Momofuku Late Night Dinner Series: The Publican at Momofuku Ssam Bar (food)

One of my favorite meals of all time was when Pascal Barbot of L'Astrance did a guest stint at Momofuku Ko some years ago, so I was very excited to try another Momofuku-hosted chef guest stint. Last Tuesday night was the second in Momofuku's late night dinner series, and featured the chef de cuisine and crew of the Publican, the flagship of a mini-empire of restaurants in Chicago with a keen focus on sustainable ingredient sourcing (EDIT: The flagship of the One Off Hospitality Group is actually Blackbird, their fine dining restaurant). Dinner began at 11pm, the first of the two seatings that night (the other one started right after at 1am).

Tables were put together into one long communal table that stretched the distance of the restaurant from the door to the kitchen.

Since this was a unique event, I'll start with my general thoughts on the whole experience. Even though diners sat at one communal table, there wasn't much interaction and people seemed to keep to their own groups. This wasn't like a supper club where you meet and chat with other foodies. Also, it was loud. While this might be the normal decibel level at Momofuku Ssam on a busy night, it was definitely noticeable if you aren't especially used to it. Service was ok, but the whole setup did not seem like something they had taken a lot of time to prepare for. I had some leftovers boxed up, but at the end of the night they had a mix-up and gave me someone else's box instead.

Almost none of that mattered because of how great the food was. My friends who'd been to the Publican had nothing but good things to say about it, and this meal definitely lived up to that hype. While I wouldn't say any of their cooking methods or flavor combinations were very novel, the quality of the ingredients definitely shown through, especially the charcuterie which was mind-blowing at times. Based on this meal, which I guess was quite representative of the food at the Publican, I would highly recommend eating there.

LAMBIC DOUX
The meal came with extremely well thought out beverage pairings. The sour notes of the lambic were very evident at first, and made perfect sense once the charcuterie plate arrived.


CHARCUTERIE - from Publican Quality Meats, Chicago, Illinois
PQM prosciutto, salam d'al duja, spicy coppa, blood mortadella, pork pie, prune pate, snail boudin, and morteau sausage
I've always liked charcuterie but never craved it, but this whole plate was amazing. A great variety of textures and deep flavors that expanded in the mouth. Literally everything was great, but the one thing that I could just keep on eating was the blood mortadella, while I would have preferred the dough on the pork pie to have been thinner.

GOOSE ISLAND BEER CO., CLASS OF '88
Celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Goose Island Beer Company, this beer had an awesome finish and strong aftertaste. It's not for everyone, but I loved it.

HEIRLOOM TOMATOES - from Eckerton Hill Farms, Hamburg, Pennsylvania
Howard's miracle plum, buttermilk, poppy seed, and watercress
The buttermilk and poppy seed combination is one that fans of Momofuku know well. Although I'm personally not enthralled by this combination, it worked well here. The chef made a point to notice the plum, which has an extremely short harvesting season. It was good with the rest of the salad, but I don't eat enough plums to be able to comment on how it compares to others.

SPANISH MACKEREL - from Charleston, South Carolina
Piri piri and chimichurri
I don't recall having had chimichurri with fish before, but it made perfect sense with such a meaty and oily fish. The addition of pine nuts was also nice, and overall this was just a delicious dish, the type that will pretty much satisfy anyone.

SUMMER SQUASH - from Blooming Hill Farm, Monroe, New York
Harissa, feta, fried quinoa, and sunflower seed
This was a nice dish but not as exciting as the other stuff we'd had up to that point. I found the progression of the dishes interesting, because it wasn't a steady move from light to heavy. It was more that many of the dishes were heavy in general, and a salad would be thrown in between heavy dishes to cleanse the palate a bit.

GRILLED SQUID - from F/V Teresa Ann, Monterey Bay, California
Blood sausage, new potato, shishito, and caramelized aioli
Even though I have no problems eating Chinese blood pudding, I don't particularly enjoy morcilla. But the blood sausage here was (I shouldn't have been surprised at this point) amazing. Solid texture and chew without any extraneous fillers or herbs. It was a well composed dish, but to me the blood sausage was the star of the show.

VIRTUE CIDER, THE LEDBURY
Another tart drink which proved necessary when the final course showed itself.


HAM CHOP "IN HAY" - from Heritage Foods USA, Trimble, Missouri
Corn, cranberry bean, and sorrel
BARBEQUE[sic] CARROTS - from Phillips Farms, Milford, New Jersey
Dill and pecan
Simple, well done, and delicious. From the looks of it, it was unclear how the slabs of pork belly would taste, but as soon as it hit the taste buds, the comforting taste of smoked ham was the first thing that came to mind. The carrots were a good accompaniment, although I would have preferred them less crunchy.


BRAISED CHERRIES - from Red Jacket Orchards, Geneva, New York
Anna's sour cream coffee cake, creme legere
"KYLE'S AFTER PORK" DIGESTIF
Staying with the overall theme of the menu, the dessert was a simple, yet substantial and delicious cake. The digestif tasted like Chinese herbal medicine, one of those things that you drink only because someone tells you it's good for you. I'm used to it but it certainly wasn't for everyone.

Overall, I would highly recommend trying the next one. I have plenty of faith that the quality of invitees will continue to be stellar, and the food easily made up for the shortcomings in the dining experience that weren't to my liking. At $123 all-in including tax, service, and beverage pairing, it was a very good value even discounting the hour at which we had to eat. There's no guarantee that the next dinner in the series will feature comparable quality and quantity, but I'd be shocked if there was a big drop off.

The Publican
837 W Fulton Market
Chicago, IL 60607

Momofuku Ssam Bar
207 2nd Ave between 13th St & 12th St
Manhattan, NY 10003

Large Format Aged Prime Rib at the Breslin (food)

Large format meals at restaurants are a great and easy way for a big group to eat in NYC. There's no additional private dining charge, people know ahead of time what they're going to eat, and you can rest assured that the staff is experienced in dealing with a large group. In the case of the Breslin or Momofuku Ssam Bar, it also allows you to make a reservation at a restaurant that otherwise doesn't take them.

Some large format meals may be ambitious and kind of a spectacle, while some are just great family-style dinners. The prime rib meal at the Breslin belongs in the latter category, as it is primarily chef April Bloomfield's version of a Sunday roast.

MARKET VEGETABLE SALAD WITH CARROT, RADISH, FETA, AND HERB VINAIGRETTE
The meal started off with a delicious and satisfying salad. The flavors of the vegetables were clean and clear and not overpowered by the feta and vinaigrette. There was great skill on display as the vegetables were cut purposefully into sizes which enhanced the different textural contrasts and flavor combinations in each bite.

RIB OF BEEF
The main course is presented to us as it rests before being carved and served.


DRY AGED PRIME RIB OF BEEF WITH RED WINE SAUCE AND HORSERADISH CREAM
Everyone dig in! There were about 9 slices of prime rib each cut to about 1.5cm thick for the 7 of us (the meal is charged per person at an 8 person minimum), with a few very delicious bones served in a separate bowl. The steak was very tender, and while there wasn't an strong aged funk in the flavor of the meat, its presence was noticeable in the fat. The red wine sauce was nice, but I loved the horseradish cream, which was creamy and delicious, providing a nice kick that didn't overwhelm as horseradish often does.


BABY BEETS WITH GRATED HORSERADISH AND HERB VINAIGRETTE
ROASTED BROCCOLI WITH CALABRIAN CHILI AND ANCHOVY
Both vegetable sides were excellent. The beets were not too sweet, and the broccoli retained an excellent texture.

YORKSHIRE PUDDING
A staple of the British Sunday roast, this was delicious and perfect for mopping up all the sauces and meat juices.

CHOCOLATE MOUSE[sic] WITH STRAWBERRY AND PISTACHIO
I'm usually not a mousse fan, but I enjoyed this as it was very light and airy and the chocolate flavor was not too sweet.

The large format meals at the Breslin have now expanded to two availabilities per time slot, with the primary seating done at the large "chef's table" right in front of the open kitchen, as well as a set of tables put together upstairs. Overall, it was a delicious meal that I would recommend for large group get-togethers. However, it is still just a fancy Sunday roast, so for foodies looking for more than just a nice meal together, some of the Breslin's other large format choices might be better.

The Breslin (inside Ace Hotel)
20 W 29th St
Manhattan, NY 10001

Sushi Yasaka: Satisfying Pre-Theater/UWS Option (food)

I don't tend to find myself on the upper west side above 60th street for dinner too often. There aren't really many destination restaurants in the area, except for perhaps Lincoln. That's not to say there aren't good restaurants in the neighborhood, but as in the case of my visit to Red Farm, they don't tend to be much of a value proposition. So I usually just end up at Luke's Lobster or Shake Shack for a solid, inexpensive dinner.

I'd read good things about Sushi Yasaka before, noting good quality sushi and tempura at a reasonable price. In general, I have a strong aversion to neighborhood sushi restaurants, often finding them to be overpriced while serving generic salmon, tuna, yellowtail, and rolls. But since I was recently in the neighborhood anyway, I decided it was a good time to give them a try. I decided to go with their two signature menu items.


CHEF'S OMAKASE VEGETABLE TEMPURA ($18, 12 PIECES)
There was a good selection of vegetables, ranging from soft eggplant to crunchy lotus root to an interesting fried fig. Everything was fried well, with the flavor and texture of each of the underlying ingredients coming through. Accompanying the tempura was a selection of three flavored salts. The flavors were yuzu, green tea, and wasabi, and while they were quite delightful by themselves, they weren't really strong enough to assert themselves when sprinkled onto the pieces of tempura. There is a note on the menu about the seasonality of the vegetables and how they are fresh from the farm/market, but the percentage of root vegetables seemed a little high considering it was the middle of summer. It was a very enjoyable dish overall, and I guess the root vegetables helped to make it more filling.

OMAKASE SUSHI ($45, 12 PIECES + 1 ROLL)
While none of the fish was particularly exotic, there was good variety on offer, including an interesting piece of raw octopus tentacle. The seafood retained good texture and the rice was about on par with some of the slightly more expensive places in the city. Each piece came with its own non-traditional sauce, and was very reminiscent of Sushi of Gari. Some of these worked really spectacularly, such as a basil sauce on the king salmon, while none of the special sauces really felt out of place. Our uni, however, was so funky that it had a stink to it which was a bit off-putting. Luckily it didn't linger. The roll, which was half fatty tuna with scallion and half yellowtail with scallion, was pretty good. Although as is often the case when all the sushi is made at once, the seaweed was limp. Overall, there were definitely enough highlights to feel that this was more than just one of those neighborhood sushi spots that I try to avoid.

Speaking of Sushi of Gari, one of the Sushi Yasaka's main draws is the price. At the nearby Gari on Columbus, vegetable tempura costs $20 (although it comes with rice) while 8 pieces of Gari's signature sushi costs $52. I haven't been to any of the Gari branches in years, but I don't think Gari's sushi is superior enough to justify the price difference. In an area that I consider lacking in good restaurants that aren't overpriced, I'm happy to add Sushi Yasaka to my rotation of food options.

251 W 72nd St (West of Broadway)
Manhattan, 10023

Costata: The Underrated Michael White Restaurant that Covers All the Bases (food)

Chef Michael White is a well-known chef who, through the Altamarea Group, has seven restaurants in Manhattan. These restaurants are fairly wide in scope, ranging from his 2 Michelin Star flagship Italian seafood restaurant Marea, to his pizzeria Nicoletta, to his American supper club The Butterfly. My favorite of these is Costata, and while it is his steakhouse concept, I find that it combines some of my favorite things from his other restaurants as well. The majority of entree choices are various cuts of steak, but Costata also brings a great selection of crudo and pasta, comparable in quality to his more famous restaurant, Marea. And while the prices in general are on the high end, the portions are very large, giving off a sense of value much more like his rustic and casual Osteria Morini.

It's hard to call an expensive restaurant owned and operated by a well-known chef underrated, but it was relatively empty when we went on an early Friday evening. It could be because of the summer, although NYC restaurants may just be struggling in general, but the lack of customers may have contributed to us getting very friendly and attentive service.


FOCACCIA, WHIPPED LARDO
There are no dainty amuses here. This is a steakhouse and even the bread and dip sets the tone that it'll probably be a fairly heavy meal.

FLUKE CRUDO; STURGEON CAVIAR, GARLIC CHIPS, CREME FRAICHE ($21)
The composition of this crudo reminded me a lot of the marlin crudo at Marea, and this was just as excellent. I really enjoyed the relatively softer texture of the fluke here, as I often think of fluke as being too resistant when I bite into it.

SEA SCALLOP CRUDO; CELERY ROOT, BLACK TRUFFLE VINAIGRETTE ($23)
The truffle smell is evident as soon as the dish hits the table. Classic flavor combinations, and just so good with the sweet scallop. It's a pretty impressive plate in terms of portion, and felt like great value.

MARE; WARM SALAD OF OCTOPUS, SHRIMP, SCALLOPS, TOMATO CONFIT, FENNEL, OLIVES ($21)
This was perfectly executed, with great texture from the well cooked seafood highlighting the delicious marriage of simple flavors. At a comparable price point, I find this much superior to more common steakhouse seafood starter staples such as shrimp cocktail or crab cakes.


ROMAINE CACIO E PEPE; ANCHOVIES, AGED PARMIGIANO, CRISPY CAPERS ($17)
INSALATA VERDE; HARICOTS VERTS, PICKED HERBS, RICOTTA, LEMON ($15)
Two of my friends ordered salads and enjoyed them very much, while I was more surprised once again at the generous portion sizes.


CAULIFLOWER; LEEK PESTO
CRISPY RED BLISS POTATOES; GARLIC, ROSEMARY, CHILI FLAKES
HEN OF THE WOODS; PARSLEY BUTTER
ARTICHOKES ALLA GUIDEA; LEMON, PARSLEY (vegetable sides $10 each)
All the vegetables were excellent, but my favorites were the very addictive fried artichokes and the nice crackly crispiness of the red bliss potatoes. I thought they provided better texture contrasts to steaks than mashed potatoes or fries.

ASPARAGUS (NO LONGER ON MENU, SEASONAL) ($10)

FILET OF BEEF 10oz ($47)
If you happen to have a friend who likes a well done filet of beef, they do a perfectly cooked version.


FIORENTINA; PORTERHOUSE 40oz ($122)
All the steaks at Costata are aged a minimum of 40 days, and the minerally tang definitely comes through. The porterhouse had excellent flavor on both sides, and I really liked the small touches with the grilled lemon and bouquet of herbs.


AFFOGATO; ESPRESSO, RAMAZOTTI AMARO, FIOR DI LATTE GELATO ($10)
A tasty affogato, but I still prefer the one at Marea.

While Marea and Ai Fiore are probably the most ambitious of his restaurants, I find that I am more likely to recommend Costata to people over them. The food is delicious and well executed, the portions considerable, and while there may not be as many super highs, there's also a much much lower chance of a miss. It's also a great restaurant for many eaters with different preferences to dine together, as you can make a wide range of great meals from salad and steak to pasta and crudo or even just a combined selection of excellent vegetable side dishes.

206 Spring St
Manhattan, NY 10012

Bonus pictures from a previous visit shortly after they opened:

AGED FATTY TUNA CRUDO; LEMON, OLIVE OIL, SEA SALT ($14 per piece)
The current menu no longer lists it as aged.

RED PRAWN CRUDO; LEMON, OLIVE OIL, PRAWN SUGO ($17 per piece)

SEA SCALLOP CRUDO
The scallop slices seemed thicker back when they first opened compared to my most recent visit.

GARGANELLI; ALLA FIAMMA, CON PROSCIUTTO, PEAS, TRUFFLE CREAM ($21)
The original Michael White signature pasta. The pasta itself was great as expected, but I think some of the other flavor combinations on the current menu sound even better.

COSTATA, TOMAHAWK RIBEYE 44oz ($126)
The namesake steak was also excellent, and to me it's really a matter of personal preference (for cut) which steak to choose.

Bouley Lunch Tasting Menu: Best Fine Dining Deal in NYC (food)

It may not be the best fine dining meal in New York City, but the lunch tasting menu at Bouley is definitely the best fine dining deal. I hadn't done the lunch at Bouley since my last visit almost five years ago. I had a disappointing meal then, but I believe that Bouley's restaurants have improved across the board since he came back and retooled his mini-empire, opening Brushstroke and other concepts. In those five years, the lunch deal at Eleven Madison Park has gone from $28 for 2 courses to $54 for 3 courses to being non existent, the lunch deal at Jean Georges has gone from $28 to $38 to $48 for 2 courses, while the lunch deal at Del Posto has gone from $29 to $39 for 3 courses. The 5 course lunch tasting at Bouley, however, has only gone from $48 to $55, while the whole experience has improved since that last disappointing meal there.

Atmosphere: Bouley pretty much looks the same as it always has, giving off a rustic, old school countryside vibe. It's a nice oasis away from the hustle and bustle of NYC, but sometimes it can feel cluttered and clunky.

Service: Service has gone from disappointing to passable, although water refills were still scarce. Don't expect to get much in the way of answers regarding the food. There appears to be a staff tier structure, but if so the captains never asserted themselves. I honestly can't imagine how they would be able handle a full dining room for lunch with the staff they had.

Food: The online menu was representative of the available menu at the restaurant, with at least two options for each course.


AMUSES: LOBSTER WITH FRUIT FOAM, CRACKER WITH TRUFFLE AND KUDZU
I don't remember exactly, but I think the fruit espuma was either blood orange or strawberry. There was also some grain and chia seeds which provided a nice balance of texture, but the overall flavor was one-note of sweetness. The truffled cracker, on the other hand, was extraordinary, with a depth of truffle flavor and a wonderful balance of textures with the crisp toastiness of the cracker and the soft and sticky kudzu starch.


BREAD AND BUTTER
The meal structure felt a bit weird in that they served bread and butter with the first course, but independent of the big bread cart which comes later.


BIG EYE TUNA; GREEN APPLE, BERGAMOT, OSETRA CAVIAR
Both my friend and I chose the tuna for our first course, which was also our server's recommendation. None of the flavor combinations were particularly novel, and I was expecting a stronger smell from the bergamot, especially with the domed presentation. It was a good starter though, as the fish was fresh and there was a sizeable amount of caviar. I wish the fish was seasoned more as a whole, as the dish fell victim to the chef relying solely on the caviar to provide saltiness, a very common occurrence these days.


PORCINI FLAN; DUNGENESS CRAB, TRUFFLE DASHI
FORAGER'S TREASURE; WILD MUSHROOMS, SWEET GARLIC, GRILLED TORO, SPECIAL SPICES AND TRUFFLE DRESSING
The porcini flan is a Bouley signature although I'm not a big fan of it. I had the forager's treasure, which sounded amazing. Overall it was wonderful, with earthy mushrooms and luscious fatty toro. The only thing that seemed out of place was that it was a little too sweet (I vaguely remember hints of either honey or coconut), although I couldn't tell whether it was from the sweet garlic, spices, or dressing. I would have preferred it if they had just focused on the rich earthiness of the ingredients.


BREAD CART
An impressive bread cart featuring over 11 different kinds of bread. Some were more traditional (sourdough) while others were chock-full of healthy nuts and grains. I tried a few, and they were all quite good, so I would just suggest being adventurous and going with whichever ingredient base sounds good to you.


SLOW BRAISED KOBE STYLE BEEF CHEEKS; BLUE KALE GNOCCHI
I've never really considered "Kobe-style" beef to be a particularly premium ingredient, but I would imagine putting those words there might help get ladies who lunch to order beef cheeks. Regardless of the provenance of the beef, this was just an absolutely delicious, sizeable mound of rustic, flavorful, tender braised beef and pasta.


ORGANIC LONG ISLAND DUCK; ORGANIC GOLDEN NEVADA DATES, HAND MILLED POLENTA


CHILLED COCONUT SOUP; PINEAPPLE GRANITE, EXOTIC FRUIT SORBET, AMARETTO ICE CREAM
TRISTAR STRAWBERRIES; AMARETTO ICE CREAM
Simple and delicious combinations of flavors, without being overly sweet.

HOT VALRHONA CHOCOLATE SOUFFLE; WHITE COFFEE CLOUD, COFFEE ICE CREAM, CHOCOLATE MOUSSE
A classic decadent, comforting dessert that reminds you that you've just had a luxurious and rich lunch.

PETIT FOURS

This is fine dining in its classical form, with rich entrees and desserts, generous amounts of luxury ingredients, and an overabundance of choices highlighted by the overindulgent bread cart. Just a tremendous value at $55+t/t. If you have the time to take in this lunch, I highly recommend this (barely a) splurge. However, I felt that the execution and service weren't at a level where I would rush to come back for dinner, when the prices get a huge jump.

163 Duane St (Tribeca)
Manhattan, NY 10013