Momofuku Ssäm Bar (2006–2007)

[docsconz]

That is to say, one should not discount someone's failure to be blown away by the food at Ssam on the basis that somehow the larger context of the meal was preventing him from fully appreciating the food.

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I wouldn't call it a discount. I'm just reading comments like

My issues weren't so much with the food, which was very good, though not spectacular, but with the overall experience. It was cramped, uncomfortable and had inexplicable service points.

(Docsconz)

I would add that the problem with sharing dishes was difficult not only because the concept of a serving spoon seemed foreign to the servers, but that even with a serving spoon some of the dishes would be best enjoyed as a single serving. For example, after spooning some of the various elements of the sea urchin dish into my plate, I found it difficult to scoop together a bite which included all the elements, which I presume is the chef's intention. There's really no point in eating a plate of tapioca pearls separately from the other components of the dish. Another example was the scallop dish, which was delicious, but required that the dashi broth be included with each bite. It was difficult to get all the elements onto the spoon on one try. I was frustrated that I couldn't keep enough of the broth on the spoon while trying to coax some pineapple on top of the scallop. This dish would have worked great served on some of those flat spoons that are commonly used to serve the amuse. But I guess that would be too formal and slow down the kitchen, which I understand. We all loved the apple salad, but I was thinking how nice it would have been if the apples were served as rounds on a plate with the other elements of the dish piled on top of each piece, which one could pick up with one's hands, and get the full effect with each mouthful. Needless to say, the chawan and mushroom salad presented similar challenges.

(JosephB)

and taking them at face value.

It's certainly possible for someone not to enjoy the food at Momo-Ssam, or to be less than completely impressed by it. Who could dispute that? And it's also possible for the restaurant to be inconsistent. But there has also been an extraordinary level of support for this place, from many of the usual suspects we'd have expected to take a contrarian stance. And the restaurant is a category buster. It's not serving spectacular bistro food. It's serving something that's much more akin to what's being served at the leading edge of the three- and four-star level. On stools.

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The support has been extraordinary, which is the reason my expectations were so high. I have had high expectations dashed before, but I also have gone to places and had my high expectations lived up to in places fancy and not. I have to respectfully disagree with you though about the level of food here. I would prefer the food of Jean-Georges served on an equal setting as that was the specific example used. The food was very good, but I didn't find any of it extraordinary on an absolute scale regardless of the trappings or lack there of. There may have been some things on the menu that we didn't try that we might have liked more than some of the dishes, though we did have a pretty good sampling of dishes recommended here and elsewhere. The food is a reasonable value, but they are not giving it away either. I am not trying to rip this place - I didn't dislike it- I just think that perhaps it might be subject to a little over-hype at the moment.

[Sneakeater]

I ate at Momo-Ssam tonight. First time I've been able to snag a seat since the Times review.

Look, I understand how some people are disappointed with this place. But for myself, all I can say is that this is someplace I know I'll be talking about, with great nostalgia, twenty years from now. I can't believe I can get food like this -- when I can -- in what are to me comfortable settings, with no ceremony and no hassle.

It's a pity. Chang will go on to other things, and things will inevitably fall off here. But for now, to me, this is sort of a Golden Age.

Edited April 4, 2007 by Sneakeater (log)

[Luckylies]

word.

[sucio sanchez]

I got to agree with Doc on this one. I went there without expectations, and like a lot of the restaurants that are discussed on these boards, I don't get the hype. I had the uni and black tapioca, since it's been raved about and even once said to be better then what you'd get at per se or jean-georges. While the uni tasted fresh and briny, the dish itself was overwhelmed by yuzu, and I found the texture of the tofu to be too much like foam. not impressed.

The next was Bahn Mi. It was good, the most enjoyable of the night. But it doesn't compare to ones I get on broome and mott for $3.25

Next was calamari salad. Wasn't enjoyable as in I finished it only because I was paying, as with the uni and tapioca I looked at it as something I had to get through instead of savor. Probably won't rush back, but obviously they don't need my business, I will say that David Chang was in the kitchen overseeing the operation and jumping in to help(even sweeping the floor). hopefully he'll remain so humble.

[BryanZ]

Isn't the point of the tofu to be like a foam? A reimagination of a familiar ingredient used in a novel context.

I was able to sample both Jean-Georges and Ssam uni dishes in the span of a few days a couple months back and found the Ssam dish to be more memorable.

[Fat Guy]

Isn't the point of the tofu to be like a foam?

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Indeed, it's called "whipped tofu" on the menu.

I'm with you. I think it's one of the very best dishes in town right now.

