Momofuku Ssäm Bar - New York City

We almost didn't recognize Momofuku Ssäm Bar on 2nd Avenue - the Lucky Peach was barely noticeable on the transparent door.

The view from inside

The View down the Bar

First, the infamous Steamed Pork Buns

The Pork Buns were the menu item everyone recommended with pork belly meat, scallions, hoisin sauce and cucumber wrapped in the mantou bun. 

Absolutely delicious! It lived up to its reputation. 

The fatty pork belly was succulent, tender and cooked to perfection. It was delicious! The pork really absorbed the taste from the hoisin sauce and scallions. I loved the texture of the dish as a whole with the crunchiness of the cucumber, juicy meat and doughy bun. It was a simple dish which really showcased the flavours well together.

Fried Duck Dumplings with pickled red cabbage and sriracha mayo

The Duck Dumplings had a lot of meat inside which was great.

Very simply presented and there wasn't a lot of oil on the dumplings (definitely a good thing since I didn't want to be reminded about how unhealthy deep fried dumplings are). 

The mayonaise was spicy and added a nice flavour to the dumplings.

Duck over Rice Set 

Rotisserie duck, lettuce, a chive pancake, scallions, ssam sauce and crispy shallots (as a condiment)

Broccoli salad as our side (i.e. item in the middle)

The salad was great! I loved that there were bacon bits in a broccoli salad - that's awesome!

Attempt #1 to plate my food artistically with the lettuce

Attempt #2 with the Chive Pancake

At first I didn't realize that there were two types of duck: the cooked duck breast and the shredded duck

I really enjoyed both types of duck. The duck breast was more soft and juicy while the shredded duck had a bit more flavour (with a little hint of ginger I think). Together with the sticky rice and the hoisin sauce - it was great! I actually enjoyed the oiliness of the pancake with the duck, sauce and rice better, while my friend enjoyed the clean freshness of the lettuce with the duck and rice better. 

Overall: I would really recommend the Momofuku Ssäm Bar! It's definitely worth the wait - the pork buns are classic and delicious and you can't go wrong with the duck here. 

Sidenote: Momofuku is apparently coming to Toronto in August! 

http://www.thegridto.com/life/food-drink/the-cult-of-david-chang/

Website: http://www.momofuku.com/restaurants/ssam-bar/