Booker & Dax
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“Pork buns, and kimchee deviled eggs as bar snacks.”In 30 reviews -
“Flames and liquid nitrogen are used to make your cocktails.”In 26 reviews
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“A very good mix of high quality cocktails and inventiveness.”In 52 reviews
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Cassandra H.
said
"My friends and I didn't stay for the shows, but I can speak to the
food and it is simply delicious. What makes a restaurant great is
exceptional food, service, and atmosphere and I truly believe this…"
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- Victoria C.
- Mesa, AZ
- 53 friends
- 14 reviews
Old unfinished review, but I visited New York January this year. This place is a nice little, fancy (expensive) bar to hang out at if you're waiting to eat at the Momofoku restaurant. But be aware, if you're just waiting to try the famous Momofoku pork buns, that can be ordered at this bar (totally bypass the Momofoku line).
Though drinks are tasty, they are STRONG. This bar is definitely all about presentation. Gotta give props to the little mixing show the bartenders put out with all their neat drink equipment (aka fire poker, nitrogen/carbonation thing???). Great variety of creative drinks. Nice place to take it easy. Do expect a bill if you're trying to "rage." -
- Nomad M.
- New York, NY
- 34 friends
- 88 reviews
It was too early to go home and too late/cold staying out. I needed a cocktail, hot and delicious. Pulled out Yelp and it pointed me here. Once again, yelppers did not fail me!
I ordered all three different hot cocktails in the Red Pepper Poker section. Exactly what I was looking for! Seriously, freezing ass child outside. All u need is smoky hot drinks! Latte is for fat white boys. Come to Booker and Dax and they will serve u a firery drinks. Literally, fire. -
- Samantha F.
- Austin, TX
- 29 friends
- 18 reviews
Dr J - love it
Manhattan - my fav
atmosphere - love it; nicer but not pretentious
bartenders - very friendly and helpful -
Place is a 5 min walk from my house. Love that it's convenient.
Whoa. I got the bananas and rum drink. The menu says it's easy to drink.
Wrong. They lied.
That's a strong & potent drink!!!!
I had to take down 2 glasses of water with the drink!
Nice spot. But I miss the spots overseas. People talk to each other.
Foreigners are right: Americans are selfish and too narcissistic to appreciate what's around them.
*sigh* I digress....
Next time I'm trying the shiitake buns with another concoction.
And taking a buddy. Or two. -
This is one of the coolest cocktail bars I've been to in a while. It is associated with Momofuku (the restaurant), and while I think you could probably walk through the restaurant to get to Booker and Dax, (maybe?), the actual entrance is around the corner.
The absolute best place (and only place you should!) sit is at the bar on the far most left, because then you can see what can only be described as the show of the cocktails being made. The bartender was like a mad scientist, using seemingly dozens of unmarked bottles and even a dropper at one point. Very Jekyll and Hyde, especially when he chilled the glasses with liquid nitrogen. I'm not sure I would have enjoyed it nearly so much if I hadn't been able to see the drinks made.
I had my doubts at the beginning (the menu is filled with "clarified" juices and "milk infused" vodkas) but it was delicious and the creativity made it a novelty. I went with the "cookie and a cocktail" option (obviously), and the rye cookie, while not replacing chocolate chip on my list of faves anytime soon, was a treat! -
- Scott S.
- Los Angeles, CA
- 1 friend
- 35 reviews
After tax and tip, a martini will run you $17 or more here. Is it worth it? Not really. The martinis are mixed beforehand and are poured from a bottle. Perhaps they're slightly more viscous, for not coming in contact with ice, but there's a reason why this drink has been made the same way for the past hundred years. -
- Leslie G.
- New York, NY
- 34 friends
- 1 review
I am disappointed that the service was not what one would expect from an establishment linked to David Chang. B&D (Maura McGuigan) and Ssam Bar's (Sara Jimenez) managers were rude and dismissive. The result was that a New York resident and visitors from San Diego were unable to enjoy an experience and meal that came highly recommended.
It is unfortunate that the reputation of a renowned chef would be tainted by bar managers who treat table seating as if it were a door at a second rate club. I would expect Mr. Chang to resolve the issue and strive to achieve the highest standards of service set by the City's great restaurateurs. Danny Meyer understands that a great meal is a gift to the community. Individuals representing Mr. Chang last evening seem to think the seating to a meal is an excuse to treat their neighbors/guests with disrespect and contempt. -
- Heather G.