I don't agree with the characterization of Momo-Ssam as "overhyped." It has certainly received a ton of attention, but there's a strong underlying theme to that attention: that it's well deserved.

[sucio sanchez]

Yes whipped, as in creamy like you would say with burrata. What I had was neutral tasting vehicle to showcase the flavor of yuzu as a foam. I guess it's just different taste. Nothing against the guys at ssam, but I just don't see what so special about the food here. I like noodle bar much more, and even that at the end of the day is what it is. To claim this place as a candidate as the best new restaurant in the USA is a huge stretch, one that I just don't get

[Nathan]

as I noted up the thread...I've eaten there since the review and found it as great as ever. that unheralded mackerel dish is seriously good btw.

[Sneakeater]

Without doing a full-bore review, what was impressive about my dinner here last night -- and what is so great about this place -- is that it ran the gamut.

I started with the uni, which, to me as to others, is the kind of thing I'd be happy to get in a four-star restaurant.

Then, the asparagus. This is a variation on a familiar dish (and a favorite of mine) (up till now, I've thought the version at Al Di La is the sublimest, at least locally). But it's better. The best. In other words, a familiar idea, twisted inventively and executed amazingly well.

Finally, the veal-head terrine. This is a dish I've put off ordering all these months, for the paradoxical reason that it's too easy a choice for me: it's so much along the lines of what I usually get that it always has seemed too obvious a selection. (Does anyone else ever fall into this? It's also why I majored in History rather than English in college, I think.) Anyway, unlike the uni dish, this is rustic. But it's also fantastic. They serve it on a hot plate, so the terrine sort of melts as you're picking at it. And the terrine itself: what can I say? Better than the testa used to be at Lupa. Better than the tete de veau used to be at Pierre au Tunnel. Better, I think, than I ever thought this long-favorite dish could even be.

So, at my whim, I mixed high and low, haute and bas -- but all of the highest possible quality. While sitting at a bar, not having to put up with any bullshit, surrounded by interesting people and listening to music I enjoy (unlike, say, The Music For Retrograde Boomers With No Taste that Mario B. pumps out) and that fits the mood of the place perfectly.

I'm sorry. I love this place.

Edited April 4, 2007 by Sneakeater (log)

[larrylee]

A couple thoughts, mostly about docsconz's experience.

1) I think the uni and whipped tofu dish has a little too much going on and that the uni is overwhelmed by the other flavors. However, I liked the combination of uni with one or two tapioca pearls and some of the syrupy liquid by itself.

2) I find doc's point about service very interesting. I've never had an issue with service and we've been there with up to four people. To offer a contrasting viewpoint, we've been much less formal about things like serving spoons. We just dig in with our own utensils, cooties be damned. This is second nature to me, but perhaps it's not what other folks expect.

3) Doc also brings up an interesting point about the relative value of individual dishes. I find that that going in with a party of four lets you sample a really large number of dishes and pay only $40 per person. The value proposition is best when spread out over a number of dishes.

4) Jackets and such are normally stuffed into the long window that's near the kitchen. That space will fill up in fairly short order, and we've never found it to be a problem to just sit on our coats or stuff our bags under our seats. Nor did we find the benches or stools cramped or uncomfortable.

In no way am I trying to reflect negatively on doc's experience. In fact, I think his contrasting experience provides excellent data points for setting expectations for subsequent visitors.

5) sucio: "Well gee, the banh mi was great but certainly can't beat the 5,000 dong banh mi I had in downtown Saigon. So good in fact that I had three at it was still less than a buck." Sorry for the snarky comment, but can you get a similar array of dishes on MSB's menu down at the banh mi outlets downtown? Sure, you can get similar pork buns (but not berkshire) at a number of restaurants in Chinatown, too. This goes back to point 3, the value proposition.

Lastly, I'll probably be down there tonight around 10 PM if anyone wants to meet up.

[spaetzle_maker]

Wow! Sneakeater - I ordered the same exact way over the weekend! That's pretty funny...

The uni, asparagus and veal head terrine were all perfect and the service was great, as always!

[larrylee]

(hopefully we'll be able to power through the rest of the menu)

[oakapple]

While I certainly enjoyed Ssam Bar, I was not transported to orgasmic levels of ecstasy, as some of the "buzz" would lead you to expect. That was 2½ months ago, and I know the menu changes rapidly, so my experience might not be relevant today.

My visit also pre-dated the Bruni review, and while there was already a lot of attention on this place, it wasn't quite at the stratospheric level it has now reached. When expectations are so insanely high, first-time visitors are probably ripe for disappointment.

