321355 Mon Aug 28 15:54:12 -0700 2006 21 18 Manhattan 0 1837858 went last night around 9. not too crowded but definitely not empty. very very very clean inside. counter is at the end of the restaurant and if there is a line, would probably wind through the counter/tables area which could get annoying. the ordering line is similar to chipotle, you pick your ssam and then it goes down the line to 3 other fillers. i ordered the pork with kimchi, bacon black beans and rice. i cant tell if you will be able to add to your ssam, nobody asked if i wanted any substitutes or additions. anyway, rice tortilla was taken out of a steamer and filled very generously with rice, pork, beans and kimchi and hoison sauce then wrapped in aluminum foil. david chang was there making sure everything was going smoothly. as for the ssam, it was real good. the pork was moist and delicious, the kimchi was sweet, not spicy and the beans and rice were perfectly prepared. i would highly suggest giving this place a shot. total cost for the pork ssam without drnik was $9.75 with tax and i was definitely full. Mon Aug 28 15:54:12 -0700 2006 10672 jon 1 1837903 interesting that you mention chipotle. I wonder if the Ssam bar is a trial run for potential franchising? Mon Aug 28 16:09:34 -0700 2006 1837858 12783 millefeuille 1 1843946 I ate lunch there today, and was very impressed. The ssam is essentially an Asian-influenced burrito, and the unique flavor and high quality ingredients combine for a terrific experience. I can see myself jonesing for ssam's as much as, if not more than, Mexican burritos. Agreed that the restaurant is clean; it is also very nicely designed and adds a bright spot to this otherwise dreary corner of the East Village. The pork ssam I had was delicious -- ample amounts of pork, corn, rice, and sauce. Both sweet and spicy at the same time, with a hint of kimchi. This place is going to be really popular. Get in while you can. Wed Aug 30 20:26:05 -0700 2006 1837858 29735 jpressma 1 1855692 My dining companion enjoyed the pork version but vegetarians beware --the shiitake version was heartbreakingly bland. and those shrooms were cold (tho the rice was hot). the rice "tortilla" really adds nothing in terms of flavor --i would go for the bibb lettuce bowl --but that ups the price another 4 bucks..to a whopping $13. Tue Sep 05 20:55:20 -0700 2006 1837858 19055 EVKeith 1 1856215 Agree with it all. Always so tasty and delicious. But soooo tasty. My tongue tingles. Wed Sep 06 00:28:45 -0700 2006 1837858 11650 cheftamara 1 1857089 I tried momofuku ssam bar this past weekend and enjoyed it. First and foremost, it is absolutely imperative to dismiss any preconceptions based on authentic Korean food before you try the Ssam Bar -- the offerings here do not in any way resemble what you'll find in K-town. That being said, the pork offerings are superlative. The iconic pork buns have migrated from Momofuku and are every bit as delicious in their second incarnation. The pork, beans and kimchi whether in a tortilla or spooned into bibb lettuce were tasty and filling. The chicken is fine, but nothing to waste stomach space with. I'll be interested to see how this place does. Wed Sep 06 14:23:03 -0700 2006 1837858 10802 mashpee 1 1857099 Oo, I'm headed there for dinner tonight. I'm going to try the pork burrito. Are the buns here different from the pork buns at Momofuku? I remember the portion size being four buns per order there, why are we paying $4 a bun at Ssam? Wed Sep 06 14:30:06 -0700 2006 1837858 18288 janethepain 2 1857121 I ate at the noodle bar last Friday and the ssam bar on Saturday (crazy, I know) and I could've sworn it was 2 buns/$9 at the noodle bar and 2 buns/$8 at the ssam bar. On a separate note, correct me if I'm wrong but I think they use their pork shoulder at the ssam bar--which was obviously delicious, but not as delightfully excessive as the pork belly that they offer at the noodle bar. A combination of the two would be killer. Wed Sep 06 14:41:17 -0700 2006 1857099 21820 Kanger 3 1857157 I don't know my hog well enough to differentiate the parts, but they did appear to be different cuts. The Ssam bar version has a more shredded, almost carmelized texture while the original version is more fatty and has a richer mouthfeel. Wed Sep 06 14:56:05 -0700 2006 1857121 10802 mashpee 4 1857197 I think the momofuku ramen (the signature dish) at the noodle bar has both the belly (fatty/rich mouthfeel) and the shoulder (shredded, a la pulled pork). That's the combo I would love in my Korean burrito! Wed Sep 06 15:10:34 -0700 2006 1857157 21820 Kanger 3 1857184 Hmm, maybe I'm mistaken then, or we just ordered more than one order of buns. But I just remember them being small buns, I'd imagine a monster bun for $4. Wed Sep 06 15:05:02 -0700 2006 1857121 18288 janethepain 3 1857571 You are correct, it's pork shoulder not pork belly. I prefer the original Momofuku version to the Ssam version. http://offthebroiler.wordpress.com/2006/08/23/new-york-city-dining-preview-momofuku-ssam-bar/ Wed Sep 06 17:30:02 -0700 2006 1857121 10936 kathryn 1 1857604 I went there two nights ago and enjoyed it a lot. The place was about half full, with people coming and going in spurts, and