- Boston, MA
- Elite ’13
- 350 friends
- 657 reviews
I had no idea that B&D was affiliated with the Momo-franchise. Re-lax. I'm not gonna hate on them just because they're part of a ridiculously (delicious but) overblown empire.
While killing time one Saturday night waiting for the lovely Leighann to come meet us, we stopped in here for a drink. It was about 8 or 9 on a Saturday night and, while the bar was full, it's wasn't obnoxiously-so. The hostess took our number and texted us when seats were ready (Bostonians: a Drink-like system where the bar doesn't just let you cram into rando spaces, but rather prefers you stand/sit at a place setting). It was a good 20 minute wait but it allowed for a nice C&S break and a stroll around the block.
Once we were seated, we settled in for some libations. The bar has a very chill vibe: dark, low-key, trendy but not obnoxious, classy but not old. There is very minimal lighting so this would be great for a first date, a blind date, or a date you begrudging went on because the dude asked you out right to your face and you have such a hard time turning people down.
Cocktails seem to center around this "clarified alcohol" concept, which, admittedly, is brand new to me, but didn't make any of my favorites taste much different than the "non-clarified" versions of the spirits, so all is well. Tee Time and Dr. J are both excellent "clarified alcohol" drinks. The Pistol Peat and the Laurel and Hardy are also both stellar. Cocktails, at $14, are pricey, but the atmosphere is worth it.
A word on the food: We ordered the Momofuku milk bar mix ($4) to munch on with our cocktails, and all i can describe it as is crumbly and gross. The mix was spicy, dehydrated, sweet-and-seasoned, and the bowl looked like it was the dregs of the batch, because it was nearly all a fine powder (not even crumbs!) that could only be consumed by tipping the bowl and pouring into your mouth (a-la Pixie Stix)...not the intended presentation, I hope. It was an atrocity to say the very least.
Though, if a $4 bowl of snacks is the only material issue, I think this place is doing pretty well. -
- Lorelei D.
- Queens, NY
- 42 friends
- 766 reviews
Great selection of cocktails, nice bartenders and fun presentation. -
- Caroline K.
- New York, NY
- Elite ’13
- 46 friends
- 124 reviews
Came here for after-dinner drinks. We got confused because the address leads us to the Momofuku Ko restaurant, but you actually have to walk a little further down from the place and it's a tiny bar with communal tables. I kinda wanted to put the waitress in a headlock because she was friendly while having an attitude but the drinks made up for it.
I ordered the Aviators, which was clarified gin, grapefruit, lemon, and some other thing. Holy balls...I almost got knocked backwards after that first sip. Too strong. I took strides in finishing that drink, but overall I enjoyed it.
Then I ordered Caught In The Rain, which I really liked. It was egg white, rum, pineapple juice, and lemon. It's like a hybrid of a pina colada and malibu bay. I finished that one up in 10 minutes.
I want to come back to try the bar food, as well as more of their drinks. -
- Sue S.
- Ann Arbor, MI
- 0 friends
- 10 reviews
Creative drink menu, with a fairly relaxed vibe. They will only allow you to be seated (no cramming in to stand by the bar), which makes it great for actual conversation. Service is only sporadically attentive, but does not make you feel rushed to leave.
Definitely get your cocktail with a cookie - these come from the Milk bar. The night I went, they had rye and caraway cookies - giant and soft with a great rye-bread/gingerbread-y flavor.
Drinks on the rock are served with a single massive ice cube. Banana Justino tastes like a smooth essence of banana, without any of the tooth-sticking starchiness I was afraid of getting. I also had a drink with orange, lovage, and bitters which was strongly herbal at first but really grew on me after a few sips.
Other drinks at my table: The Tee-Time was quite smooth; Gin and Juice was about what you'd expect - good, but not particularly exciting; Laurel and Hardy was complex and strong - I'd recommend this as a second drink after your palate's gotten more used to alcohol. For any non-drinkers in your group, they'll do a very reasonably priced nonalcoholic cocktail - we ended up with a fantastic umeboshi plum and ginger concoction.
Would recommend to anyone who enjoys a good craft cocktail. -
This is a great place - though limited seating. It is the cocktail lounge for Momofuku next door.
