All stories about "Dave Chang"
Ladies and Gentlemen, The Ko Girls!
Last week two ladies whom we'll call the Ko Girls posted an ad on Craigslist calling for two gentlemen to join them at Momofuku Ko, where they'd secured the coveted and elusive four-top for an upcoming night (for this past Monday). Coupla cute girls, coupla cute boys, coupla orders of shaved foie gras, one Dave Chang—como se dice, magic!
Here now, straight from the Ko Girls, this is their story.
The Ko Girls Talk FOR. THE. FIRST. TIME. OMG. >>
Dispatch from Aspen: Someone Please Get Dave Chang His Mime
Last night, at Dave Chang & Friends' Whole Hog party at the Hickory House (presented by, make nice with the sponsors time, Food & Wine and Amex), the man finished his work in the kitchen around 11:30 PM, crashed into a chair in the Hickory House courtyard and queried, "Where is the fucking mime?" And then the mime that Dave insisted be on the dance card paid him a visit. This made Dave happy.
BruniBetting: Momofuku Ko
Tomorrow, Frank Bruni reviews Momofuku Ko, Big David Chang's 12-seat chef showcase in the East Village. Perhaps you've heard of it. Today, the Eater oddsmakers have set the action as follows:
Zero Stars: 15-1So there's Adam Platt's four-of-five and Ryan Sutton's three-of-four as the key data points in play. They're not going to influence Bruni's take at all, however, because his relationship with and love for the Momofukus is documented. Dude's a fan of the Changster. He would have given Momofuku Ssam three stars if they'd have just given him a damn cloth napkin and a seat cushion. Indeed, the assumed number of stars going in is three, based on Ssam's two-pack and Chang's reputation—you sweet commenters notwithstanding—of delivering on the hype. There is a very small chance that Ko will get four stars, but, really, there isn't. It doesn't qualify for that category for the same reason reason Ssam didn't get three: not enough formality, too many stools. The only question for today is, Did, at any point, things get so far off the rails that the Bruni was left with no choice but to spank the boys with a deuce? We've been three times (BURN, bitches) and found it, respectively, mind-blowing, spectacular and spectacular. Thus, we say three stars for Ko tomorrow, with certain obligatory notes made about how this is a three star restaurant of a different sort. BONUS HEDGE BET: The Times photographed the restaurant last Wednesday. Betting on Gael Greene and her boy toy, Tom, being in the photo pays 4-1.
One Star: 6-1
Two Stars: 3-1
Three Stars: EVEN √√
Four Stars: 12-1
· Momofuku Ko [NYT; after 8:00 PM]
√√ denotes the Eater bet.
When Good People Do Bad Things to Get Into Ko
Gael Greene bought her way into Momofuku Ko last night, but that's not where this gets interesting. It turns out we were at Ko last night, too (legit resy, secured online). So, let's play What If. What If...Gael Greene was the person who took Tom up on his offer of a seat at Ko in exchange for covering the tab. What if, despite sending it around to every blog in NY, Tom didn't get any takers initially and then canceled his resy. But, what if Gael then came calling at the last minute and Tom decided to pretend he still had the resy?
In they walk to Ko—rather, What if, in they walk to Ko, where they insist the system made a mistake (important admin note: the system doesn't make mistakes—anymore). What if, Gael still unrecognized, they do get seated and threw the whole machine into Defcon 5—Drew, chief of Momo Ops, showed up, Chang hurried to a secure bunker, etc.—and, worst of all, the poor couple who had snagged a last minute resy at Ko had to sit at a makeshift table up front. But, then, what if Gael and Tom's meal was comped. What if the house said: "If the confusion was our fault, please accept our apologies. If you tried to sneak your way into Ko, we don't want your money." [EaterWire]
Ko-BOOM Coda: Week One Fully Booked
2:15 PM
That's all, folks. See everyone back here tomorrow, 10 AM sharp!
· Ko-BOOM: Is Someone Attacking the Momo Server? [~E~]
· Ko-BOOM: 120 Minutes Later; Ko Server, Resies Intermittently Available [~E~]
· Ko-BOOM: The Resy Site is Live [~E~]
Ko-BOOM: 120 Minutes Later; Ko Server, Resies Intermittently Available
It's been two hours since the Momofuku Ko online reservations system went live. In these 120 minutes—that none of us are ever getting back—there have been incredible highs and crushing lows as some have scored week-one reservations and others have been pounding their browser refresh buttons only to meet with the kind of frustration usually associated with logging onto ticketmaster.com during an early morning ticket release.
Updates on the state of affairs at http://reservations.momofuku.com will continue throughout the day. For now, things remain extremely dicey. As confirmed by Ko officials, who have relocated to their situation room, located roughly 300 feet directly below Momofuku SSam Bar, there are still reservations available, but password protection and site access remains intermittent.
