Momofuku Ssam Bar At Last
ByYes, I admit it. I’m a very bad self-proclaimed foodie as it’s taken me this long to have a meal at David Chang’s Momofuko Ssam Bar in the East Village. But after all of the hype I’ve heard and the stories about waiting around for forever to get a table, I went armed with a game plan this past Saturday. My friends and I met at the restaurant at precisely 5pm so we were assured a spot to sample some of the dishes that have been talked about all over New York and beyond. And that was a smart move. By 5:05pm, there wasn’t a seat to be had.
At our nice, comfy table, we ate and then ate some more. We kicked off the meal with fresh oysters with kimchi, which provided a pleasant kick to the dish. Next, we sampled the finchville’s country ham, sliced thin served with a side of mustard-like mayo. I’m a big fan of all thing’s pork—and this ham reminded me of a thinly sliced piece of prosciutto—just the right amount of salt, balanced out by the mayo. My friend’s raved about the agedashi buttermilk with fuji apple dashi, white sesame, which sadly, I could not partake in as it was not gluten-free. All was not lost, though. I instead munched on delicious brussels sprouts with fish sauce vinaigrette and mint.
For our main course we split the roasted diver scallops, the spicy pork sausage and rice cakes, and the pork shoulder steak. The scallops were fresh and simply prepared with some bok choy and garlic. The pork shoulder steak looked a touch fatty when they placed it on the table, but turned out to be just as delicious as anything else I had sampled so far that evening. I was supposed to stay away from the spicy pork sausage. The waitress had informed me that the rice cakes actually contained a touch of soy. I couldn’t help how beautiful it looked, so I snagged a spoonful of just the spicy pork sausage when she wasn’t looking. It was hot, packed with flavor, and just overall yummy. (A big shout-out- thank-you to the gluten-free gods for letting me feel fine after my sinful spoonful.)
To wash all of this down, we tried a bottle of the Momofuku sake, which everyone agreed was light and crisp. We must’ve liked it more than we realized after downing three bottles. We didn’t forget to inquire about the bo ssam specialty on the very bottom of the menu. Apparently, drum roll please, it’s a whole pork butt, dozen oysters, kimchi, rice and bibb lettuce meal that can easily feed 6-10 people. I got a glimpse of one order (which you must call ahead to reserve) and it was the size of a Buick. Needless to say, I’ll have to go back to try that out.
Overall, the vibe of the Ssam bar is young and energetic. I do find it a tad bit annoying you have to show up basically for an early bird dinner, just so you can ensure yourself a seat at the table. But then again I did it, didn’t I? That’s gotta say something.