Cocktails means business at this place. Each of the drinks are prepared with extreme care and amazing ingredients. They use big block cube ice for all the drinks on the rocks. Ingredients are changed frequently and put on the white board at the bar. The drinks were extremely strong and tasty.
Ambiance is very casual with low dim lighting. Great place a date or grabbing drinks with few friends. -
Little disappointed given all the hype about this place. They are very creative in their drinks. However, I was not impressed with their creations. Could have been a bad round, I'll try again before I make a final verdict.
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Came here for a few rounds of drinks. We luckily were able to snag a table since we came around 9 pm on a Saturday night (very early!).
I had heard great things about the Banana Justino, so knew that was what I wanted - it was tasty - with just enough of the banana flavor without overwhelming the drink.
However, the other drinks that we had were not as good as I had hoped they'd be, for the price we paid. We had the Aviators, the Gin and Juice, and the Tee-time. It was cool to watch the bartenders set drinks on fire and use the liquid nitrogen tank though!
We also ordered the pork buns and the shitake buns, which were okay but again, probably not worth the price. The pork was a little too fatty for my tastes, and the shitake was overwhelmed by a little too much oyster sauce.
One thing to note is that they do not let you stand around the bar at Booker & Dax. You have to be sitting at the bar, or at one of the tables - which makes it a bit difficult of a meet-up place with a large group of friends. -
This update is based purely on the hideously obnoxious attitude of a bartender by the name of Jeff (if that is indeed his name). As indicated by my previous review, I have had good experiences here in the past. However, given my prior ill experiences with Momofuku staff (Ko, to be more specific), tonight's encounter with Jeff at Booker & Dax was enough to prompt me to write my first one-star review (yes, that is below the two-star review I gave Kittichai where I encountered a rodent and a rodent-sized cockroach).
When we arrived around 6:30, Booker & Dax was nearly empty and we had our choice of seats. We decided to grab two stools at the bar. Jeff, a relatively young-appearing lad, asked what he could get us "kids." Looking at the description of shiner on the menu, I asked him what "plumb" was. He replied it was the fruit plum and that it was the proper way to spell plum. I merely noted that "plumb" appeared in a line just below "plum," to which he retorted that the menu was designed to include "smart-ass" references. Ok, I nodded with a smile.
We ordered our drinks and minded our business for the next hour or so. Jeff, for his part, flirted away with the girls who sat at the other end of the bar; and when they left and a couple of different girls replaced them, he proceeded to flirt with them in turn. He was so busy flirting with the girls, however, that when my date asked for the check, he either didn't hear the request or neglected to acknowledge it. When my date asked for the check a second time, he snapped back saying that he was busy making a drink and that we would have to wait. I commented that his reaction was rather unprofessional, at which point he derisively began to yell at me, saying that my date had been rude asking for a check two or three times while he was trying to prepare a drink.
He then began to gripe to another staff member, loudly stating that we should never return. Moments later, he placed the check in front of us. He had written "THANKS" with a smiley face at the top. Still mumbling his gripes, this time to the girls with whom he had been flirting, he mockingly yelled "Thanks for coming; it was a pleasure to serve you."
Ugghh. I don't know what we did to trigger the on button in that invidious psyche of his. I've honestly never had such an odd experience with a bartender -- I mean, how much interaction could you possibly have with a bartender that you would deserve such a dramatic showdown? Dislike! -
- Michael C.
- Charlottesville, VA
- 4 friends
- 49 reviews
It's hard to describe Booker & Dax because it doesn't have much character. To those who call it a speakeasy or think it is in the speakeasy style, it is not. The small areas of modern lighting already kill that possibility. And the drinks--they try to be fancy or creative by giving their drinks good names, but the drinks themselves really fail to live up to even the basic descriptions on the menu. One drink, the "gin and juice" tasted like the cheapest vodka mixed with some canned grapefruit juice.
With the multitude of speakeasys and modern, upscale cocktail bars, I would certainly go somewhere else unless you just happen to be in the immediate area. -
- Stacy S.
- Manhattan, NY
- 33 friends
- 95 reviews
I wasn't too happy with my experience here. If i'm getting charged for expensive cocktails, I want to be really happy with them. I ordered the Son of a Peach, and not one of the four of us at the table could drink it. Everyone else's drink was just OK. The ambiance was cool, and I was really hyped up for the experience, but this just didn't do it for me. -
- Arnaud C.
