Ode to Pork Belly

Momofuku Ssäm Bar
207 2nd Ave (at 13th St.)
212-254-3500

Subway: N, R, Q, W, 4, 5, 6, L to Union Square

www.momofuku.com

For the last year or so, Momofuku Ssäm Bar has stirred excitement amongst food critics and gourmands throughout the city, garnering rave reviews from Food and Wine Magazine and the New York Times among others. Search Momofuku on Gothamist or eater.com and you will find entries from the past two years raving about Chef David Chang’s brilliance in the kitchen (these started when he opened his first restaurant, Momofuku Noodle Bar), or alternatively pieces by Chef Chang himself begging people to stop talking about the restaurants and to just enjoy the food. Unfortunately, it seems that I, like every other foodie in this city, simply can’t shut up. That’s right—the food is every bit as good as people say, and that’s not something to keep quiet about.

Though Ssäm is notably chic, the minimalism you find there is of the dark-wood-and-warm-lighting variety rather than the industrial-glass-and-steel that has reigned supreme in past years. The smell of pork and—corny though it may seem—the sounds of laughter leant the space considerable warmth. I and two of my graight associates (who else?) sat at the bar and ordered sparingly, selecting only the steamed buns, the hamachi collar, and the signature Momofuku Ssäm.

The food started arriving shortly thereafter, beginning with the steamed buns. Aromatic strips of pork belly rested in pockets of thick, chewy dough. The crunch of fresh cucumbers and the sharp-sweet tang of hoisin cut through the gooey, decadent richness of the pork belly: an auspicious start.

Next, the grilled hamachi collar arrived. As light as the steamed buns were rich, the fish didn’t pack the same flavorful punch as the buns, but was pleasantly refreshing. Unfortunately the absence of utensils other than chopsticks made consuming this particularly bony cut of fish something of an ordeal

Finally, the Momofuku Ssäm arrived, the restaurant’s signature dish. This traditional Korean burrito consisted of an outer wrapper, something like a doughier tortilla, filled with rice, pork shoulder, pickled shitake mushrooms, edamame, bacon black beans, and kim chi puree. Both I and my companions reacted to our first bites of Ssäm with something that one might best describe as surprise and delight at such a serendipitous conglomeration of disparate flavors. The sweet, meaty, almost creamy flavors of the pork were mirrored in the sweet-and-spicy kim chi and the earthy beans, while the sharp vinegar acidity of the pickled shitakes, and the crisp, fresh edamame struck an astounding contrast.

Shockingly, the Ssäm was not only the most exciting, and satiating dish on the menu—it was also among the cheapest. At only $10, the Ssäm was a downright steal. I plan to return sometime soon for lunch when chef Chang replaces his full menu with one comprised exclusively of Ssäm. Surprises this genuine and delicious do not come along terribly often in the food world, and when they do you simply have to talk about them. Don’t worry, though, Mr. Chang—in the future I’ll try to save my rhapsodizing for between bites.