Jesikka

You know, I have been trying to do this for years and have utterly failed. I suspect I may have to actually get married to pull it off (to someone with lots of dispensible income and a penchant for locally grown food). Seriously, that food looks amazing and features some of my favorite items from Blue Hill NYC. Isn't the farm beautiful?? Great report- sounds like a fantastic weekend. Very impressive consumption tenacity!

Grudgingly given in which direction?

If that's what he meant, he could have said that. Instead, he said servers are "greedy bastards." I'm not sure how anybody can interpret that comment to be respectful of servers. And that's not a one-off comment either. Chang also told GQ: Given that servers are "greedy bastards," perhaps it's about money. The Momofuku restaurants have been very successful. They turn tables like crazy and customers spend a ton of money. So the servers are most likely raking it in. That's at Ssam Bar and Noodle Bar, where the service is good (I'd say despite Chang's rotten attitude) but, at least in the case of Ssam Bar, slipping now that Cory is no longer on the floor regularly. But at ko, the proffer is basically "Screw the greedy bastard servers; we cooks don't need them; we cooks can do it without them." And so far ko has not delivered on that. The service provided by the cooks is weak. Perhaps it will improve, but there's no indication that anybody is trying to make that happen. ← Ok, I finally see what you mean by your last point. It's not obvious to me whether or not there is an effort to change that at Ko, but we all know that one of the things that has made Chang and his team so successful is that they're extremely good at responding to feedback from their customers (Hi Cory! Hi Dave!). On a related point, Cory is back on the floor at Ssam regularly. I think Chang is actually responding to how poorly chefs get paid and treated. There is clearly a deep-seeded resentment about the disparity between chefs and servers, but I don't think Chang is talking about his own servers when he says stuff like that. He's talking about the service/chef model and how unfair it is to chefs. It's the same reason that Per Se changed their tip distribution. I'm not arguing that he couldn't put it more delicately, but that's what I mean by Chang's "media persona". I agree that it fails to acknowledge how hard servers work, especially in his empire, but I do think that the context of "servers vs. chefs" is important.

He has a living room? Rich bastard!

I think an off-menu dish means a dish that is being offered in special or is not yet on the menu. There's not really much of a distinction at Ssam or Noodle Bar, where they will use the same terminology in either situation. Sometimes you are offered a special, sometimes an off menu dish. Sometimes everyone is offered the same, sometimes not. There's no magic or science to this. I think most of us say "the kitchen sent out" or "I tried an off-menu dish" or "they had this special" fairly interchangeably. You're probably reading too much in. Also, I think you fail to understand that people who are occasionally recognized or VIP-ed have a pretty accurate idea of what the service is like because they've generally been eating at the restaurants for a long time, are not blind/deaf/dumb, and there are a lot of people who work at the restaurants and they do not all know every "regular".

I wasn't talking about Ko so much as Ssam and Noodlebar. As I said, I think the service at Ko suffers because the chefs are not comfortable talking much, so it fails to have sushi bar style service, which is what great service there would entail. I've never heard anyone say that service at the Yasuda sushi bar is inferior to other places in its price range. (I have heard complaints about table service there). But I think comparing Ssam to other restaurants in its price range makes little sense unless you compare it to other no-reservations restaurants of similar demand. I can't think of any others in that price range with that demand where you can't reserve.

Which restauranteurs are you thinking of? If you compare Momofuku Ko to the other Chang restaurants, or to the average burrito bar, then it's awfully impressive. If you compare it to other restaurants in Ko's price range, then it is not. It isn't a question of "not liking it". The service is very good for what it is. But it's not comparable to what you get at, say, just about any Danny Meyer restaurant. ← It's funny that you put it that way, because in my head I was thinking "the service is just as good as any restaurant except Danny Meyer restaurants." I think my thinking may be particular to eating a lot in the east and west villages, where I would say that the service is significantly better than Otto and Lupa, on par with Degustation, better than EU (although I don't know if that falls into successful restauranteurs or not), better than Prune, better than Bar Blanc, better than etc. Those are a pretty random list of restaurants that popped into my head, so I'm sure there is plenty to fault about it. I suppose that when you've eaten at a restaurant 75 times or more your ability to assess service becomes less about singular experiences, but I still think I have a decent sense of Momofuku service. If we're talking ONLY about Ko, I tend to be more in agreement with you. My service at Ko has been fairly rudimentary, for the same reasons Daisy17 and others have suggested. However, I don't think this is an indication that David Chang doesn't care about service. I think he's attempting to have a sushi bar type service experience, but his chefs don't seem comfortable interacting as many of us would hope. Nonetheless, a different service model is not necessarily an inferior one and I don't think the problems with the service at Ko are due to any signaling from David Chang. Given that his servers are more well paid than most, wouldn't that be an indication that he cares more about service/servers?