the boss, David Chang himself, supervising the back counter. It's a good dinner, but, I've had the Momofuku Ssam version a number of times and the original Momofuku ssam is ever so slightly superior. First off, it's neater. At Momofuku, the ssam is longer by a little bit, and they wrap it in foil before cutting it in half. At Ssam bar, they roll up the ssam and place it in foil, without cutting it in half, mostly for portability I guess since you're putting it on that metal disc to bring to a table. The construction seemed a little shoddier and the fillings were packed more loosely. The ssam was noticeably more drippy than at the original Momofuku. At Ssam bar, the ingredients are slightly different than at Momofuku. Momofuku's ssams are made of Berkshire pork (belly), rice, edamame, onions, pickled shiitakes, and kimchi. At the Ssam bar, it's Berkshire pork (shoulder), kewpie slaw, red kimchi puree, rice, onions, and bacon black beans, though they did put in edamame when I went, even though it's not on the menu. Even though the shredded pork shoulder is good, I want pork belly! And the bacon black beans are weird to me -- I guess in terms of mouthfeel, and messing with what was previously perfect (to me, at least). It's definitely wonderful to have ssam access after 4pm and I'll go back, but a tiny part of me is disappointed that it didn't live up to my (admittedly high) expectations. I'm sure my mind will change when they start delivery. Wed Sep 06 17:41:31 -0700 2006 1837858 10936 kathryn 1 1859767 I just went there last night. I got the pork buns and pork burrito while my friends ordered the pork rice bowl. All in all, it was ok, but nothing incredible. A friend and I agreed the meat was a bit too salty, and boy was it greasy - grease was dripping from the foil-wrapped burrito into my hand. Ugh. I liked the kimchi puree, I just wish the whole thing could somehow be better 'arranged' so I'm not getting a mouthful of pork and then a mouthful of kimchi and slaw. It definitely wasn't bad, but I don't know if I'd pay $9 for it (sorry, I'm poor). But I'm glad I didn't get the rice bowl for $14, it's just the toppings over a big bed of rice with lettuce on the side - reminds me of bibimbap. Thu Sep 07 14:21:56 -0700 2006 1837858 18288 janethepain 2 1859778 I agree with the comments about how the sandwich is arranged. It could be a little better laid out. However, I didn't think the pork was too salty nor to greasy. Only one small speck of grease landed on my plate. And I'm fairly sensitive to oversalting. Thu Sep 07 14:28:30 -0700 2006 1859767 20586 dkstar1 3 1860085 Are sure it's greasy and not just sauce + juice from the pork? I third the comments about the distribution of the different ingredients. Then again, I have that problem with regular burritos, too. Thu Sep 07 16:20:23 -0700 2006 1859778 10936 kathryn 4 1860200 No, it really was grease - I thought it was just water drip from the ingredients, but it was pure, clear grease that was slowly dripping onto my hands. I looked into my friends' mostly-finished rice bowls (cos I eat others' leftovers), and the bits of food were sitting atop the completely grease-laden bottom of the dish. I'm pretty sensitive to oversalting too, but I wasn't the only one who thought it was on the salty side. Thu Sep 07 16:58:48 -0700 2006 1860085 18288 janethepain 2 1859843 mmm ... grease ... Thu Sep 07 14:54:13 -0700 2006 1859767 21820 Kanger 1 1958652 I went for a late lunch on Thurday afternoon -- somewhat happily, it was near empty, so there was no wait. I had the Berkshire pork ssam with the usual accompaniments, and was somewhat disappointed -- the flavor was generally good, but the meat was dry and not so flavorful on its own. I was also surprised that they use MSG in the slaw (at least they post this)-- a bit of a contradition for a place that springs for Bell & Evans chicken. I'm sure there's a more healthy substitute...and at $9+ a pop, I'd prefer to know it's "all good." I certainly was full, but probably won't go back... Thu Oct 19 22:25:21 -0700 2006 1837858 47933 BeanCurdGirl 1 1959248 There's evidently a late-night menu that starts around eleven. It's far more ambitious than the daytime fare. http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/331129 Fri Oct 20 02:43:47 -0700 2006 1837858 11362 Brian S 1 1959512 Yeah, check out today's Times: he saves the good stuff for kindred spirits, so to speak. On the one hand, I'm pretty sure that you have to admire that. We all love cooking (for one reason or another) for friends and family, and Chang is extending that concept to (ostensibly) industry f&f. On the other hand, he generates so much press that the putative target audience will be squeezed out the door by TONY-clutching B&Ters within a week. Not that there's anything wrong with that-- it's not like anyone opens a business hoping to be ignored. Fri Oct 20 05:47:05 -0700 2006 1837858 47220 diropstim 2 1959533 > he generates so much press that the putative target audience will be squeezed out the door by TONY-clutching B&Ters within a week Kind of like the NYT-clutching B&Ters who crowded Sripraphai after the Times reviewed it :) Fri Oct 20 06:06:12 -0700 2006 1959512 10496 squid kun