Momofuku Ssäm Bar (2007– )

[spaetzle_maker]

A very nice dinner the other night. Soft shell crabs are back! Prepared in the same style as the skate dish (and also the same way as last year, I believe): lightly fried, served on top of a spicy aioli with some potatoes fried in pork fat, some pickled ramps (yay ramps!), old bay seasoning and some preserved lemon. Delicious.

The asparagus are also back and as good as always - miso butter, poached egg with a small sprinkling of espelette pepper.

There was a skate special on the menu. I guess because the soft shell crabs are prepared the same way the skate is prepared, the kitchen wanted to change the skate dish around a bit. The skate wing is coated with some rice flour and panko and then shallow fried, served on top of a congee and topped with some mizuna greens (and maybe some more espelette?). This was definitely an enjoyable dish.

The pistachio croustillant dessert has changed slightly: instead of malted chocolate ice the dessert is now using a chocolate ganache. I do prefer the dessert with this change... Very nice.

One FOH staff member told me that they got in some new wines, but I stuck with my current favorite, the Schollium Project (sp?). I figured I'd pass along that info anyway.

[daisy17]

The asparagus are also back and as good as always - miso butter, poached egg with a small sprinkling of espelette pepper.

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I've been dreaming about/craving the asparagus since I read this yesterday. I've had runny egg issues for as long as I can remember, and the first time I had the Momo poached egg and asparagus 2 years ago was the start of me getting over it.

(Yay, you got your soft shell crabs!)

[Nathan]

you know, the new lamb belly prep is fine...but it's just nowhere near as good as the old one.

[Fat Guy]

Ssam Bar experts: what's the typical ebb and flow of the crowd on a weeknight like tonight? I know very early and very late are the best bets for a short wait, but let's say those aren't options. Would 8pm, 9pm or 10pm be best?

[spaetzle_maker]

you know, the new lamb belly prep is fine...but it's just nowhere near as good as the old one.

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I like the new one so much more.

[spaetzle_maker]

Ssam Bar experts: what's the typical ebb and flow of the crowd on a weeknight like tonight? I know very early and very late are the best bets for a short wait, but let's say those aren't options. Would 8pm, 9pm or 10pm be best?

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probably 10pm.

[Nathan]

last night I arrived around 9...we were seated immediately but the place was basically full. when we left at 10, it was half empty.

but Monday night is generally a slow night...while say Wednesday is kind of the new Friday. with that said, I'd imagine that Tuesday would be more like Monday.

[Sneakeater]

10 is definitely your best bet.

And I prefer the new lamb belly, too.

(What they need to do is bring back that lamb shoulder . . . .)

[Fat Guy]

We were walking up from the Lower East Side, and as we passed Noodle Bar at around 9:30pm we saw four empty seats at the table in the way back. So we grabbed that table and never made it to Ssam Bar.

I have to say, I enjoyed this meal at Noodle Bar more than my last three or four meals at Ssam Bar. I'll post about the specifics of the meal on the Noodle Bar topic, but Noodle Bar has improved in its new location with its bigger kitchen, and Ssam Bar has I think seen a slight -- very slight, but noticeable -- decline in quality over the past few months. Service at Ssam Bar has also slid, whereas at Noodle Bar it's now quite strong. The food at Noodle Bar is on the whole more rustic than at Ssam Bar, but I think if you go dish for dish and do some comparisons Noodle Bar comes out on top in several places.

[Nathan]

10 is definitely your best bet.

And I prefer the new lamb belly, too.

(What they need to do is bring back that lamb shoulder . . . .)

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well, yeah! neither of the lamb belly dishes hold a candle to that one.

[spaetzle_maker]

We were walking up from the Lower East Side, and as we passed Noodle Bar at around 9:30pm we saw four empty seats at the table in the way back. So we grabbed that table and never made it to Ssam Bar.

I have to say, I enjoyed this meal at Noodle Bar more than my last three or four meals at Ssam Bar. I'll post about the specifics of the meal on the Noodle Bar topic, but Noodle Bar has improved in its new location with its bigger kitchen, and Ssam Bar has I think seen a slight -- very slight, but noticeable -- decline in quality over the past few months. Service at Ssam Bar has also slid, whereas at Noodle Bar it's now quite strong. The food at Noodle Bar is on the whole more rustic than at Ssam Bar, but I think if you go dish for dish and do some comparisons Noodle Bar comes out on top in several places.

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I've been really, really enjoying Noodle Bar lately and I am a tremendous fan of Ssam Bar too, but I can't stand the whole "If you want Momofuku flavors, go to Ssam Bar" deal. They both rock in their individual ways. Noodle Bar is nothing to scoff at the way many have in the past. The food is tasty, fun and many of the dishes are just plain beautiful in appearance as well. Oh wait, this isn't the Noodle Bar thread is it?