I actually happen to agree with you that I'd love to have more interaction with the chefs at Ko, but I think you're wrong about how much David Chang values servers. The context of that quote was that it's not fair for servers to make more than chefs who work equally as hard, if not more so. While the Momofuku restaurants have definitely cultivated a particular kind of service (the service of busy but friendly people- almost diner type service except with much greater knowledge), I think it is evident that David Chang cares about service at least as much- if not more so- than other successful restauranteurs. You'd be hardpressed to find a better GM/Host than Cory, and as much as David Chang likes to play the "I just got lucky" card, I don't buy it. I completely believe that Chang cultivates that "slightly unhinged, grateful but afraid his success won't last, work hard/play hard" media persona. I don't know the man well personally, but I suspect that is a serious oversimplification (if not outright invention). If Chang didn't care about service he wouldn't have such good people doing it. You may not like the brand of service that Momofuku offers, but there's no question that they've managed to develop a large group of incredibly dedicated fans/regulars who would argue that they get excellent service at all of the restaurants. People like Cory (and many others at Momofuku) have lots of choice about who to work for. Something tells me working for Chang is a lot better than he makes it sound. It can't all be about pride in the cooking. I suspect the Ko service will change over time as the chefs become more comfortable about talking while serving.

That's interesting- I thought the decor was stunning and avoided looking Vegas like. I thought it was a very very accurate rendition of what exists in Paris and to some extent how Parisian brasseries are done today (with a lot of money). They did need to turn down the lights in the dining room, which they eventually did. I like the bathrooms, too. Do you really think that Benoit needs vegetarian dishes to survive? I don't think they would make those changes in Europe, certainly, but maybe the American public is demanding enough for that to be possible. I would imagine the veggies taste much better in stock, but I'm not even sure if I can tell given the amount of butter in the dish (in a fantastic way- there is not an inappropriate amount, just a lot).

It was byo for those people with reservations who they had called the day before and told to bring their own wine. They got the license Friday afternoon so for walk-ins it was regular service. ← Actually, when I was there on Friday (as a walk-in) they were happy to let us drink our own wine (we decided just to order off the list). They should have a corkage fee in place by now, though.

We got conflicting explanations of the gelee, once bourbon and once sazerac which would make it rye?

Trick at Babbo- do not talk to the host. Go directly to the bartender. If you talk to the host you will wait much longer, even though they may tell you that you are supposed to talk to the host.

A new trend? ← Trend of disclosing comps? I think there may be another, ahem, food board where this is standard practice. If the trend is getting comped, I wouldn't say that it's new.

I think Esca would be a much better (and more similar) replacement, though of course your meal would have a seafood bent. I haven't been in a few months, but Fiamma would also be a decent replacement. My meals at Lupa in recent years have been extremely uneven. If you decide to go, I'd suggest putting your name in early (waits are generally an hour to three hours) and then having some drinks at Pegu Club across the street. Add: Insieme and A Voce would also be good choices.

There are some fantastic new dishes at Ssam Bar. First, a labelle rouge poussin with pea puree and ramps. I know they were previously getting poussin at Four Story Hill and were no longer able to get a supply, but there is no reason to worry, because the quality of the labelle rouge is insanely good. I had this dish two nights in a row and could have had it a third night. It won't last long b/c it's highly seasonal, but the chicken is cooked to perfection (the second night the dark meat piece was salted with a bit of a heavy hand but not overwhelmingly so). The pea puree is pure summer joy. Ramps have a charred quality that adds some heartiness to the dish. The dish feels almost like something you'd see at Jean Georges. Go eat it before the opportunity passes. Next, a radicchio salad. Grilled and raw radicchio, puntarelle, tomato confit, pickled sunchokes (sliced very very thin) and a spicy buttermilk dressing similar to the sauce being used at Ko. I'd imagine the dressing is a buttermilk ranch with sriracha (like at Ko), but I can't wholy confirm that. The greens are very peppery and the dressing has just the right amount of kick. The sunchokes are punchy and pungent, but carry a slight sweetness. This may be my favorite dish I've had at Ssam Bar in quite awhile. I definitely wanted another upon finishing (I had to share) the first. This dish was a special, so I can't guarantee it will make it on menu, but it would be a crime if it didn't. Last, a foie gras terrine. A circular terrine of foie (generous portion- has anyone else noticed how much the foie brulee at JG has shrunk?) served with a bourbon gelee, candied walnuts and pecan bread toast points. Unfortunately I was still keeping Passover and thus did not get to try the delicious smelling toast points, which I'm sure are a fantastic complement to the other ingredients. As with other dishes here, the combinations and textures seem incredibly obvious but are not something I've precisely seen before. The foie is nicely salted with large crystals. Although they're serving it as a special right now, imho it would make an awesome dessert. I don't know why so many people insist on thinking of foie as a savory when all the compliments are so sweet! Either way, it's a bit less exciting for me than the previous two dishes, but still extremely tasty. Sorry to cross post a bit, but I figured maybe the detailed descriptions would be useful. Comp disclosure: drinks.

