Momofuku Ssäm Bar (2006–2007)

[kathryn]

I love the Amish Cheddar Cheesecake.

Last night, however, I had the new PB&J dessert.

Growing up in California, my mother always bought green seedless grapes. I rarely had seeded grapes until I moved to the East Coast, when I discovered that grape flavored items of my childhood were aping these perfect, tiny purple grapes. They were sweet, bursting with flavor, but full of annoying seeds. Tasty but a lot of work.

Last night's Concord grape jelly with peanut butter flakes and saltine (yes, saltine, like the cracker, and yes, it was salty) was perfect.

I think I've changed my mind on grapes.

[spaetzle_maker]

And growing up in New Jersey, I refused to have jelly in my peanut butter sandwiches. The jelly at Ssam Bar is in a whole different class of (superb) jelly. It's them concord grapes!!!

[MBShapiro]

Went last night and tried a bunch of things i have never had or haven't had in a while due to seasonality. Started with the brussels sprouts and didn't like them as much as i used to. Maybe the fish sauce/mint/chile combo has run its course with me. And those sprouts were tiny little suckers. Maybe the size of peanut m&ms... Also had the apple kimchi and loved it. That dish has all kinds of flavors working together, the spiciness of the kimchee'd apples with the cooling subtle sweetness of the maple labne. It was really great. The mushroom salad was awesome too - really flavorful and rich mushrooms with a tasty pistachio/dashi puree and added crunch with crosnes and radish. Mains were less impressive, but not bad at all. I had skate, which, like Fat Guy, i generally am not a fan of, but ended up liking. The pork short rib clay pot was everything you'd expect - rich, meaty, etc, but i thought the pine nuts added a great texture and extra layer of flavor to the dish. There was no PB&J there that night, but the real star of the dinner to me was the cheddar shortcake. Holy moly. I don't like crazy flavor combinations for the sake of keeping things interesting, but this just worked. I loved it and could have eaten 5 more. No meal is complete at momofuku ssam bar without that cheddar shortcake while it's still on the menu.

[Nathan]

Jay McInerny discusses the winelist here:

http://www.houseandgarden.com/winefood/blo...ng-lucky-a.html

(in sum, he thought the list was very serious but the markups absurd...)

he liked the food too.

Edited October 29, 2007 by Nathan (log)

[spaetzle_maker]

Jay McInerny discusses the winelist here:

http://www.houseandgarden.com/winefood/blo...ng-lucky-a.html

(in sum, he thought the list was very serious but the markups absurd...)

he liked the food too.

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McInerny makes the excellent point (which often goes unmentioned) that he actually ate a very healthy meal at Ssam Bar. I love meat and offal and Ssam Bar is my restaurant of choice for things like veal head terrine , but I pig out regularly on fish and vegetables there.

[weinoo]

Friday night our party of five devoured a fair amount of the menu at Ssam Bar. The apple salad, sweetbreads, mackerel, and pork sausage dishes (of course we had a few types of ham, squid, pickles and lamb belly too) all remain deliciously in my memory (which is good, because we'd just come from a tasting of cocktails downstairs at Tailor).

But the cheddar shortcake and PB&J desserts - whoa - I want many more of those.

I also had lunch here earlier in the week - the Bento lunch special is such a great deal, but you will NEED a nap afterwards.

[eas]

the lunch bento is great at $12 - and when there last Friday noon not so crowded at all! Nonetheless was still craving that pigs head dish...

[kathryn]

But the cheddar shortcake and PB&J desserts - whoa - I want many more of those. 

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Three cheers for pastry chef Christina Tosi!

[ulterior epicure]

My need for Chang food out here in "Missourah" has recently pushed me to:

1. Order an entire leg of cured ham from Burger's Smokehouse. I have to somehow saw the bone out and shave it.

2. A number of David Chang's recipes were published in the November, 2007 issue of Bon Appetit. While I've recently found a great local market selling excellent specimens of king oyster mushrooms, I have yet to attempt the mushroom salad that is so beloved on this thread. However, this weekend, I managed to pickle 12 large jars of vegetables using Chang's formula.

... the lengths that us non-NYC'ers will do to "go there..."