[spaetzle_maker]

10 is definitely your best bet.

And I prefer the new lamb belly, too.

(What they need to do is bring back that lamb shoulder . . . .)

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well, yeah! neither of the lamb belly dishes hold a candle to that one.

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The first few times I had that lamb shoulder I really loved it. Then it was off the menu for a while and when it came back, somehow I didn't love the shoulder meat as much, but the preparation was still top notch (I think that night it came with some lamb shank as well and that lamb shank was *INCREDIBLE*). The fact that I liked the shoulder meat a little less had me wondering if their supplier for it had changed. That said, the current lamb belly is still my favorite. I love the texture and I love the violet mustard. Violet mustard isn't something that I've had before and so it's a bit of a novelty for me (a very delicious one!!).

[Sneakeater]

We were walking up from the Lower East Side, and as we passed Noodle Bar at around 9:30pm we saw four empty seats at the table in the way back. So we grabbed that table and never made it to Ssam Bar.

I have to say, I enjoyed this meal at Noodle Bar more than my last three or four meals at Ssam Bar. I'll post about the specifics of the meal on the Noodle Bar topic, but Noodle Bar has improved in its new location with its bigger kitchen, and Ssam Bar has I think seen a slight -- very slight, but noticeable -- decline in quality over the past few months. Service at Ssam Bar has also slid, whereas at Noodle Bar it's now quite strong. The food at Noodle Bar is on the whole more rustic than at Ssam Bar, but I think if you go dish for dish and do some comparisons Noodle Bar comes out on top in several places.

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I guess this is the wrong thread to say this, but I recently went to Noodle Bar for the first time in a while and was completely knocked out.

I think FG's comparisons of both the different natures of the food at Noodle Bar and Ssam Bar and, perhaps (I hate to say this but maybe it's true) their current respective quality are spot on.

[Nathan]

if I compared my last couple meals at each...I definitely wouldn't see the clear daylight between them that I used to.

hmmm...maybe it's time to eat at all three on consecutive nights....

[kathryn]

Just got back from another excellent dinner at Ssam Bar. Apple kimchi is off the menu. So is the brown butter shortcake. But asparagus is in! No baby artichokes just yet, though.

This year's asparagus has some sort of red powdery spice on the top - it was excellent but got cold very quickly. Started mostly with old favorites like the pickle plate, diver scallops, steamed buns, Benton's ham, grilled sweetbreads, but also threw in spicy squid salad, pate in crust (with ramp marmalade!) and the crispy lamb belly with violet mustard (the rosemary olives are really interesting and cut the fattiness of the lamb). We were entertaining two friends in from out of town who were very excited about the menu, so we ordered a tiny but of everything.

COMP DISCLOSURE: Tien, who is an insane genius and wonderful man, sent out some extra deliciousness too. My memory is blurry but I think there was torchon of foie with Salzerac gelee and candied walnuts and brioche (in the words of our time: om nom nom nom). A lightly deep-fried fluke cheek with ramps and mushrooms. And a spring salad of raddichio, tomato, pickled sunchoke, and ramp leaves, with a spicy buttermilk dressing.

There's also a new dessert in town. GO NOW. EAT THIS. Get the rhubarb shortcake. It is wonderful. A tower of creme fraiche. The shortcake is crumbly soft and perfectly buttery, and the rhubarb is magical (has these great subtle flowery hints that reveal themselves as you eat). I couldn't figure out how the succulent rhubarb got so sweet and fragrant, but it was amazingly delicious. My friend, who grew up in Ohio and has eaten a lot of bad rhubarb pie, said this version was so good, it gave her her goosebumps. So good. Christina Tosi does it again.

Edited April 28, 2008 by kathryn (log)

[Jesikka]

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.

Edited April 28, 2008 by Jesikka (log)

[daisy17]

COMP DISCLOSURE: Tien, who is an insane genius and wonderful man, sent out some extra deliciousness too.

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Comp disclosure: drinks.

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A new trend?

[Jesikka]

COMP DISCLOSURE: Tien, who is an insane genius and wonderful man, sent out some extra deliciousness too.

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Comp disclosure: drinks.

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A new trend?

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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.

[daisy17]

I wasn't referring to being comped - I meant the deliberate disclosure of the comp in the post. I guess 2 posts in a row made it really obvious to me and it seemed a little odd.

[spaetzle_maker]

Wow, we all just missed each other!