Its not Per Se...its simply not going to live up to three hour drive each way expectations.... It is however, in my view, some of the best food in the city right now.

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Taste can't be proved or disproved, but I find this difficult to believe. Since my visit to Ssam Bar, I've been to The Modern, Country, Daniel, and Eleven Madison Park. If money were no object, I'd choose any one of them above Ssam Bar. In. A. Heartbeat.

Obviously, money is a factor for most of us. It's nice to know that you can waltz into Ssam Bar any night of the week, wearing whatever you want to wear, and have a very good meal at a fraction of the cost that other places charge for comparable quality.

While The Modern, Country, Daniel, and EMP were my four best meals of the year so far, I certainly had others that were very good, came close to or met Ssam Bar's general level of excellence, and took place in much more enjoyable surroundings.

I wouldn't say Ssam Bar is an emperor with no clothes. It thoroughly deserves all the praise it has received. But some of the praise seems to me over-the-top.

Edited April 4, 2007 by oakapple (log)

[larrylee]

While The Modern, Country, Daniel, and EMP were my four best meals of the year so far, I certainly had others that were very good, came close to or met Ssam Bar's general level of excellence, and took place in much more enjoyable surroundings.

One nit to pick - "comfortable" is relative.

[Sneakeater]

I think a lot depends on whether you find the ambiance an encumbrance or an attraction.

(Food, aside, I'd rather BE in that room than in the dining rooms of EMP or Coutnry.)

Edited April 4, 2007 by Sneakeater (log)

[Nathan]

this is true.

I'm the type of person who can't read at home but can become engrossed in a book at a noisy coffee shop like Doma.

I've got a feeling that Robyn, for example, would hate Ssam Bar....the atmosphere could be distracting and detracting for many...

[Fat Guy]

When expectations are so insanely high, first-time visitors are probably ripe for disappointment.

. . . .

I wouldn't say Ssam Bar is an emperor with no clothes. It thoroughly deserves all the praise it has received. But some of the praise seems to me over-the-top.

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Not long ago, I was a first-time visitor. I went in with a frame of reference dictated by incredible hype. And at the end of my first meal I felt that, despite all the hype, the place was actually quite underrated -- that people were letting the old paradigm prejudice their conclusions about the food, when in my opinion the food was unparalleled.

[rich]

I think a lot depends on whether you find the ambiance an encumbrance or an attraction.

(Food, aside, I'd rather BE in that room than in the dining rooms of EMP or Coutnry.)

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Then you should have loved the space at the old Tasting Room.

[Sneakeater]

I know you're joking, but of course I hated that. To me, that was only uncomfortable. It wasn't energetic or cool.

Edited April 4, 2007 by Sneakeater (log)

[Nathan]

translation of Sneakeater:

uncomfortable and geriatric = uncomfortable

uncomfortable and filled with Russian models = cool and energetic

[oakapple]

I think a lot depends on whether you find the ambiance an encumbrance or an attraction.

(Food, aside, I'd rather BE in that room than in the dining rooms of EMP or Coutnry.)

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I assume you're referring to the interior decorating, since you referred to only two of the four restaurants.

I am referring to other aspects of comfort, like not having to eat dinner while sitting on top of your winter coat, which is on top of a backless bar stool.

[Sneakeater]

No, I'm talking about atmosphere, service, "feel", the whole shebang.

[Sneakeater]

I left out Daniel because, to me, Daniel feels as much like a party as a four-star restaurant. It's not the kind of party I like to go to frequently -- but it's not sitting there being cossetted, either. You certainly can't say it lacks energy.

As for The Modern, I think that, to me, some of the energy from The Bar Room leaks into the dining room. Or, maybe it's just (as you said) that I like the design.

Edited April 4, 2007 by Sneakeater (log)

[kathryn]

Obviously, money is a factor for most of us. It's nice to know that you can waltz into Ssam Bar any night of the week, wearing whatever you want to wear, and have a very good meal at a fraction of the cost that other places charge for comparable quality.

Yes, definitely! Also: I'm 26. David Chang is 29. We like the same music (Pavement, Pixies, other indie rock wonders) and food (his, obviously). I spend a good amount of times in loud rock clubs and bars, so, I feel more comfortable at Ssam Bar than other people might.

I've been to places like the Dining Room at the Modern and felt young and slightly out of place, although I loved the design and the energy.

Edited April 4, 2007 by kathryn (log)

[rich]

[Also: I'm 26. David Chang is 29. We like the same music (Pavement, Pixies, other indie rock wonders) and food (his, obviously).

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Are those people anything like Julie Andrews?