I've done spinach with golden raisins and pine nuts before- which people really seem to enjoy. Saute with some garlic and add raisins. Toast the pine nuts and mix in. If you can use cheese, mix in some grated parmesan.

I'm making: Sole wrapped asparagus with tangerine beurre blanc sauce French onion soup with mini matzoh balls and crispy duck skin (adding crackery crunch) Pomegranate braised lamb Horseradish mashed potatoes Sweet and sour carrots (Green thing TBD) For dessert: Torta de carote with cream cheese ice cream Chocolate sherry cake Strawberry rhubarb compote

Anyone know what they're making this year?

It looks like this thread could use some reviving! What is everyone baking for passover? Does anyone have a kosher for passover pie crust recipe that they've used with success before? I am looking to adapt a recipe that uses a graham cracker and oatmeal crust, so it should be a fairly rustic thick crust. Thanks!

Daisy17, can you explain your reaction to this dish a bit more? I liked this dish quite a lot, but I'm not sure why it's not just Momofuku's interpretation of some fairly obvious combos (eggs, caviar, potatoes, onions). I think they've managed to innovate the form of those items in a great way- and the purple vinegar is delicious- but I can't really understand the stumped reaction. Did you like it more than the Jean Georges egg or the L'Arpege egg, for example?

Can you explain this Le Cirque comparison more clearly? My memories of the Le Cirque of yore consist mostly of joy in eating a perfect chocolate stove (they always fawned over me, but waiters tend to do that with overdressed children). I've always thought of Le Cirque as having been a "see and be seen" type spot, which I don't think Momofuku is at all. In fact, I basically think of the Momofukus as neighborhood spots that happens to be awesome. Are you suggesting that Momofuku is some sort of pick up scene?

I think the scallops themselves are phenomenal. They are insanely delicious. It's all that dashi and saline action that I'm not that into. It tastes like I'm bobbing for (really delicious) scallops in the ocean.

Agreed. I would say that it would be difficult to find equally refined dishes at Ssam. That doesn't equal quality, necessarily. The two restaurants are not interchangeable, though the food is in a similar style. Ssam Bar has a much more dominant rustic element.

A non-regular visiting Ssam Bar would probably be hard-pressed to duplicate a "Ko-like" experience, because there's just no way of telling on that rambling menu which dishes are their best creations.It sounds like Ko is marginally better than the Ssam Bar meal that you know enough to order perfectly, but quite a bit better than the Ssam Bar meal ordered by someone without specialist knowledge. ← I'm not sure I agree, but I think my preference for eating at Ssam is probably specific to my personal taste. I am not a big fan of the scallops dish currently on the Ko menu, and on a non-tasting menu I could avoid it altogether. I know that it is a favorite of many people, but it's just not my thing. Dave H and Sneakeater both loved it. Also, I'm not much of a dessert person- so I'd skip dessert if I had the choice(though I'd take an extra portion of that foie gras in exchange). Ordering well at Ssam Bar probably requires some specialist knowledge, but nothing more than reading these forums. Maybe it's just familiarity, but I just find the food at Ssam Bar a bit more craveable (again, foie gras excepted- I want to eat that every night) and I love picking and choosing my dishes. Also, a "perfectly ordered" meal at Ssam Bar for me would contain fewer dishes than a full tasting menu. There are several "perfectly ordered" meals I could choose, which adds more variety. On the other hand, I will be very excited to watch Ko evolve and to try different tasting menus as they serve them. I'm psyched about the restaurant as a whole. Essentially, I'll probably want to eat at Ko just about as often as I can get in.

This has nothing to do with being thin or looking perfect. It has everything to do with not doing your grocery shopping from a motorized cart at age 35 before you drop dead at 50 from a heart attack or have your feet amputated because of your uncontrolled diabetic condition. I haven't had a 'healthy' BMI in a long time, I'm a big supporter of the concept of being overweight and fit. I may eventually lose enough weight for me to be both a healthy weight and fit, but for now just being reasonably fit is a good start. Being thin and unhealthy isn't a good thing either - people just need to take care of themselves, whatever their weight. ← Right, and that's a great goal for people who choose to adopt it. It's not my place to tell you that you need to lower your BMI, though, and I don't think that's what this site is about. If JP wants to have a blog about eating healthy and losing weight, that's great. If someone else wants to put up a thread about tasting every hamburger in NY and ranking them, that's great with me too. I'll probably be more interested in the latter thread and it might even save me from having to try every hamburger in NY to come up with my list of favorites. It's not that I don't think obesity is a problem, I just don't think it's egullet's problem.