Slack momofuku

I know, I know, it is Ssäm . In the beginning, there was Momofuku, a tiny noodle bar with much buzz. In an effort to capitalize accomodate demand, Momofuku spawned the Momofuku ssäm bar. I do not have the patience to eat at Momofuku, but folks seem to like it pretty well. I was in the area, hungry, and eager to try Ssam.

I seem to recall that there may have been some revision of this policy, but my understanding is that the Momofuku folks sought to capitalize on the popularity of their noodle place by, uh, not serving noodles at the new place. Instead... wraps. As culinary trends go, the wrap, with a chronology and trajectory similar to Oasis,  seems like a rather dim star to hitch your wagon to, but there may be some burgeoning culture of wraps in Korea that has escaped my attention.

The wrap was fine. By virtue of being made out of real food, I felt better after eating it than if I had gone to Subway. If I came across one of these in an airport, I would be glad of the opportunity to eat a meal that would not immediately shorten my life. However, it was a good wrap -- for a place that offers an experience that feels  like an upgrade from Subway, Ssam is getting more buzz than I would have imagined.*

I had higher hopes for the steamed buns. There was a long-ago summer on the corner of Canal and Ludlow where I basically lived on Midnight Dragon and pork buns from the adjacent Golden Carriage Bakery. That said, if ever there were a food ripe for a Schlesingerian makeover,** it is the pork bun -- cue ATK theme: "Pork buns are cheap, savory and easy to eat on the subway, but too often this Chinese treat tricks you with a bun tougher than Gabrielle Reese's, and a filling of liquid cornstarch studded with pig giblets....

When the buns came, I  initially thought  I'd ordered the wrong thing. In place of the enclosed bun containing  chunks of savory pork, it was a pair of wee sandwiches with relatively  insipid shredded pork on them. As I chewed, these strange little sandwiches began to seem oddly familiar. It was, right there on Second Avenue, despite the Sprockets-like furniture and Pavement on the stereo, pulled pork on a bun. Pulled pork is not my favorite type of BBQ, but it is best savored in situ. There are indigenous dishes for which Gotham is noted, but pulled pork is not one of thm. Indeed, in a home-and-home series, I would give the bagels of the Carolinas a narrow victory over New York pulled pork.

*The late (10:30-2:30) night menu seems to be where the action is, and I hope to have the chance to try it soon.
The warm veal head terrine, not to mention Col. Newsom's country ham, seem worth the disco pork nap that eating this food at these hours might require.

**Update: I meant Kimballian, not Schlesingerian. Cue Farleyesque blow to own head. There is room for more than one food guy from Boston named Chris. Even though Bruni went undercover at Schlesinger's East Coast Grill, still worth a stop.

Comments

[augieland]

Go after ten. Get the three terrine sandwich. It will all make sense. I promise.

[cinetrix]

Ssam seemed like a one-off, glitzed-up Korean version of the omnipresent Anna's Taquerias in Boston. That's not a bad thing. My chop chae bowl with braised tofu and kewpie sauce was excellent and totally hit the spot.

[cinetrix]

OK, fine. Fucking "chap chae." I know that. Try telling the clowns who proofed Ssam's online menu.

[dubarry]

it's always amazing when people who ought to have better places to go end up in the east village. my sympathies.

best pork bun in area: sichuan place on st. marks. unfortunately, the waitresses no longer dress like red chinese infantry -- whenever i went in there and they asked how many i always said: gang of four.

[dubarry]

btw, absolutely stalked out of una pizza napolitana when the owner -- how retarded is he? someone should send him a get-a-clue-gram "YOU'RE FROM NEW JERSEY" -- told some newcomers they couldn't wait inside.

indeed he chastized us all that the rest of us shouldn't be inside either. this is what you call, if you know a thing, a RACKET.

[pennyauctions]

nice article and great space，thanks for sharing this with all of us.

[Ian Kinsler Jersey]

Oh, very handsome, and write great! !
I think this is the best article I have seen a

[replica jewelry]

Nice hosting! It’s my first time to read like this article.hrset

[quickbooks pro 2011 download]

I’m a long time watcher and I just believed I’d drop by and say hello there for your very first time.
I seriously enjoy your posts. Thanks
You are my role models. Thanks for the article
thank you for helpful tips and simply good info
i can agree with the article
r u sure that is true?
Not so bad. Interesting things here
really good things here, just thanks
hey buddy, this is a very interesting article
Read it, liked it, thanks for it
I am looking for a competent writer, long time in this area. Excellent article!
I have read not one article on your blog. You're a big lad
This is exactly what I was looking for, thanks
Thank you for your work. Article helped me a lot
Really worthwhile article. Pay attention
Hey, buddy, I have not figured out how to subscribe
I am a long time ago I read your blog and has long been saying that you're a great writer
Say "thanks" you to your parents that they gave you the world
It's super blog, I want to be like you
You are my role models. Thanks for the article
Beautiful essay, got the pleasure of reading
I found what I was looking for. great article, thanks
Subscribed to your blog, thanks
I can not figure out how do I subscribe to your blog
Thank you for what you have. This is the best post I've read
I will not talk about your competence, the article simply disgusting
You just copied someone else's story
All material copied from another source
I'll complain that you have copied material from another source
This is the worst article of all, I've read
You are the worst writer
Thank you, this is the worst thing I've read
Reading this article - the gift of your time
Learn to write himself, the article from another source
I would like to uslysht a little more on this topic
I have not found what I wanted
This is a set of words, not an essay. you are incompetent
if you want, I'll write you articles. Copywriter looking for work
I have a few question to you, write to those I do not e-mail
I can not subscribe to your channel
Blog moved out in chrome
Hi! Your article rocks as well as being a legitimate wonderful understand!??
I can??t really help but admire your blog site, your site is adorable and nice
My spouse and I stumbled over here different website and thought I should check things out.
I like what I see so i am just following you. Look forward to exploring your web page yet again.
There is noticeably a bundle to comprehend this. I assume you have made specific nice points in features also.
Lately, I didn’t give lots of consideration to leaving feedback on blog page posts and have placed comments even much less.
Reading by way of your nice content, will help me to do so sometimes.

[Belstaff Jacket]

Now we have a great walkway that goes to the beach and to the canals that came from the partnership of community with government