[spaetzle_maker]

A number of David Chang's recipes were published in the November, 2007 issue of Bon Appetit.  W

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There were also around 6 recipes in Gourmet. I haven't read this month's Bon Appetit yet. Were they the same recipes as in Gourmet? I have a few recipes from a cooking class that I took with him earlier in the year. There were also some recipes published over a year ago in the Times (in that Mark Bittman series on David Chang / Noodle Bar).

Lots of recipes floating around... I'm wondering if a cookbook is underway. Now, that would make me super happy....

[ulterior epicure]

A number of David Chang's recipes were published in the November, 2007 issue of Bon Appetit.  W

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There were also around 6 recipes in Gourmet. I haven't read this month's Bon Appetit yet. Were they the same recipes as in Gourmet? I have a few recipes from a cooking class that I took with him earlier in the year. There were also some recipes published over a year ago in the Times (in that Mark Bittman series on David Chang / Noodle Bar).

Lots of recipes floating around... I'm wondering if a cookbook is underway. Now, that would make me super happy....

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Thanks spaetzle for catching me. I thoroughly mis-spoke. It was Gourmet, not Bon Appetit.

Edited November 5, 2007 by ulterior epicure (log)

[spaetzle_maker]

But the cheddar shortcake and PB&J desserts - whoa - I want many more of those. 

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Three cheers for pastry chef Christina Tosi!

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I second that. These desserts are absolutely delightful. The sweet/salty combination is perfect in the pb+j+saltines and the sweet/savory combination is also delicious in the cheddar shortcake. She is melding flavors with a balance that I LOVE. I find the the portions of the dessert to be perfect: a wonderful way to finish of a meal without being overwhelmed.

[spaetzle_maker]

A number of David Chang's recipes were published in the November, 2007 issue of Bon Appetit.  W

←

There were also around 6 recipes in Gourmet. I haven't read this month's Bon Appetit yet. Were they the same recipes as in Gourmet? I have a few recipes from a cooking class that I took with him earlier in the year. There were also some recipes published over a year ago in the Times (in that Mark Bittman series on David Chang / Noodle Bar).

Lots of recipes floating around... I'm wondering if a cookbook is underway. Now, that would make me super happy....

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Thanks spaetzle for catching me. I thoroughly mis-spoke. It was Gourmet, not Bon Appetit.

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Oh - too bad... For a few seconds, I was hoping that there were more recipes to enjoy . I'm still pining for a cookbook though. (I like that face)

[clumsycook]

I'll be going to MSB this Saturday. From skimming the post, I see I should be ordering the apple kimchi and the pork buns but any other items that are not to miss?

We'll be going after a play. Before the play we're lunching at Jean Georges so I'm excited to experience such different food styles in one day!

[Nathan]

tripe salad is a must.

lamb shoulder if it's on the menu.

chawan mushi

squid salad.

brussel sprouts

any seafood dish

[spaetzle_maker]

I just had the tripe salad yesterday - it was incredibly good. The poached egg, frisee and croûtons lighten up the dish... Really beautiful.

I'd second many of Nathan's recommendations.

I'd also add:

banh mi

mackeral or the skate (I just tried the mackeral too - really great!)

apple salad (different from the kimchi apples)

I'd also ask the server if there are any special items for the day.

Also, get dessert: the cheddar shortcake and the peanut butter and jelly with saltine ice cream.

Edited November 5, 2007 by spaetzle_maker (log)

[kathryn]

Pork Buns (or the banh mi, but not both, as that's too much starch)

Apple Kimchi (or apple salad but the salad is kind of big and filling)

At least one of the country hams (it's a relatively small portion, don't eat too much bread)

Brussels sprouts

If there's a daily special, order that, too

PB&J dessert

Amish Cheddar shortcake dessert (both these desserts are fantastic)

Chawan Mushi is good but small, hard to share, and I liked the previous version(s) better.

Of the seafood dishes, the scallops and hamachi are probably my two favorites, but the scallops are more special (and a must if you like lemon).

I like hamachi (and the mackeral) a lot but it reminds me too much of items you can get at a good Japanese restaurant.

Edited November 5, 2007 by kathryn (log)

[Swicks]

I'll be going to MSB this Saturday. From skimming the post, I see I should be ordering the apple kimchi and the pork buns but any other items that are not to miss?

We'll be going after a play. Before the play we're lunching at Jean Georges so I'm excited to experience such different food styles in one day!

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My jealousy knows no bounds!!!

