why? You’re surely on the edge of your seat, so stay tuned for the next 'Hitchcockian' twist in the Momofuku PsyKo saga!
Photo courtesy Tejal Rao.
Tagged
craigslist
critic
food
gael greene
momofuku ko
reservation
resi
resy
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE food
North African restaurants are rare in NYC. These 10 are the best.
Egyptian, Moroccan, Algerian and Tunisian food is delicious but underrepresented in the city.
By
Robert Sietsema
Published Oct 10, 2026
10 dishes that demonstrate the delicious diversity of curry in New York City
The global dish is shapeshifting and ubiquitous.
By
Robert Sietsema
Food
10 dishes that demonstrate the delicious diversity of curry in New York City
The global dish is shapeshifting and ubiquitous.
By
Robert Sietsema
Frozen yogurt is back in New York City. So are the super long lines.
By
Sonia Rao
5 NYC banana puddings as good as Magnolia's
By
Hannah Frishberg
Where to eat in Greenpoint, Brooklyn right now, from Polish to Sichuan to Iberian
By
Robert Sietsema
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .