Momofuku Part Two

My luck struck again a couple of weeks ago when I was perusing the Momofuku online reservations. This time I was searching for a Bo Ssam reservation at the mid level Chang restaurant - Momofuku Ssam Bar. It's his famous pork dinner reservation that is a little easier to come by than the fried chicken and just as amazing. A green check was actually there and a 10pm reservation was made for last night. Yes I know, a 10pm reservation on a Monday night, but you do what you have to do for good food.

Me and my fellow foodie friends arrived and were seated in the back table closest to the kitchen. Even though we were about to consume a huge amount of pork, we still ordered 3 orders of the pork buns because they are too good to pass up. Then the main event came. At either side of the table huge bowls of bibb lettuce, 4 sauces and bowls of rice were placed. The same ginger scallion sauce was there from the fried chicken, a ssam jiang (bbqish sauce), a kimchi hot sauce and one other one that I don't remember. Then a plate of oysters were set down and then the pork shoulder. Only pictures can do this justice, so I won't even try and I actually took a lot this time!

Here's how you eat the pork shoulder correctly -- you make a bo (wrap) like this:

First you take a piece of the bibb lettuce and add rice. Then you add your oyster and pieces of the pork. It was so soft and tender that it literally fell into the tongs. Our waiter suggested that when you first try it it shouldn't be with any sauce to really get all the flavors.

Examples of how to eat a bo ssam correctly are below (thank you to my model Jordan):

I liked my wrap with either the momofuku hot sauce or the ginger scallion sauce or no sauce at all. The first one I made, I followed all the instructions but I have to admit that I don't like oysters. I thought I would give them one more try and I did, but it ruined the pork for me so that was the end of that.

After giving it all we had, we couldn't finish the shoulder. I think the rice fills you up too fast and maybe we shouldn't have had a pork bun each before we started our feast. A thought for next time is serving the buns with the lettuce so people can make their own with the shoulder and sauces.

We saved a little room for the crack pie that's been all the rage lately from the Milk Bar next door. It could use a little chocolate in it but otherwise it tasted like a sugar cookie in pie form. Not my favorite dessert and there were other pies at Milk Bar that looked so much better. We have a cornflake marshmallow cookie on our kitchen counter right now that's being saved for Lindsey's boyfriend, but he shouldn't be surprised if it's half eaten by the time he tries it.

Momofuku did it again and eating at 10pm (my bedtime) was well worth it. Even if you think you don't eat pork, you will start after trying this one.