614811 Fri Apr 24 21:24:04 -0700 2009 14 18 Manhattan 0 4626987 Somehow I managed to win lunch cooked by David Chang, as sponsored by NBC's "locals only" contest, in spite of my slightly elderly Powerbook. (In order to win the contest you had to log on to NBC's website and answer a few trivia questions.) I invited my mother, a retired chef, to be my +1, not knowing what to expect, but figuring David Chang would come up with something interesting at the very least. I ordered a "dealer's choice" lunch, as opposed to the pork, chicken, and vegetarian options, hoping I'd get dishes that I hadn't tried at either the Ssam Bar or the Noodle bar. What I got was one of the best meals I can remember - incredible foie gras with sauteed ramps, an arugula salad with duck breast, and a jar of duck rillettes (at least I think it was rillettes). The foie gras was heaven: rich, beautiful texture, amazing flavor, and a surprisingly generous portion. I hope I can get this dish at one of the Momofukus, because I'm addicted. The duck/arugula salad had some incredible mustard seeds. My mother ordered another "dealer's choice" and also got a very generous portion of lobster, presented with grits, a poached egg, and pork buns. I've had those pork buns many times, but these tasted really special, and again, no skimping on the meat. We had the old fashioned (donut) flavored soft serve for dessert, served by Christina Tosi, who is always so nice. I wasn't only impressed by the food - the whole organization ran incredibly smoothly for a one-shot deal. I would expect Chang to run a tight ship, but delivering such great food under such weird circumstances was pretty phenomenal. We got there early, and I've heard that they did have a few technical mishaps later in the day, but the attention to detail was just amazing. Fri Apr 24 21:24:04 -0700 2009 132418 hungrycomposer 1 4632995 I was there as well. With my lack of luck getting reservations to Ko, I was quite surprised when I was one of the first five people to answer the trivia questions. I didn't realize that if I ordered two dealer lunches that we'd get different things. I ordered the chicken (because I've had everything on the pork menu) and one dealer's choice. The dealer's choice was the foie gras/duck salad one. It was the much better one out of the two. But I kept looking at the other people's lobster, egg and bacon -- the one that your mom had. That looked so good! The chicken one was ok -- it was basically those rice "fries" (basically similar to those shrimp chips you get at many Asian stores except that there was no shrimp flavor), and grilled chicken wings. I wasn't a huge fan of those rice fries and I'm not a big chicken wing fan. Flavor was good, but it just wasn't my thing. There was also a chicken bun, which was probably not my thing either. The chicken meat was thing, flattened and pressed. The pork buns are so much better IMO. Oh, I wish we did two dealer's choices. The donut flavored soft serve was OK. Honestly, I really don't think Milk Bar's desserts do anything for me, even the soft serves. They just don't float my boat. But it's clear that they're popular with many people. They do serve some interesting things, and I'm waiting for the day they bring out some mochi ice cream desserts. It would be interesting to taste mochi with cereal-milk flavored ice cream in the middle. David Chang was in a jubilant mood that day. Things did go well. I thought more seats would have been a good thing as I saw some people just camped out on the floor eating. But the weather was glorious and it was a great experience. Mon Apr 27 12:14:11 -0700 2009 4626987 10763 Miss Needle 2 4633114 I was there as well. I wasn't expecting much and prepared myself for disappointment - figuring the street set-up would be a logistical nightmare. I was so wrong. Very organized, very friendly and professional. My guest and I both went with "dealers choice" and both received the lobster. It was amazing. I couldn't believe how much lobster was on the plate. I believe it was an entire lobster. My guest and I both had 2 claws and what looked to be two halves of a tail perfectly cooked. The poached egg threw us off, but it worked really well and I swear there was something to that egg...magic sprinkled on it or something. The pork bun was my favorite part of my meal. Sweet, tender, succulent... amazing. We were there during the soft-serve machine malfunction, so didn't try the donut dessert. I will say this...I cannot wait to get another one (or 3) of those pork buns. We heard people chatting and saying you can get them togo at Momofuku. Is that true?! Anyhow, it was such a great day and an impressive lunch. The seating was minimal, but we just took ours to the park on Spring and Mott. I am now a full fledged Chang believer. Perfect! Mon Apr 27 12:52:24 -0700 2009 4632995 74397 malibu 3 4633174 "there