- Manhattan, NY
- 9 friends
- 71 reviews
I went there twice, the first time, they had their winter menu where they serve cocktails finished with red hot poker, which is fun and original. Great experience. Second time I went, the smell of the kitchen was too prevalent in the cocktail room and they switched to their totally-less-cool hot poker free cocktail list. Disappointed.
The cocktails are serious business there though and always good. I'm a bit harsh on the scoring, but hey, I'm obnoxious after all. -
Didn't stay for long, but a friend and I was looking for some quick drinks after a filling dinner and found this place via Yelp. Finding the actual location was a little harder as it was attached to one of the Momofuku establishments.
I'm a fan of ze bubbly so tried the gin and juice as I also have a preference for lighter and fruity drinks. My friend had the pistol peat which was a bit much for me since I'm not a huge fan of scotch.
Overall it was a cool place with friendly service and chic clientele and the drinks were overall pretty good and not too pricey.
Would def. stop by again if in the area. -
- Brian I.
- Chicago, IL
- 7 friends
- 28 reviews
Two caveats to this review. First, I like a good cocktail bar. Second, I arrived at Booker and Dax at an off hour when it wasn't busy, so I could enjoy some friendly banter with the bartenders. In other words, I'm biased. With that said, however, I really liked what B&D is doing. A very good mix of high quality cocktails and inventiveness. Most importantly without falling into the trap of relying on gimmicks.
I had a banana rum made from blending rum and bananas, followed by centrifuging the solids. Sounds gimmicky, but it's served on two ice cubes nice and simple. The end user gets a nice simple experience with a beautiful (if you like banana) drink. The other drink I had was a hot (hot poker) Boulevardier. Excellent. The hot poker is a a little showy, but a mug of hot deliciousness was placed in front of me. Bravo indeed. -
- Candy C.
- Manhattan, NY
- 36 friends
- 21 reviews
Came here with a friend at 11pm on a Sat night. Was told to wait at least 20 min and would text us when the table is ready. No biggie, we went to the Momofuku Milk Bar across the street to get some yummy pies.
Yay text was in, we went inside and aww the whole atmosphere was super intimate. We sat down at the bar right in front of our bartender, trying not to disturb the couples next to us and little did we know, we got to witness the wizardry of bartending. The bartender made us aviators, tee-time, and banana justino in a split second with grace and precision. I almost called out "Thank you Gandalf!" upon receiving the drinks. Tee-time was my favorite since I like non-manly drinks. Banana justino was very delicious as well.
Just GO, you won't be disappointed. -
Nice little gem right next door to Momofuku Ssam bar. We had literally just eaten at Momofuku, so what did we do?...get more pork buns here. Drinks were pretty good..I had a well-made but basic manhattan, and a lechuga, which was gin, lemon, and ,,,what for it....lettuce. Lettuce in a cocktail, who knew?
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Jordan and I got our drink on a while back.. last year, to be exact. He, being a diligent star yelper, wrote a fantastic, timely review that I am tempted to copy and paste here.
I had wanted to try this place for several reasons: I love trying new things, and I love alcohol. Therefore, high tech cocktails sounded like a perfect brew. To prep myself up for the occasion I even listened to a podcast on molecular gastronomy.
I was sorely disappointed. As Jordan had pointed out, none of our drinks (Banana Justino, Son of a Peach, Gin and Juice, and Basil Bixby) had that "oomph" you'd expect from a $14 drink, nevertheless a drink concocted with chilling chemicals and new-fangled mixing technology.
I found it surprising, because on paper the drinks sound delicious. This bar is an example of how some traditional arts (i.e. mixology) should not be forsaken for newer and younger versions. -
- Jacqueline K.
- Queens, NY
- Elite ’13
- 66 friends
- 318 reviews
Ohhhhh, so cool. I really, really love it here. I came here for the first time last night. (Note: Sunday at midnight, so it wasn't crowded.) I was blown off of my feet!
There is a decent-sized list of artisanal cocktails. I liked that the list wasn't overwhelming, like at Death & Co. There were probably twenty different cocktails to choose from, listed by shaken, stirred... or stirred with a red burning hot poker. Yeah, you heard me. My friend ordered one of these. (I cannot remember what kind it was-- there were a few options.) But wow. So, the drink is mixed and THEN this red hot poker (seriously, it's red) is jammed into the cup and it's stirred for a few full minutes! Flames come out of it and everything! (See the photo I have attached!) It's realllly awesome.