Enjoy, that is an amazing day of eating!

[raji]

My need for Chang food out here in "Missourah" has recently pushed me to:

... However, this weekend, I managed to pickle 12 large jars of vegetables using Chang's formula. 

... the lengths that us non-NYC'ers will do to "go there..."

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You know, it occurs to me that Chang is now developing an empire around the name 'Momofuku', and, do you know what always bothered me about Momofuku and it's siblings, is that if you are going to name your restaurant after the inventor of instant ramen, you had better make a good ramen, and i don't see that in their noodles or broth. Or was that the point?

[sucio sanchez]

stopped by tonight. Had the apple kimchi, it was pretty good, especially liked the maple labne. The roasted mushroom salad with pistachio was probably my favorite dish next to the mackeral dish my gf had. We shared the brussel sprouts, I liked the cauliflower better, but still it's a great preparation regardless. Had the tripe stew, which was pretty solid. Everything was good, and I'm liking it more and more. Granted it has never really blew my mind, like some of the people on here, But I love how you can roll in off the street, hop on a stool, and enjoy some very interesting and tasty food without any pretense. That's what keeps me going back. the only complaint was after dropping 100$ for 2 including tip still being, not hungry, but able to do more damage.

[BryanZ]

Back in town for the holiday, I stepped off the plane, into a car, and headed to Momo Ssam. Tried a bunch of the newer dishes along with some classics.

Loved the uni and the banh mi, as I have in the past. The uni has been written about at length, but it's really one of those dishes that's at once discordant yet so good. The banh mi was hotter tonight than on previous occasions, so it was rather oozy. Perhaps a bit heavy on the mayo this time around, but really a great sandwich.

The squid salad was nice, if somewhat similar to any cold seafood salad one can get at a good Sichuan restaurant. The quality of the squid was quite high (if the overall spice level was quite low), and I particularly liked the smoky notes the tentacles picked up. The apple kimchee was pretty killer. Much like the uni, it's a study of contrasts in texture and flavor. Totally dug the maple labne, as it gave the dish some roundness and elegance. The crispy pork head torchon is an unctuous, heavy dish. Perhaps slightly bland on its own, the accompaniments of azuki beans, collards, bacon, and mustard gravy bring both depth and unexpected excitement to the dish. It's essentially two hefty pucks of fried pork fat and head meat and very easy to share.

Tried both of the desserts and very much enjoyed them. The cheddar shortcake with ham cream borders on unsettling, but I'm into that kind of thing so I very much enjoyed it. I saw a couple orders go half-eaten, so I'm not sure it's for everyone. It's also a very rich, very savory dessert. The grape/peanut butter/saltine dessert is quite clever in its use of salinity in an unconventional way. I felt the dish as a whole actually fell a bit short of its individual components, however, as I enjoyed it more when sampling the jelly, cookie, and ice cream separately. Each is a great example within its class, but the dish's holistic flavor profile lacked a little bit of punch or uniqueness.

All in all, a great and surprisingly creative meal. As nearly everyone else says, you really can't go wrong with this place.

[Nathan]

America's best restaurant writer, Alan Richman, weighs in on the Momofuku's (he apparently got a preview of some Ko items):

http://men.style.com/gq/features/landing?id=content_6207

[Fat Guy]

he apparently got a preview of some Ko items

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I wish he had just come right out and said that. The way it's written makes it sound like he went there for dinner, which would have required a time machine.

[Nathan]

he apparently got a preview of some Ko items

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I wish he had just come right out and said that. The way it's written makes it sound like he went there for dinner, which would have required a time machine.

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well, we both know the way publication deadlines work. this piece was written at least two or three months ago. at the time, Ko was purportedly open now (although a month ago I predicted January 08...which Eater is now predicting as well).

in 2004 Vanity Fair accidentally published on the web an article on the Republican convention...before the convention occurred.

when I lived in Miami I saw an E or Travel channel story on Ricky Martin's Casa Salsa, which had closed by the time the episode aired.

[Fat Guy]

this piece was written at least two or three months ago.  at the time, Ko was purportedly open now

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And that justifies what?

Richman should have written that David Chang had him in for a preview tasting, and then said whatever he needed to say about the food, and then said, P.S., by the time you read this the restaurant should be open. Simple as that. It's not like he didn't have the space.