Momofuku Ssam Bar
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After 4 months in NYC we finally decided to give one the Momofuku venues a go, and we couldn't be happier that we did. We didn't eat much but somehow it still managed to be one of the most memorable and exhilarating culinary experiences we've had, a testament, we believe, to its excellence. The menu is small but enticing and the food is excellent in both taste and quality. The service is friendly, knowledgeable, and attentive. And although it may get a bit crowded and uncomfortable at times, especially if you sit at the counter, we highly recommend the experience. The name Momofuku means 'lucky peach', and that's exactly what you are when you get to eat there. Make sure to visit Milk Bar in the back for a bakery experience like no other.
Atmosphere
A small and narrow space, Momofuko Ssam gets crowded, very crowded, especially if you go on a weekend, like we did. Warm dark-wood plank walls surround low, square, wood tables on the right, and a long wood counter on the left where patrons are crammed in like matches in a small wooden box. The low, squareness of everything, combined with the sheer simplicity of a monochromatic color scheme, give the space a very urban Japanese zen quality, similar to what you would experience at a sushi bar, but tighter. If you sit at the counter, you practically have to be a contortionist to get in, but once you are settled it's okay. Loud pulsing music gives energy but is still low enough to talk over.
Service
Service is casual, with young hipsters in jeans and T-shirts bustling around full of energy, though everyone who served us was knowledgeable, well-spoken, and well-trained.
Food
Although we were just in for a snack we were overwhelmed by the exciting food that surrounded us. In the middle of the dining room a large party feasted on a fantastic-looking communal roast that that reminded me of roast beast from 'The Grinch'. (Bo Ssam, a whole pork butt ($200) And next to us, a couple indulged in cured hamachi, and an impressively large bowl of fried Brussels sprouts, my favorite vegetable, both of which looked amazing.
For ourselves, we chose a BBQ pork rib sandwich with red onion slaw ($12) , which came on a thin and very crunchy baguette. A simple and small, yet wholly satisfying sandwich, the tender meat falling seductively from the bread and the crisp slaw only faintly reminiscent of raw onions made us heady when combined with the faint tang of BBQ sauce and the crunchiness of the baguette.
Also on our menu, a charred and fatty pork shoulder ($21), sliced and only slightly warm, resting on a cold bed of shaved vegetables in miso dressing. Again, simplicity and creativity coming together to make a perfect whole.
We were only there for a bite, but I could have easily stayed the afternoon to eat my way through the entire menu. Unfortunately, time was not on our side.
In the back of Momofuku Ssam, or attached to the side, depending on how you approach it, is Momofuku's celebrated bakery, Milk Bar, offering some of the most ingenious and fascinating bakery items ever created. Looking past the Candy Bar Pie, and the seductive 4-layer Banana Cake with hazelnuts and gianduja, we settled on 3 of Milk Bar's most celebrated items: a Compost Cookie, made with chocolate chips, pretzels, potato chips, oats, and coffee grounds ($1.85), a tiny Dixie-Cup portion of Cereal-Milk soft serve (it sounded too intriguing to pass up!) with Ritz cracker crunch ($5), and a slice of Anderson Cooper's favorite, Crack Pie ($5.25)
We found the cookie achingly sweet and not having enough of the salty or crunchy components to make it interesting. On the other hand, the soft serve was oddly savory and salty. The cereal flavor they use is Corn Flakes, and not anything sweet as you would imagine, like Trix of Cap'n Crunch and the result is a bizarre yet strangely familiar flavor that is not altogether unpleasant, but also not as sweet as a normal dessert. One thing for sure, it tasted EXACTLY like Corn Flake milk. Incredible!
The one thing that could have balanced out the savory quality of the ice cream, the Ritz crunch topping, was also oddly salty and, although it did offer a nice toffee-like sweetness in places, it wasn't nearly enough. So, what does one do when they have an overly-sweet cookie and an underly-sweet ice cream? They combine them together, of course. We crumbled up the Compost Cookie and added it to the Cereal Milk soft serve and, voila!, we had a perfect dessert. Salty, sweet, crunchy, creamy, perhaps Milk Bar should offer Compost Cookie crumble as a topping? They can thank us!