was something to that egg...magic sprinkled on it or something" Probably MSG -- Chang is really known for using it. I was so thirsty for the rest of the day and night after lunch, and drinking all the water in the world didn't quench my thirst. Oh, lucky you that you got the lobster. And you can definitely get those pork buns to go. They are on the expensive side -- about $9 or so for two pieces. If you get the pork bun with the poached egg, it's about $9 for one piece -- but they're larger than the regular pork bun. Or you can make them yourself. Super easy to do and tastes just like Momofuku's -- except it's less expensive. http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/543857?tag=search_results;results_list Mon Apr 27 13:05:12 -0700 2009 4633114 10763 Miss Needle 4 4633328 Thanks so much for the above tips Miss N. Mon Apr 27 13:45:08 -0700 2009 4633174 74397 malibu 4 4633406 I was so curious to know other peoples' experiences, I'm glad you both posted. Maybe the magic was bacon - it was sprinkled on the lobster (but not on my mom's). The lobster was delicious and generous, but I found it a little more mild (and less interesting) than my foie gras lunch. Don't have too many regrets about your free lunch, the foie/duck special was one of the best meals I've ever had. And I loved the "dealers choice" aspect of having the chef order for me, I may not have sprung for those dishes myself at the restaurant. Ko is always a great temptation but a little high for my budget, so this meal was really a special treat. I had the same all-day thirst, but we were outside eating a salty meal in the blazing sun. We managed to snag a couple of seats. When you're traveling with a septugenarian folks are pretty helpful. Did anyone try the lamb? I went as far as sharing my rillettes with my neighbor in hopes of trying his, but no dice, he didn't offer a taste. I was shocked that more people weren't sharing with strangers, but I tried... Mon Apr 27 14:04:27 -0700 2009 4633174 132418 hungrycomposer 5 4636316 I got the lamb. Was definitely disappointed, as the foie gras and lobster and rillettes my neighbors had made my souvlaki look sad. It was absolutely delicious, though -- lightly gamy, crusty, really tasty. But it was still just a pile of lamb. It came with beets that my companion absolutely loved. Meanwhile, as for the contest. . . . I don't want to complain (since I obviously won) but it didn't quite follow the rules. The questions were supposed to change every day, as I recall, yet they didn't change at all. I entered for quite a few days at exactly 11 o'clock -- hitting SUBMIT within forty seconds -- and LOST. Finally I figured out how to speed up my time using key codes and tabs and won by getting my entry in by 11:00.20. Anyway, was a terrific afternoon, and much thanks to all involved. This was a great promotion that'll leave me singing the praises of NBC New York Locals Only and Mr. Chang for many months to come. Tue Apr 28 12:10:36 -0700 2009 4633406 286933 RomanHans 6 4636874 I don't know how I managed to win, to be honest. My connection is not especially fast and my computer is showing its age. I never actually got the contest page until 11:06 or so, but I won on Easter Sunday. Maybe it was the perfect time for a trayf-loving Jewish gal, while the other porkaholics were all in church! Tue Apr 28 14:35:31 -0700 2009 4636316 132418 hungrycomposer 4 4635499 To my knowledge (limited) MSG has NO effect on improving the flavor of eggs. Tue Apr 28 08:34:06 -0700 2009 4633174 90313 Stuartmc910 5 4635505 I use MSG in my scrambled eggs and IMO the flavor is greatly improved. Tue Apr 28 08:36:53 -0700 2009 4635499 10195 KTinNYC 4 4637241 MIss Needle: Did you make the buns or did you buy them in Chinatown? I'm going to make these buns this weekend. If you bought them, can you recommend a good bakery? I'm in uncharted waters here. Thanks! Tue Apr 28 16:40:14 -0700 2009 4633174 74397 malibu 5 4637452 See this thread here: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/480922?tag=highlight-3703101;post-content-3703101#3703101 Tue Apr 28 18:08:17 -0700 2009 4637241 10936 kathryn 6 4637644 Excellent! Thank you Kathryn Tue Apr 28 19:18:16 -0700 2009 4637452 74397 malibu 1 4635581 I am so jealous-I hate all of you. I tried to win and missed. The questions were so ridiculously easy with multiple choice no less. How about a real food trivia challenge where you need some knowledge to win rather than a faster internet connection???!!!! Tue Apr 28 09:03:31 -0700 2009 4626987 10173 guttergourmet 1 4636978 i had the duck plate. the rillette and foie gras were out of this world. i wish i could drink the sauce that the ramps/foie were in. my first time ever having rillette - reminded me of a duck candle. probably the highest caloric intake ever had at lunch for me. Tue Apr 28 15:00:14 -0700 2009 4626987 16801 subinai