Filed under: asian, columbus circle, french, japanese, restaurant week, sushi, upper west side
As restaurant week drew to a close, most of us were left 5lbs heavier and hundreds of dollars poorer. In my particular case, my first excursion left me with an empty, hollow feeling (see previous, Perry Street post) though, ironically, still up a pants size. Would I abandon restaurant week forever? Was it only meant for the honky-tonk tourists who pronounce hors d’oeuvres as “WHORES DORVES”? As my eyes welled with tears, I decided restaurant week couldn’t go down without a fight. It was time to bring this funky track back!
To really score during restaurant week, your best bet is to tell your boss to shove it for 2 hours and head to one of the lunch options. For a mere $24.08, you get 3 courses and a larger array of restaurants to choose from (the lunch collection composed of some of the better restaurants in the city). First stop: Asiate. I jetted across town into the chaos that is midtown at midday, and headed to this calming oasis tucked away in the mind-blowing Mandarin Oriental.
My dining companion (one of the wounded from the Perry Street massacre) and I were promptly escorted to our seats. My eyes were immediately drawn to the floor-to-ceiling windows that offered up some of the most spectacular views NYC has to offer. Minus the homeless man begging for change at the 59th street entrance to Central Park, the whirlwind of taxis circling Columbus Circle and the masses of smiling passersby made me remember how great it was to be alive (read: how great it was to be up on the 35th floor scoffing at the poor souls freezing their butts off down below…pish posh).
The room was packed to the gills with young finance-types and a few ladies-who-lunch, all with the glimmer of hope in their eyes that Asiate would salvage the entire franchise of restaurant week. Unlike the puny choices most of the restaurants offer, Asiate displayed the majority of their lunch menu for the special prix-fixe. Knowing full well that I’d be a little tipsy upon my return to the office, we still opted for a (half) bottle of a Sancerre. The wait staff, pearly whites a-shining, were both polite and attentive.
Hoping our preliminary courses would hit this out of the park, the first batter up was a crab tagliatelle with sundried tomato pesto. The pasta was fresh, obviously homemade. I would have liked to see a little more spice but overall it was, as my mother loves to say, “nice”. The second choice, a butternut squash risotto laced with cardamom, raddichio, fresh herbs and diced squash nibblets , was exactly what one dreams a risotto should be – creamy yet light not gooey and gloppy. My partner declared this to be the dish-du-jour.
Fresh petite baguettes were promptly replenished as our next course arrived tout-de-suite. In anticipation of another restaurant week dinner set for that evening, I opted for one of the lighter options on the menu – a miso glazed arctic char paired with spaetzle and dried cranberries. The spaetzle was the shizzle! Delicate yet slightly chewy, this pasta-like side was intensified by the slightly sour kick of the cranberries. The arctic char was lovely though I would’ve liked to see a tad more of the glaze. I urged my dining partner to go with the braised short ribs which he happily agreed to. In my experience, you can never go wrong with a good short rib and this was no exception. Tender meat accentuated by brussel sprouts, pearl onions and cubes of bacon (yes I said bacon!). Not a leftover morsel in sight we loosened our belts and prepped for round 3.
I would join CA (chocoholics anonymous) if I could – overindulging in any variety of it is my vice. Our faces filled with glee, we sipped our double espresso and cappuccino (which totalled $16 of the bill…YIKES!) as we awaited the only chocolate option available, a mousse. Though I find it to be the most boring confection around, I figured worst comes to worst, I’d skip dessert (and the extra pound or two). Peanut-butter sugar cubes and a delectable chocolate sponge cake lay beneath the generous mound o’mousse that was almost fudge-like in consistency and chocolicious…t-t-t-tasty, tasty! My friend held me back before I could ask for a gallon sized carton of it to-go.
Asiate had single-handedly resuscitated the restaurant week that had nearly been laid to rest. In its efforts, it had also gained a new fan, one that vowed to return…ideally with mom and pop footing the (non-restaurant week) bill!
~ciao chow for now~
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ASIATE
80 Columbus Circle [Mandarin Oriental] / ph: 212.805.8881
There are few things to be grateful for when it comes to New York real estate – astronomical rents, miniscule square footage and more times than not, the putrid stench of the newest homeless man that has decided to squat in my “frontyard”. Yet once in a blue moon or a lucky peach [momofuku's english translation], you take a stroll around your neighborhood and stumble upon one of the city’s soon-to-be legendary dining destinations.
There’s been multiple-stars awarded, a James Beard bestowed and endless magazine chatter surrounding David Chang and his Momofuku empire, that has sprung up in Manhattan’s east village. Can’t believe the hype? One taste. That’s all I ask…just one taste and you’ll be a Momofuku-lover (not to be confused with harajuku lovers of Gwen Stefani fame). I digress. Although Momofuku Noodle Bar was Chang’s only child for quite some time (when it moved 1 block north, Chang replaced it with the newly opened Momofuku Ko), Momofuku Ssam Bar has to be the overachieving superstar of the brood. Small in stature, sleek in style and warm in its welcome (similarly to how I envision Chang himself to be), the Ssam Bar retains a certain sincerity that is seldom found in the culinary culture of New York.
The influx of asian dining temples has proved underwhelming at best. Besides what I consider the jewels of this recent invasion, Buddakan and Morimoto, only Chang is able to capture his ancestral land’s cuisine in its purest of forms. Momofuku Ssam Bar is founded mainly on Korean street food. The use of natural ingredients and simple presentation create strong & flavorful dishes that, unlike lowbrow Asian cuisine, do not overwhelm the palate but rather, tickle the tongue. It’s this cleverly orchestrated dance of color, texture and spice that makes Chang’s food so incredibly comforting…without leaving you with an overwhelming feeling of guilt for having skipped out on the gym for the last 2 weeks.
Similar to Buddakan, the dishes are meant to be shared. The portions cover a two person share-fest best and each plate complements the next. No matter what order the kitchen doles out your choices, the suave, hipster servers keep this delectable dance moving in perfect time, while bouncing to the indie rock soundtrack being piped in overhead. If I’m to make an ideal meal (which I attempt to redefine with every visit to the Ssam Bar), my Necessary Nibbles would be:
+ steamed buns (juicy and tender pork belly complemented by the pillow-like bun and layered with hoisin sauce, cucumbers and scallions)
+ hangar steak ssam (the meat is seasoned & cooked to perfection at medium rare, and paired with lettuce “wraps” and kimchi…mmmmm!)
+ banh mi (crispy ciabatta bread with sumptuous veal, chicken liver and ham terrines topped with a smorgasboard of veggies)
+ grilled veal sweetbreads (there is an art to grilling and that art comes to life in these babies – if you’ve put off trying sweetbreads in the past, here is your chance to experience them at their best)
+ raw oysters or the squid and shrimp stew (most of us will be “meated out” at this point. As such, I’d opt for either of these. The stew is very reminiscent of Thai curries – a little sweet, a little spicy, a lot of satisfaction)
FYI: it’s first come, first served so don’t think you’re going to be crafty and nab my spot on the reservation list SUCKA!
~ ciao chow for now ~
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MOMOFUKU SSAM BAR
207 Second Avenue @ 13th Street / ph: 212.254.3500