The Crack pie was also an interesting concoction though, again, we found it painfully sweet. A small and extremely dense slice, the filling was heavy and rich with a consistency similar to a lemon bar, yet with a more sugary, buttery flavor- a brown sugar curd, if you will. The crust was a nice crumbly combination of oats and butter, though it was also sweet. Together, the filling and crust were overwhelming. I could only eat a few bites before putting it aside. Later, I found the best way to eat it was to keep it in the fridge until it gets nice and cold. When you get the craving for something sweet, a bite or two is perfect. Similar to fudge, a little goes a long way. Anderson Cooper must have a very strong sweet tooth!
For ourselves, we chose a BBQ pork rib sandwich with red onion slaw ($12) , which came on a thin and very crunchy baguette. A simple and small, yet wholly satisfying sandwich, the tender meat falling seductively from the bread and the crisp slaw only faintly reminiscent of raw onions made us heady when combined with the faint tang of BBQ sauce and the crunchiness of the baguette.
Also on our menu, a charred and fatty pork shoulder ($21), sliced and only slightly warm, resting on a cold bed of shaved vegetables in miso dressing. Again, simplicity and creativity coming together to make a perfect whole.
We were only there for a bite, but I could have easily stayed the afternoon to eat my way through the entire menu. Unfortunately, time was not on our side.
In the back of Momofuku Ssam, or attached to the side, depending on how you approach it, is Momofuku's celebrated bakery, Milk Bar, offering some of the most ingenious and fascinating bakery items ever created. Looking past the Candy Bar Pie, and the seductive 4-layer Banana Cake with hazelnuts and gianduja, we settled on 3 of Milk Bar's most celebrated items: a Compost Cookie, made with chocolate chips, pretzels, potato chips, oats, and coffee grounds ($1.85), a tiny Dixie-Cup portion of Cereal-Milk soft serve (it sounded too intriguing to pass up!) with Ritz cracker crunch ($5), and a slice of Anderson Cooper's favorite, Crack Pie ($5.25)
We found the cookie achingly sweet and not having enough of the salty or crunchy components to make it interesting. On the other hand, the soft serve was oddly savory and salty. The cereal flavor they use is Corn Flakes, and not anything sweet as you would imagine, like Trix of Cap'n Crunch and the result is a bizarre yet strangely familiar flavor that is not altogether unpleasant, but also not as sweet as a normal dessert. One thing for sure, it tasted EXACTLY like Corn Flake milk. Incredible!
The one thing that could have balanced out the savory quality of the ice cream, the Ritz crunch topping, was also oddly salty and, although it did offer a nice toffee-like sweetness in places, it wasn't nearly enough. So, what does one do when they have an overly-sweet cookie and an underly-sweet ice cream? They combine them together, of course. We crumbled up the Compost Cookie and added it to the Cereal Milk soft serve and, voila!, we had a perfect dessert. Salty, sweet, crunchy, creamy, perhaps Milk Bar should offer Compost Cookie crumble as a topping? They can thank us!
The Crack pie was also an interesting concoction though, again, we found it painfully sweet. A small and extremely dense slice, the filling was heavy and rich with a consistency similar to a lemon bar, yet with a more sugary, buttery flavor- a brown sugar curd, if you will. The crust was a nice crumbly combination of oats and butter, though it was also sweet. Together, the filling and crust were overwhelming. I could only eat a few bites before putting it aside. Later, I found the best way to eat it was to keep it in the fridge until it gets nice and cold. When you get the craving for something sweet, a bite or two is perfect. Similar to fudge, a little goes a long way. Anderson Cooper must have a very strong sweet tooth!
Cleanliness
Too crowded to tell. Besides, the food is so good, who cares?
Pros
Creative and exciting menu, Energetic surroundings, Excellent food.
Cons
Small portions, Very crowded, Bar stools you have to be a contortionist to get into.
