donbert

It depends. Figuring out the infusion time is trial and error until you find something you're happy with. It depends on the amount of the fat you use vs the alcohol, how flavorful the fat is, how flavorful the alcohol is, the temperature of the fat when you add it to the alcohol, the temperature of the room you're infusing in, etc... You should think of solidifying the fat as separate from the infusion time. Once you put the infusion in the fridge/freezer it will slow down significantly and be less effective. I dont know if fatwashing into angostura would be the way to go. Angostura has so much going on in it that I think it wouldn't be a very good carrier of other flavors. Also it has a high level of glycerin. The best thing would be to make your own bitters and tailor the botanicals around the flavor of the bacon you're using.

$100 or a dinner at Ko says Chang doesn't care what the technique is called and thinks we're all ridiculous for still arguing about it.

Any idea how they do this? I've a few things I'd like to try out and this sounds pretty interesting ← It's a double infusion. First infuse the rum with dry air popped popcorn and strain then fat wash with clarified butter. pm me if you have specific questions.

One thing that hasn't been mentioned so far is how great the wine/sake pairing was. I wish I had taken note of what they were pouring because they had obviously taken the same great care in selecting the wines and sakes as they did preparing the food. Each pairing worked on multiple levels with the individual components and each dish as a whole. If I had to sum up the whole Ko experience in a single word it would be Gestalt.

Here are photos of the passed hors d'oeuvres: Beef heart tartar puttanesca Fritto of honeycomb Tripe with olives and oregano Porchetta di testa with radish and pecorino Crostino of salt cured pork heart, eight minute farm egg Photos from the rest of the dinner here.

First a couple corrections: 1.) Yes, it is in fact Hackleback and not Ostera. 2.) The onions on the same dish were "soubise" not "sous-vide". I think that spaetzle_maker's assessment of Ko is the most on point. While it's going to be impossible for folks to stop comparing Ko to Ssam Bar it is as useless a comparison as the Noodle Bar vs Ssam Bar debate. Each of the 3 Momofukus have their own vision that they execute with the same level of skill, enthusiasm, and attention to detail. If you're expecting Ko to be "Ssam Bar on steroids" you will be as disappointed as you would be were you to go to Ssam Bar expecting it to be Noodle Bar on steroids. (Besides does Ssam Bar really need steroids?) As far as stars or new paradigms are concerned I think that they just distract you from the food. The only thing stars have done for me is made it harder to get into places and the day I start going restaurants looking for new paradigms someone needs to put me out of my misery.

Sesame Oil unfortunately doesn't infuse very well. That was actually the first thing I tried when working on what eventually became the Silk Road (toasted sesame infused aquavite) cocktail from our last menu at PDT. The deep flavor of Sesame Oil just doesn't come through. Olive Oil is too delicate for anything other than vodka and even then completely lost once you mix it into a drink. Avocado flesh is a pain to work with and I haven't found a good method for it yet. Avocado oil is again too light. Cheese oils = something I'm playing with now but nothing ready for production yet. more news on that once it's ready. At the end of the day fat washing is really no different from coming up with any other kind of infusion. It's a trial and error game of coming up with the right combination of [volume of liquid to be infused + amount of infusing ingredient] x length of infusion x temperature of infusion. Just like making coffee could be thought of [ W cp water + X tbs ground coffee ] x Y mins x Z degree F. The only complication is that you have to freeze the fat before you can strain it out.

Yes.

I had the honor of previewing the tasting menu with the wine pairing last night with Johnder and a couple friends. Here's what we had (to the best of my memory): House made Chicharrón with Togarashi amuse Fluke Sashimi with Spicy Buttermilk, Toasted Poppy Seeds, and Chives. Kimchi Consomme with Malpec Oyster, Pork Belly and Braised Cabbage Sous-vide Onions, Coddled Egg, Osetra Caviar, Potato Chips, and Herbs Scallops, Mussels, Pickled Fennel and Nori Shaved Foie over Lychees, Lychee Gelee, and Pineapple Brittle Kalbi Jjim - Fried Shortrib, Grilled Scallion, Carrots, and Mustard over Daikon Miso Soup and Lard Grilled Rice Cake over Pickled Turnips and Cabbage Pineapple Sorbet over Candied Pineapples. Fried Apple Pie, Miso Caramel and Sour Cream Ice Cream.

Gramercy Tavern. Besides the regular menu the soup and sandwich for $12 in the tavern room of is one of the best deals for lunch in that neighborhood. Also it leaves room for another course or beverage within your price range.

Ask and ye shall receive: More pictures from the event here.

Looks like there's some progress in the case: My guess is that he'll appeal and this will drag out longer but I hope that it gets resolved soon. Full Article here can be found on the NY Times website.

welcome to eG C5!

I had it once. it was very good...if straightforward. it's good-sized but it's nothing like the bo ssam...it'd probably serve as the main course for 4. ← I would say main course for 2-4 depending on how many other dishes you get. Here's what it looked like early last year. (They've changed the garnishes a few times so I'm not sure what it comes with at the moment.): If you see the Pork Porterhouse you should definitely order it, it's even better than the steak:

That's true I do love making them and have had my share at Pegu... in fact I think I'll go order one tonight!

I was thinking the same thing, sneakeater, although it has been covered in/by a number of others (e.g. Jewish Week, curbed.com)...I think what really set the info flurry off was the tipoff that the building had been placed on the market. ... Looks like Gourmet is getting in on the action too. They have the best quote:

So you're the trouble maker! We had 3 more orders for them at the bar once people saw us making them for your table...

I doubt that they increased the price for no reason. First of all the take out Bo Ssam is a different package than the one done in house (take out oysters is just asking for trouble). I'm not sure what they're including for the $250 price you were quoted but they originally advertised 2 different take out packages a basic (pickles, rice, lettuce, kimchi, and a banana cream pie) and a deluxe with more sides (chicken wings, pork buns, prawns, bean sprouts, apple kimchi and roasted cauliflower in addition to the basic). This also includes disposable plates, flatware, and those mini tongs you normally get in house. Secondly given the amount interest in the Bo Ssam I wouldn't be surprised if they had to change their kitchen schedule/workflow to meet the demand.

Yes they are, they started that a month or so ago. We got 5 for new years at PDT. Still eating Bo Ssam leftovers...

If you want to talk about price/value check out what they're doing for the super bowl: It's not what I'd order to get a good idea of the depth and breadth what they do at Ssam Bar but for $30 that sounds like a steal. I don't normally watch the super bowl but I may have to have a super bowl party this year...

I just got 28.49lbs of Benton's Bacon to do this infusion.

This is news to me but if Kathryn changes her mind and hosts a party I'll come bartend.

The slices of apple are tossed in their kimchee puree that you get as a sauce on a number of their ssam dishes. I recall that they said after much experimentation they decided it worked best with a specific variety of apples but I forget which one, sorry. The new mackerel dish with water spinach kimchee and asian pear is also amazing.

I can think of a few other vices that are alcohol soluble...

I have a seared foie infused burbon drink in the Vinos de Jerez Cocktail Competition at the end of the month. I'll be making enough for a 100 people as part of the competition for a sherry book launch party. If anyone is in NYC on Nov 29th and wants to attend just PM me. Stephan Berg of Bitter Truth Bitters and I were tossing this idea around. There might be something in the works...