· Ko-BOOM: The Resy Site is Live [~E~]
Ko-BOOM: Ko Resy Site Is Live
Available 2-tops, 10:54 AM
Get your credit cards ready: the wait is over. The Momofuku Ko reservation site just went live at http://reservations.momofuku.com/. It subsequently crashed, but looks like the tech problems have been worked out. The site will open up tables for a week to the day every day at 10 a.m., so if you can't get in today, have those interns and assistants ready tomorrow morning. Place is closed on Tuesdays. [MomofukuWire]
UPDATE 10:08AM: The site is back up, but the CAPTCHA on the account creation screen isn't coming up. Office-wide meltdown in progress at Eater HQ.
UPDATE 10:10AM: Oh, the humanity: an eGulleteer has scored a precious 7:30PM reservation for March 14. Keep trying, people.
UPDATE 10:11AM: Official word: "The server is getting pounded."
UPDATE 10:23-24AM: Two Eater commenters have scored. As a public service, please do let us know what times and dates have been procured. Merci.
UPDATE 10:27AM: Uh oh. This is going to leave a mark. Per an Eater commenter, "if you put in your cc number and the server errors out before you complete the registration, it won't let you go back in and continue the registration. it says your cc has been used. wtf!?" Handy tip: early word is that any 15-digit number works to secure a RESY.
UPDATE 10:28 AM: Email from team Momofuku: "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
The complete liveblog insanity continues after the jump. >>The Momofuku Ko resy system will go live in the next 90 seconds. Kidding. We're told the system is still being tested and tweaked. It is now safe to get some lunch, walk the dog, what have you, as the site is not repeat is not going live in the next couple of hours. And...exhale. [MomoWire]
KO-BOOM: Online Resy System Sneak Peak!
Funny, with all this talk of Momofuku Ko and its friends and family week that is redefining the very notion of a VIP event, we've been thin on content related to Ko's Fort Knox-like system that gets civilians access to the joint. Chang has said the reservations system will be online only, completely democratic, with reservations offered exactly one week in advance and no more. But what of the effen URL for this thing and when does it go live? Those questions, friends, we cannot yet answer with a degree of specificity that will sate your anticipatory fury. But we know this (and this is all we know): The system will go live sometime between now and Saturday and we'll have that URL for you here as soon as it does. Furthermore, feast your eyes on this screen shot (and this one) of the test site, leaked to us today by a secret mole we have insid—ok, fine, that Chang sent over. It's glorious, no? And as for all these open slots, think of it like that moment just before tickets for the Rolling Stones at the Hammerstein went on sale. It'll never be this easy ever again.
· KO-BOOM: From the Desk of Dave Chang [~E~]
KO-BOOM: From the Desk of Dave Chang
You did get the email, right?
KO-BOOM: Night 2, A-Listers Everywhere
Just as riveting as Momofuku Ko food shots now starting to pop up in photostreams are the pictures of the people who got coveted invites to the friends and family preview. It's the A-list invite of the decade, people, and as you can see from night two, Gourmet editor-in-chief Ruth Reichl (first from the right) and Spotted Pig poobah Ken Friedman (third from the right) already stopped in. 10 points per VIP you can spot in this photo.
· Momofuku Ko Photoset [Kathryn Yu/Flickr]
Ruth Reichl is the first bona fide critic to file on Momofuku Ko, and she asserts this for VIPS and restaurant industry folks everywhere: "Halfway through dinner at the new Momofuku Ko it hits you: You will never eat dinner here again." And she doesn't mince words about the food either: "...a bowl of lychees topped with grated frozen foie gras is set before you. It reconstitutes in your mouth in the most amazing way as you take one bite, then another, fascinated by these textures. And now there is the richest, silkiest short rib you have ever tasted...one of the most intense pieces of meat you’ve ever put in your mouth." [Gourmet]
Spoiler Alert: if you want to be surprised at the contents of the Momo' Ko tasting menu, please look away. An eGulleter scored a spot to friends and family night and posted photo documentation on Flickr of how it all went down. We normally forbid food porn, but for this we'll make an exception. See especially this photo of Chang pouring the final touch on a dish right in front of the diner. Swoon, etc. [Flickr]
Eater Complaints Dept. IMterview: Ssamless at Ssam Bar
Here now, by special arrangement, an edition of the Eater Complaints Dept. via IMterview. The subject: Momofuku Ssam Bar.
-------
Eater Complaints Dept.: go
EVil Veggie: how are you? fine? good.
EVil Veggie: so
EVil Veggie: just popped over to ssam bar to get a braised tofu ssam
EVil Veggie: walked in, and you cant walk up to the counter and order anymore
EVil Veggie: it's all waitress service
EVil Veggie: a bad sign, i thought
EVil Veggie: so they guy seats me, and i just say i want something to go, and he says no problem, the waitress can just take my order
EVil Veggie: so he hands me a menu
EVil Veggie: and i'm looking for my braised tofu ssam
EVil Veggie: except
EVil Veggie: THEY DONT MAKE SSAM ANYMORE
EVil Veggie: they have bi bim bop bowls that "have all the same stuff inside" per the waitress
EVil Veggie: note: $14
EVil Veggie: menu on website still reflects old ways
Eater Complaints Dept.: you're saying there's a problem here
EVil Veggie: well
EVil Veggie: is it not called momofuku SSAM bar?
