momofuku

It's not uncommon on any given day or week for David Chang and/or his Momofuku restaurants to be plastered all over media outlets, dominating news coverage. And for good reason. But this past week I noticed much more than usual. On the eve of the release of the Momofuku cookbook (Oct 27th), Chang was everywhere. From the daily autographed cookbook giveaways on eater.com, to an article in November's Vogue about the new Momofuku location in Midtown. (Which among other things divulged the name of that location, Ma Peche.) But the Momofuku trend continued into my personal life as well. First, I stopped into Ssam Bar last weekend and enjoyed an incredible meal. 

Santa Monica Uni, Whipped Tofu and Beet Tapioca. Long Island Crescent Duck, Lobster Mushrooms, Daikon and Orange.As I said before, all the attention is for good reason. Chang's restaurants (Ssam and Noodle Bar that is, I've never been to Ko) are that perfect balance between, upscale, yet comfortable. Challenging, yet accessible. Fun, and at the same time serious. Clearly, many agree which explains his omni-presence. While I'm sure Chang is enjoying his success, he has a surprisingly honest, self deprecating sense of humor about it. In an article written for the New Yorker when Ko was about to open, Chang said “I feel like I didn’t deserve any of this,” he says. I’m still so insecure, I feel like I’m Forrest Gump—I’m mildly retarded, and people are, like, ‘Look how far this guy has come!" or there was his appearance alongside Anthony Bourdain at an event called "I Call Bullshit," he joked about the hype that has been bestowed upon him. "Now that is bullshit."

While Chang does have his detractors and his tiffs, most enjoy what he is doing, even if we wouldn't mind going a day or two without reading about him. The most recent venture, Momofuku Milk Bar, was my next stop. Milk Bar, serves not only as a bakery, take-out, dessert temple, it also doubles as a make shift waiting area for Ssam Bar. The mastermind of Milk Bar is Christina Toci, who handles all the desserts for the restaurants. Below is Toci's Dulce de Leche cake. I have never had much of a sweet tooth, but this cake was just beyond ridiculous. Milk bar serves soft serve ice cream in flavors like fruit cobbler, caramel apple and the much talked about cereal milk. And also a variation on a Momofuku staple, the roast port bun. Except this version is served with a deep fried soft poached egg. Yep that's right, a deep fried soft poached egg. Mouth watering? Mine too.

  I've been lucky enough to have had a copy of the Momofuku cookbook, written by Chang and Peter Meehan, for a few months now. I can tell you that it is without question one of the best books I have. The stories, insights, recipe and technique introductions by Wylie Dufresne and Dave Arnold (FCI's Director of Culinary Technology), photos and of course the recipes are exceptional. It makes it more than just a book of recipes here, there is story. And believe me, its a story you'll want to read.