Drinks + Chemistry = really delicious.
My drink was mouth watering, too. I didn't get one of these red hot drinks. I got a pistachio drink, though, with whipped egg whites. I would highly recommend. It was one of the best drinks I have ever had.
They were also playing the Rolling Stones. And it was deeper cuts, like "Star Star." I liked. I want to come back for the pistachio drink. -
David Chang is doing a masterful job at dominating this intersection. Regardless of which you pick to enjoy at night, there's always a line. Thankfully, Booker and Dax has some app that can text you when there's a space. The quoted time was spot on too!
At first, I wasn't thrilled about being crammed into the middle of a shared community table. But like anywhere in NY, you get used to the small space really quick.
We hadn't quite eaten yet, so we excitedly ordered pork buns ($10), kimchi deviled eggs ($8), and their special bread and butter ($8). I would order the buns and eggs again in a heartbeat, but the bread and butter was just confusing. They serve butter two ways: one with sea-salt and the other is lardo whipped into the consistency of butter. Just give me regular butter! haha
For drinks, she got the bubbly gin and juice and I had the pistol peat. Despite being fresh takes on more traditional drinks, I didn't come away overly impressed. On this visit, their food far out shines their drinks. It's okay though, because it's a testament to how great their food is. -
Flames and liquid nitrogen are used to make your cocktails. Pork buns, and kimchee deviled eggs as bar snacks. This, can only mean one thing, Momofuku meets mixology.
Located in the back of Ssam and across from Milk Bar you will find Booker & Dax a fab new addition to the Momofuku mecca.
Bangkok Daquiri (rum, lime, thai basil), Son of a Peach (tequila, mezcal, canned peaches, and smoke), Aviator (gin, and grapefruit) were all winners.
Totally dug that they take your cell number and text you when your table is ready. The vibe is dark and chill. Service attentive but not obtrusive. They played quite the eclectic mix of tunes that had me singing right along.
If you want to impress with a chill spot and creative cokctails, book it on over to Booker & Dax. -
- Michelle C.
- San Jose, CA
- Elite ’13
- 514 friends
- 383 reviews
Booker & Dax is one of the few spots I planned on hitting while out in Manhattan before I left California. I mean, it was written about in the Campbell paper. That's because Chef Dave Arnold was at the International Culinary Institute earlier in August. Upon hearing the terms centrifuge, hot pokers and liquid nitrogen I was determined. Who doesn't like molecular gastronomy?!
Finding it however, was a little tricky. It's a part of momofuku, but you have to use a backdoor on a side street.
It's suuuuuuuper small inside, but we managed to grab two seats at the bar.
4 words and 2 drink recommendations: basil bixby, banana justino.
Now, with the basil bixby I had an idea of what I was in for after experiences at prohibition bars. But the banana justino - WHOA. Sure the menu only says rum and bananas. But it's SO much more than that.
My favorite part was a quote from a bartender who said they aren't mixologists, they're cock masters. Get it? cocktails. Maybe you had to be there.
If I hadn't been on a mission to hit so many places in such a short evening, I would've stayed here longer and tried more drinks. And if I lived in NYC, I'd totally be a regular. -
Whoever thought of the Kimchi Deviled Eggs ($6 - there seems to be some discrepancy about the price on Yelp) is absolutely brilliant.
The bartender tonight was quite the showman and had excellent service, kindly explaining and advising a first time customer to the cocktail menu. The manager(?) as well - they kindly helped me charge my dead iPhone using one of their chargers.
The cocktail menu categories are self-explanatory ("bubbly" and "hot" - the latter means a giant flame stick will be used to heat your drink). Note the Debbie which includes a little (necessary, given the onion in the cocktail) cheese plate as a part of your flavor experience. The Manhattan is good, but I wouldn't say it's anything more than a great drink. The Mustachi-Ode was more intriguing, with a taste of "Christmas" (as explained by the bartender) from the becherovka.
Great ambiance. Candles, intimate setting. Always some liquid nitrogen mists from the bar. Music was a bit random. -
- Clay B.
- New York, NY
- 0 friends
- 9 reviews
Solid choice for taking a pretty young thing out for a cocktail and perhaps a small snack. Service was solid and the cocktails all satisfied.
The Clay-Man greatly enjoyed the Corsair served with it's own little beer back. The American sturgeon caviar was delicious, especially with the fennel and yuzu creme fraiche.
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