Museum of Food and Drink (MOFAD) Lab

Address:	62 Bayard St, Brooklyn, NY 11222, USA
Phone:	+1 718-387-2845
Site:	mofad.org
Rating:	4.2
Working:	Closed Closed Closed Closed 12–6PM 12–6PM 12–6PM

Location

Photos 100

Reviews 35

Nazary Nebeluk

This is a little museum that tackles understanding culture through the lens of food and cooking. Their exhibit when I visted was called Chow and was about how Chinese American food came to be. I thought it did a really good job of blending personal stories with history and really engaging visitors to think about how what they eat came to exist in the form it is today. My only critique is that the exhibit didnt address the controversy around MSG in Chinese food and how the false belief that it was bad for people came to be. The fortune cookie machine was really fun (and as one of the few people who actually likes the taste of fortune cookies I ate my fill) and the staff was super friendly. It is a little bit out of the way but I think its worth a visit. Hopefully it will give you a new found appreciation for the food you find on your plate. I look forward to their future programming!

Julie Xiao

I would give this place 3.5 stars. I came here to check out the Chow: Making the Chinese American Restaurant exhibit. Being Chinese American myself, I was interested in the history of Chinese American food culture. The exhibit was much smaller than I expected but I did learn a lot about the history and science of Chinese food in America. You learn about the sauces and dishes that almost every Chinese restaurant serves. I appreciated the collection of old menus and the diagrams of the wok station and the types of sauces. I wish the exhibit was larger and more comprehensive though. However, if youre interested in food science and culture, this museum is worth checking out.

Charlie Shay

Theres some interesting concepts here at MOFAD, and I can see the potential for it to eventually expand into a full-blown "experience exhibition." They also plan on holding food-related events and talks periodically. In its current form, it felt more like a proof-of-concept: it has some interesting factoids and fun interactive stations (small station and taste/smell scavenger hunt were entertaining), but the whole exhibition can probably be completed in under an hour. Overall, though, it is still an fun experience and is worth a visit if youre in the neighborhood.

David Hein

A small museum but certainly worth the visit. The exhibit chronicled the history of Chinese food in the US. It included detailed history, a massive collection of menus, a machine cranking out fortune cookies, and a cooking demonstration and tasting. It only took about 45 minutes to closely read and enjoy the space, but it was quite enjoyable. I see that they have a number of interesting programs coming up which I hope to attend. Pair this with a nice brunch in the area and you have yourself quite a day.

Crystal Cun

I came here for the Kraut Mob event (not the Flavor exhibit) and had a BLAST, what a great community-building exercise! We were able to choose from a good variety of vegetables and spices, and then we all got to work chopping and salting our sauerkraut. Some people were pretty experienced at lacto-fermentation, others were trying it for the first time, but everyone had a good time and brought home their own jar of kraut. Thanks for a well-run event!

Joseph Michela

I too came for the Chinese food exhibit. I was happy to read about the evolution of Chinese food, culture and people in America. Reading through all the historic menus offered marvelous insights into the evolution of food, print styles and prices. I wish MOFAD was more extensive but I wont knock them a star just for their size.

MaxGuide

In attesa di aprire una collezione permanente in un museo di cui cè moltissimo bisogno, ci sono esposizioni temporanee molto interessanti sui cibi.

Ian Grossberg

The exhibit we saw was a nice dissection of the science of flavor and smell chemistry. It was super interactive and a ton of fun, great for kids. Their current space fits one exhibit at a time and attendance was super reasonable for the level of thought and craft that went into the exhibit.

Jackie Gordon Singing Chef

Great Chinese food exhibit! Brought back food memories and schooled me on things I didnt know about the history of Chinese food in America and the origins of classic Chinese American dishes. Oh, and fortune cookies with blueberry and raspberry extract very tasty.

David Fang

The most interesting exhibit here is an Infiniti car display that is essentially a giant advertisement for the automaker. The museum is tiny and only has a few exhibits. You can also purchase postcards for $7 in the gift shop and $10 bottles of fish sauce.

Elsa Thyss

Disappointing. The place is quite small, and the exhibition displays mostly pannels with written labels, not many objects to see. The staff is super nice though, and they have a lovely store of objects, souvenirs and books.

Rachel Ram

This museum may be small, but it packs a lot in. The museum has a different exhibit every 6 months that shapes the museum. We were there for the history of Chinese restaurant in America exhibit. It was great and informative

Jack Saunders

Went to the exhibition on the history of Chinese food in America and absolutely loved it. Really informative, some beautiful exhibits, even a tasting with a chef to chat to. I loved putting my message in a fortune cookie!

Yosh Hash

The contents of the exhibition are poor and too few. The admission fee is too high as $ 14. You should not go. Sponsors are car companies and I do not know what it means.Too licking tourists.

C. Dong

Dedicated to flavor, not in details though. More for the food and drink industrial than anybody else in my opinion.

Gisele Maria Fonseca Ferreira

We are here right now at the MOFAD, in a Saturday evening and the museum is closed! We are very disappointed!

Gregor J. Rothfuss

The interactive displays are fun, but that dumb car in the front and the tiny size of the place are a bummer.

Alex Witkowski

Great new way to appreciate food through this sensory exhibition. The scent mixers really bring it to life.

Emily Hart

Cool exhibit! Loved reading about the science of smell. Hope they can make it into a full museum soon!

Max Bank

Fun and interesting museum. Great displays and they you try out the food!