Gastronomy Blog by Cathy Chaplin

25 Sep 2009

Momofuku Ssäm Bar – New York City

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I would’ve never guessed back in 2006 when my brother introduced me to Momofuku Noodle Bar that chef David Chang would eventually mastermind a lucky peach empire. Built largely on ramen, pork buns, and uncomfortable wooden stools, the Momofication of the East Village is currently four restaurants strong. In addition to the original Noodle Bar, Chang also operates Momofuku Ssäm Bar, Momofuku Milk Bar, and Momofuku Ko. Another yet-to-be-named Momofuku establishment is slated to open in Midtown at the Chambers Hotel later this year.

The Astronomer and I managed to hit up two of Chang’s restaurants during our week-long jaunt to New York City. We toyed with the idea of dining at Ko, but found the reservation policy overly demanding and decided to leave that leaf unturned for the time being.

In between a late breakfast at Russ and Daughters and a farmers feast at Blue Hill, The Astronomer and I stopped into Ssäm Bar for a snack. Ssäm, according to the restaurant’s FAQ page, is “anything that is encircled or wrapped.” We started with an order of the steamed pork buns ($9), a dish so desirable that it is available at every single Momofuku location.

Served warm, the duo of buns were lacquered with hoisin sauce and stuffed with pork belly, slivers of cucumbers, and scallions. The first time I tasted Chang’s now infamous buns, pork belly was still widely considered a lesser meat. Now that this fatty bit has properly integrated onto restaurant menus from coast to coast, the buns have lost some of their decadent luster. The pork buns were still damn tasty, but slightly less swoon-inducing due to the belly’s ubiquitous presence elsewhere.

For our second plate, The Astronomer chose the grilled baby octopus with chorizo, pickled fennel, potatoes, and piperade oil ($15). Whenever octopus is available on a menu, my boy cannot help himself. The overly charred octopus set a harsh tone that the more delicately flavored ingredients could not overcome. Although I wanted to order a third dish to make up for the eight-legged flop, we were due at Blue Hill in a few short hours, so we left Ssäm with a slightly burnt taste in our mouths. Shucks.

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Momofuku Ssäm Bar
207 2nd Avenue
New York, NY 10003
Phone: 212-254-3500

Restaurant Review

23 Sep 2009

Russ and Daughters – New York City

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My first mission during a recent week-long stay in New York City was to get my grubby little hands on some proper bagels, lox, and cream cheese, preferably all three smooshed together in sandwich form. There’s something about the combination of hearty carbohydrates paired with creamy fat and salty protein that I find immensely satisfying. I’d eat these three items every morning if I could.

Russ and Daughters has been perfecting the art of Jewish appetizing in Manhattan’s Lower East Side since 1914. Among American Jews residing in New York City, “appetizing” is used as a noun by itself to refer to the foods eaten with bagels.

The small, standing room only shop sells chocolates and baked goods in addition to an eye-catching array of dairy and “pareve” (neither dairy nor meat) appetizing. While I was taken aback by the fluorescent quality of the fish roe, The Astronomer was surprised by the availability of tofu-based cream cheeses. The air was thick with the wonderful smell of smoked fish; I wanted to eat everything in sight.

On our first visit to Russ and Daughters, The Astronomer and I shared a plain bagel with Norwegian salmon, capers, and a schmear of decadent caviar cream cheese ($9.45). The caviar-laden spread, which cost us two extra bucks, earned its keep with each savory pop. The characteristically chewy bagel matched the filling in greatness.

On trip number two to Russ and Daughters the following day, The Astronomer and I shared an everything bagel with lox cream cheese ($3.45). ‘Tis impossible to go wrong with smoked salmon and cream cheese married into one spread. Impossible.

On my short list of perfect meals, the Jewish-American triple threat of smoked fish, bagels, and cream cheese ranks near the top. Truly, only a superb Asian noodle soup and a well-crafted banh mi can dare to compete with this thoroughly delicious package.

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Russ and Daughters
179 East Houston Street
New York, NY 10002
Phone: 212-475-4880

Food Event

22 Sep 2009

San Antonio Winery: Taste of the Americas

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During a brief respite from traveling this September, The Gastronomer and I made our third visit to San Antonio Winery in downtown Los Angeles. Attending the winery’s events is becoming a monthly tradition for us, and it’s also becoming a tradition that I give The Gastronomer a rest by handling the blogging duties. She’s written enough about Mexican food in the past couple of months to last a lifetime.

September’s event at the winery was the “Taste of the Americas” wine and food festival. The setup was similar to Boutique Beer Tasting—the large crowd strolled through the main room sampling food and drinks from several buffet tables and wine stations and then retreated to tables set up throughout the expansive complex to relax and enjoy their selections.

The food offerings were similar to the last event—a bit too similar, I thought, although there were some interesting new choices. I liked the Argentinean empanadas, and The Gastronomer thought the Chilean baked clams and Paraguayan seven meat stew were excellent. The foamy papaya mousse from Chile made me feel like I’d taken a brief detour to a modern fine dining restaurant, although the flavor wasn’t particularly groundbreaking.

Perhaps the strangest dish of the afternoon was the Brazilian vatapa, prawns served in an intensely peanut-y coconut milk sauce. Although she generally gobbles up peanut butter cups and the like, The Gastronomer was really turned off by this particular combination of flavors.

My favorite dish was the Nicaraguan chicken fried rice. It looked unspectacular, but the flavors were really excellent. As with The Gastronomer’s own fried rice recipe, the crucial ingredient was the sausages. I was also excited for the chance to try chicharron (fried pork rinds). They were tasty, but so thick and hard that we could barely bite through them.

After witnessing the rapid depletion of the dessert table at the last San Antonio Winery event, The Gastronomer made sure to make it her first stop this time. She gave rave reviews to the Alfajores De Maicena (short bread and dulce de leche sandwich cookies). After a couple of trips through the entrée lines, I didn’t have much room left for dessert (I’ve always been more of a savories guy), but I did enjoy a chocolate covered strawberry and a couple of little cream-filled fruit tarts.

As I worked my way through the food options, I also began sampling the nine wines on offer, starting with the La Linda Torrontes (Torrontes are an Argentinean grape). I also tried a Chilean Sauvignon Blanc and a Mexican Chardonnay, but I was feeling rather uninspired to drink more—the nature of the food and the rambunctious environment made me yearn for a beer instead. Despite what Joshua Wesson tried to teach me with his peanut butter, I still only feel the urge to pair wines with certain foods, and the unrefined South and Central American dishes didn’t do it for me. Fortunately, none of the other attendees seemed to mind—booze was flowing freely, and two hours into the event our neighbors showed no sign of losing steam. The Gastronomer and I also sampled the homemade white and red sangria, both of which were delicious.

We hung around long enough to catch a musical performance and meet a kind fellow dressed in traditional Peruvian garb. He promised us a dance, but alas, we had to head out before it materialized. I’m sure those who stuck around were in for a treat.