When DC shut down the original location of the Ssam Bar and merged it into Waymo in the Seaport, something I had loved was gone. From this NY Times article it seems that his focus is no longer running restaurants but building a brand.
It’s sad. I loved his restaurants. The food, the music, the enthusiastic line of people waiting in the cold for a table when there were no reservations, the bar DC opened to take advantage of all those thirsty people waiting who used to go across the street. Until Nishi that is. The original places in the East Village were so much fun. When the outpost of Noodle Bar opened in the TWC, I first felt the change in culture coming. I don’t recall how many of the Bo Ssam group dinners I have had. But they were all fun affairs with a crowd digging into that giant hunk of glistening pork. I think I will miss the pork bun most of all.
I went to the original Noodle Bar soon after it opened. I had pretty much the only thing available to me - vegetarian ramen. I didn’t think the ramen was better than my other favorites (Minca, Dosanko, Naruto), just a lot more expensive. At that time, Chang was quite outspoken about not giving a damn about people who didn’t eat pork, and he threw it all over everything. So I had no reason to save my pennies for a trip to Ko. I went to Ma Peche once because it was my idea, and several other times because it was someone else’s. I would’ve stopped after that first visit, because it simply wasn’t that good.
TL;dr Not too broken up about all this. I think the best thing Chang’s done is Mind of a Chef.
Yeah, if you didn’t eat meat the Momofuku restaurants were not a place to go. I recall going to Ma Peche for the beef 7 ways dinner. That was outstanding. Agree that ramen wasn’t worth it but there were so many better things to eat.
I’m glad some people got joy out of it. His attitude toward people like me was quite off-putting to people like me, though, so I have a not-zero amount of schadenfreude that he’s no longer Mr. Famous Enfant Terrible Chef Guy.
I thought the ramen at Noodle bar was ironically its weakest offering, still is. The buns were always good (and started the ensuing obsession, even though ippudo’s buns are on par and they also have both veg buns and a dynamite veg ramen). Large format meals were probably where they excelled. The duck was the best of those imo (though I recommended the brisket to friends for thanksgiving last year and every component was on point).
Ko was wonderful when it started, but I don’t know how long that lasted. I think his ambition and creativity are always in the quest for what’s next, which isn’t the best for what’s already out there. Ma peche was always the weak link; food was well-prepared, but nothing more. Paul was lovely at the counter (for the chefs menu a la Ko), but on the heels of Ko the food just didn’t do much for me.
The newer Noodle Bar at col circle has been surprisingly good so far — they preserved a few things from Nishi and elsewhere, and I haven’t eaten any duds really; they have a lovely dover sole though isn’t always on, and there are a lot more veg options these days. I wonder how long it will stay open given the nyc restaurant strategy seems to be shut everything down.
Yes, the pork bun is my favorite. I’ve made the Momofuku Bo SSam recipe many times at home, and it’s really, really good. But it doesn’t compare to the restaurant experience.
I think the pandemic expedited a lot of things including the end of Momofuku. Closing Nishi, Kawi, and moving Ssam Bar to the Seaport was game over for me. There are just leftovers now. Never cared for the menu or Ramen at Noodle Bar. I thought Nishi, especially under Josh Pinsky, and Kawi were brilliant.
I had some amazing meals at Ma Peche before it became a dim sum (?) spot, especially the creative twists of his raw fish and cheese dishes. And they helped me plan and host a major birthday dinner at Momofuku Ko that remains a very special memory for me. The care and welcome (as well as extraordinary food and wine) was personal and pretty wonderful for me and my guests. I would hope that he gets some help along the way because nothing in the creative realm makes up for the real pain he has caused.
