Location: Momofuku Ssäm Bar on 2nd Ave at 13th (momofuku.com)
Edibles: steamed pork belly buns; blackened bluefish sandwich; spicy pork sausage and rice cakes; tilefish with chai masala, squash curry and pumpkin seeds; amberjack with pearl barley, smoked marrow and chestnut
Musings: First, the good stuff. As before, the pork buns were magnificent (and not so fatty this time). The bluefish sandwich was another standout. Crispy, plump fillets of fish, creamy sauce, and a nice soft bread that didn't cause the all the fillings to squirt out when you bite into it. I hope they keep this on their menu - I liked it a lot.
The fish was likewise fresh and well-cooked in the two other dishes we ordered.
The Cons: The sides on both fish mains were terrible. Strange flavors, poorly matched to the protein, and parsimoniously portioned. At $27 and $23, I expected better and more. By comparison, the bluefish sandwich is a steal at $14.
The rice cakes I thought were too spicy and Ingrid thought were too salty. Which was a pity since it was the biggest plate of all the things we ordered. We had tons left over.
We considered but decided against ordering the clam chowder raviolo when we discovered that the $15 dish consisted of a single raviolo. Highway robbery! This, I think is the major failing of Momofuku - it's kind of overpriced. (Though it hasn't stopped my fellow New Yorkers from keeping this place packed day in and day out.)
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