Yesterday the kitchen was extremely generous in sharing some tastes of new dishes that they are working on:

I will third the excellence of the foie torchon with candied walnuts, gelee (I was thinking it was a molasses gelee, but Bourbon makes sense as well) and brioche toast points. The foie was delicious and the warmed brioche toast points sensational. Those two components were stellar and the gelee and candied nuts were very special as well. These flavors marry together so well, the amount of each component was perfect and it all looked so appetizing and pretty on the plate.

The tomato confit was absolutely delicious (they had been using a tomato confit during last summer in the eggplant/filone dish). As Jesikka described - served with radicchio and sunchokes. I absolutely loved the sunchokes. Crisp, flavorful. All together wonderful.

Probably my favorite item of these experimental dishes was the fluke cheeks served with a carpaccio of oyster mushrooms, pickled ramps and an edamame/labne dressing. The fluke cheeks were practically exploding with flavor. In addition to being insanely juicy, they were tender and flaky. This dish was spectacular. I really couldn't get enough of it. This is something I hope makes it on the menu, but I'm a little nervous - I'm guessing flukes only have two cheeks and those cheeks may be hard to come by.

Of course, the branzino and the asparagus continue to be as beautiful as always. The plating of the asparagus has been gussied up a bit.

After all that food, I had no room left for dessert, but am looking forward to trying this rhubarb shortcake.

Tien continues to be as creative and friendly as always. The service was warm and welcoming, knives were served when appropriate, descriptions of dishes were provided. A couple on one side of me was smiling from ear to ear by the end of their meal and talking about how great everything was and how nice the staff is. The gentleman on the other side of me was saying more of the same.

As far as comp disclosure, when I say things amounting to "the kitchen sent out" or "tried a sample of", I'm basically saying that it was a "gift" or a "comp".

[kathryn]

For the foie, it was indeed a very generous portion. I could have sworn it was Sazerac gelee, but maybe Tien was mixing it up. Really played well against the sweetness of the nuts and the richness of the foie. The brioche was heavenly; I spent a good few seconds just smelling it, before digging in. If anything, I wanted more brioche points and nuts since we were splitting it among 4 people.

My friends also discovered that they loved having a bit of red eye gravy (from the country ham we ordered) with the foie. It was unusual, but worked.

Agreed that the pickled sunchokes were great! I would order just a single plate of those. Maybe they'll show up on the pickle plate at some point.

Our version of the fluke cheeks was dressed with edamame and that green oil that they use on the branzino dish. Whatever is in there....it's addictive. I suspect they put crack in it.

We were there from about 8ish to 10:30pm, and it was painful to stand up afterwards. In a good way.

[spaetzle_maker]

For the foie, it was indeed a very generous portion. I could have sworn it was Sazerac gelee, but maybe Tien was mixing it up. Really played well against the sweetness of the nuts and the richness of the foie. The brioche was heavenly; I spent a good few seconds just smelling it, before digging in. If anything, I wanted more brioche points and nuts since we were splitting it among 4 people.

My friends also discovered that they loved having a bit of red eye gravy (from the country ham we ordered) with the foie. It was unusual, but worked.

Agreed that the pickled sunchokes were great! I would order just a single plate of those. Maybe they'll show up on the pickle plate at some point.

Our version of the fluke cheeks was dressed with edamame and that green oil that they use on the branzino dish. Whatever is in there....it's addictive. I suspect they put crack in it.

We were there from about 8ish to 10:30pm, and it was painful to stand up afterwards. In a good way.

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Yes - you are definitely right about the oil on the fluke cheeks. Oh my god - that dish was fabulous. I'm so excited to try the rhubarb shortcake that you mentioned. You are so right about Christina Tosi (she makes a great brioche too )

[Jesikka]

For the foie, it was indeed a very generous portion. I could have sworn it was Sazerac gelee, but maybe Tien was mixing it up. Really played well against the sweetness of the nuts and the richness of the foie. The brioche was heavenly; I spent a good few seconds just smelling it, before digging in. If anything, I wanted more brioche points and nuts since we were splitting it among 4 people.

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

[Nathan]

the classic Sazerac would be rye....although the uber-classic Sazerac (circa 1860-1880) was made with cognac. one of the best contemporary versions uses equal parts rye and cognac.

but Sazerac should never meand bourbon.

[kathryn]

I may not be the best judge as I'm not a huge rye or bourbon or whiskey or scotch fan, so I usually get them mixed up. But I swear I heard something starting with S----.

My method of eating the torchon was to take a huge hunk of foie, place it on the brioche (it's a firm torchon that isn't really easy to spread on the bread), take a tiny bit of gelee, and a bit of nut. I actually ended up holding a nut in my other hand, eating the foie, and then taking a nibble of nut, so that the nut wouldn't fall down. It's delicious but a little awkward to balance!

Edited April 28, 2008 by kathryn (log)