(Image: Renée Suen)
The Momofuku complex’s second floor is home to a waiting area that overlooks the bustling Noodle Bar and to Nikai, a bar and lounge. Nikai’s warm modern design has Asian influences, most obviously in the white oak sliding doors that resemble shoji screens, which offer a little privacy when closed. Scattered vintage pieces lend the room character—like a set of mid-century Arthur Umanoff stools that line the black and white marble bar. The lounge areas, for their part, are outfitted with low chairs and retro, custom-designed tufted leather sofas. As part of the laid-back vibe, guests are invited to take part in a game of Uno or Jenga (this is something of a joke; the tiled walls and narrow peek holes look a lot like Jenga bricks, particularly after a few drinks).
Bar manager Michelle Tham (Beerbistro, Scarpetta, Colborne Lane) is in charge of the drinks menu, which features a strong selection of Ontario beers, as well as wines and sakes, and the cocktail list, which focuses on simple, well-thought-out pairings. The Krack and Coke ($12), for example, is a kicked-up rum and Coke with Kracken black rum, lime juice, demerara sugar and Mexican Coca Cola. More adventurous are the the Kai Sui ($16), a milky-looking beverage composed of gin, kasu, lychee and sparkling wine, the Mute Beat ($17), which contains rum and miso, and the cedar- and bourbon-based Man About Town ($17). We’re told that more original cocktails will be added to the roster with time. Nikai can accommodate up to 60 guests and serves walk-in patrons exclusively every day except Sunday, starting at 5 p.m.
168609 Kai Sui ($16): gin, kasu (sake lees), lychee and sparkling wine (Image: Renée Suen) Introducing: Nikai Introducing: Nikai https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12MomofukuNikai_KAI_SUI-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12MomofukuNikai_KAI_SUI.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12MomofukuNikai_KAI_SUI.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/introducing-momofuku-nikai/slide/oct12momofukunikai_kai_sui/ oct12momofukunikai_kai_sui 0 0
(Image: Renée Suen)
168612 Man About Town ($17): cedar, Campari, bourbon and sweet vermouth (Image: Renée Suen) Introducing: Nikai Introducing: Nikai https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12MomofukuNikai_MAN-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12MomofukuNikai_MAN.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12MomofukuNikai_MAN.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/introducing-momofuku-nikai/slide/oct12momofukunikai_man/ oct12momofukunikai_man 0 0
(Image: Renée Suen)
168613 Mute Beat ($17): rum, miso, butterscotch and IPA (Image: Renée Suen) Introducing: Nikai Introducing: Nikai https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12MomofukuNikai_MUTE_BEAT-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12MomofukuNikai_MUTE_BEAT.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12MomofukuNikai_MUTE_BEAT.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/introducing-momofuku-nikai/slide/oct12momofukunikai_mute_beat/ oct12momofukunikai_mute_beat 0 0
(Image: Renée Suen)
168615 The hallway outside Nikai serves as a guest waiting area (Image: Renée Suen) Introducing: Nikai Introducing: Nikai https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12MomofukuNikai_WAITING-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12MomofukuNikai_WAITING.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12MomofukuNikai_WAITING.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/introducing-momofuku-nikai/slide/oct12momofukunikai_waiting/ oct12momofukunikai_waiting 0 0
(Image: Renée Suen)
168607 The hallway outside Nikai serves as a waiting area (Image: Renée Suen) Introducing: Nikai Introducing: Nikai https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12MomofukuNikai_HALL-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12MomofukuNikai_HALL.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12MomofukuNikai_HALL.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/introducing-momofuku-nikai/slide/oct12momofukunikai_hall/ oct12momofukunikai_hall 0 0
(Image: Renée Suen)
168616 The staggered, Jenga-like white oak walls at Noodle Bar extend into Nikai’s wall and ceiling (Image: Renée Suen) Introducing: Nikai Introducing: Nikai https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12MomofukuNikai_WALL-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12MomofukuNikai_WALL.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12MomofukuNikai_WALL.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/introducing-momofuku-nikai/slide/oct12momofukunikai_wall/ oct12momofukunikai_wall 0 0
(Image: Renée Suen)
168605 Copies of David Chang’s cookbooks and magazine, <em>Lucky Peach,</em> are available for purchase throughout the complex (Image: Renée Suen) Introducing: Nikai Introducing: Nikai https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12MomofukuNikai_BOOK-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12MomofukuNikai_BOOK.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12MomofukuNikai_BOOK.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/introducing-momofuku-nikai/slide/oct12momofukunikai_book/ oct12momofukunikai_book 0 0
(Image: Renée Suen)
168614 Mid-century Arthur Umanoff stools surround the bar (Image: Renée Suen) Introducing: Nikai Introducing: Nikai https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12MomofukuNikai_STOOL-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12MomofukuNikai_STOOL.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12MomofukuNikai_STOOL.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/introducing-momofuku-nikai/slide/oct12momofukunikai_stool/ oct12momofukunikai_stool 0 0
(Image: Renée Suen)
168611 (Image: Renée Suen) Introducing: Nikai Introducing: Nikai https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12MomofukuNikai_LOUNGE02-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12MomofukuNikai_LOUNGE02.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12MomofukuNikai_LOUNGE02.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/introducing-momofuku-nikai/slide/oct12momofukunikai_lounge02/ oct12momofukunikai_lounge02 0 0
(Image: Renée Suen)
168610 The University Avenue side of Nikai’s lounge, which is filled with retro furniture sourced from local shops (Image: Renée Suen) Introducing: Nikai Introducing: Nikai https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12MomofukuNikai_LOUNGE-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12MomofukuNikai_LOUNGE.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12MomofukuNikai_LOUNGE.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/introducing-momofuku-nikai/slide/oct12momofukunikai_lounge/ oct12momofukunikai_lounge 0 0
(Image: Renée Suen)
168606 Custom-designed tufted leather sofas fill one corner of Nikai’s room. Guests can play games of Uno or Jenga while enjoying their drinks (Image: Renée Suen) Introducing: Nikai Introducing: Nikai https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12MomofukuNikai_COUCH-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12MomofukuNikai_COUCH.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12MomofukuNikai_COUCH.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/introducing-momofuku-nikai/slide/oct12momofukunikai_couch/ oct12momofukunikai_couch 0 0
(Image: Renée Suen)
168608 Nikai, located on the southern side of the building’s second floor, serves as a stand-alone bar as well as a lounge for restaurant patrons (Image: Renée Suen) Introducing: Nikai Introducing: Nikai https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12MomofukuNikai_intro-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12MomofukuNikai_intro.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12MomofukuNikai_intro.jpg 656 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/introducing-momofuku-nikai/slide/oct12momofukunikai_intro/ oct12momofukunikai_intro 0 0
(Image: Renée Suen)
Momofuku Toronto, 190 University Ave., momofuku.com, @momofuku