EVil Veggie: anyway, i'm now way more anti-chang than i was before
Eater Complaints Dept.: do they not serve bo SSAM?
EaterWire: New Year's Day Options
One of our resolutions for 2008 is to be a bit more service-y for you all. True. So we're getting started a day early. Here now, a highly incomplete but hopefully useful rundown of options to cure your first hangover of the new year.
Kalina, 5/7/07
WEST VILLAGE—It's not exactly the stuff of a hangover cure, but should your New Year's Eve be conducive to a non-queasy January 1, perhaps you'll be interested to know that Harold Dieterle and his Jones Street restaurant and autograph table, Perilla, will be serving an all-duck New Year's day special menu (menu here). If you're upright, the duck meatballs with cavatelli is reason enough to pay the Top Chef a visit. [EaterWire]
EAST VILLAGE/SOHO—Two other, slightly less challenging options: Eater Standby of 2007 Lure Fishbar will be open from 11:30 AM and will feature Josh Capon's take on Heuvos Rancheros. New York darling of 2007, Momofuku Ssam Bar, will open at 5 PM; the Noodle Bar opens at noon. [EaterWire]
TRIBECA—The NY Times Good Eating feature has Tribeca options for New Year's Day eating. Think Landmarc, Odeon, Tribeca Grill and the Deathwatched Devin Tavern. [NYT]
LOWER EAST SIDE—One option you won't have on New Year's Day is Shopsin's. LES dispatch: "Shopsin's is closed until the 8th according to a hand-written sign taped to the big man’s cage down in the Essex Street Market. No blisters on your sisters to ring in the new year." [EaterWire Inbox]
The Year in Eater: The Full Comp
As part of our year end wrap, we're going to be re-running some of our favorite posts from the past year. And now, one of our favorite posts of all time, The Full Comp. Think Larry Bird pays at Ssam Bar? Think again.
Chang: There’s a place in every restaurant where important intra-operation messages are posted. Some use good old cork bulletin boards; others employ fancy dry erase technology. At Ssam Bar we use the basement door: it’s where we post notices telling the staff to stop drinking all the expensive booze, where photos of blacklisted bloggers go up, where there's a reminder of the cobra kai, the Momofuku way: “Strike First, Strike Hard, Show No Mercy”. The real eye sore is the list of upcoming events where I will have to stand behind a 6-foot table and repeat the name of a dish a thousand times to people who aren’t listening anyway.
Kevin, AM chef at Noodle Bar, regularly takes it upon himself to make sure the staff is up to the minute with Momofuku-wide policies in his basement door missives. Then he posts shit like this...
The Year in Eater: Standbys of 2007
To close out 2007, Eater once again invited many of our favorite food correspondents to join us in assessing the year's best eats, biggest surprises, and favorite neighborhoods for dining out. First we celebrated Meals of the Year; now, Restaurant Standbys of 2007.
Estancia 460, née Sosa Borella, Steele pick for Standby of the Year; shot by the Kalina, naturally.
William Tigertt, Freemans Restaurant: Sushi Yasuda, Prune, and Raoul's
Joanne Wilson, aka Gotham Gal: Spotted Pig, All Blue Ribbons, Gramercy Tavern bar
Mimi Sheraton: La Grenouille, Da Silvano, Balthazar
Jennifer Leuzzi, Snack: Atelier de Robuchon, Anything Momo, Balthazar
Let's be honest, you're going to click if for no other reason than to see what Chang has to say about this. >>MomoPorn: Look at the Pretty Cones
Let's be clear. This isn't food porn, which is verboten, this is MomoPorn, which is 'nother level type stuff. Captured by the Kalina at Momofuku Noodle Bar. Really, Dave Chang? Soft-serve swirl in American flag-covered cones? You are an 'effen genius. More, please.
Late Night at Ssäm Bar Returns!
Click for full reveal, svp.
Ever since Dave Chang and his boys learned how to stop worrying and love the Ssäm, the people have come in droves to their East Village hotspot—from open until close, which was for a time at 2 AM. But with the summer slow came reduced hours and closure at the far too civilized hour of midnight. Now, The Chang sends word that "summer is over," and late night at Ssäm is back. Starting this Thursday, 9/27, the East Village temple of Korean culinary circus tricks will be open until 2 AM every night, offering their full menu, the most current of which we bring you above and below. (Bonus: the price of the ribeye, one of the unsung heroes of this menu, has been price slashed from $110 to $100.) Summer is over, indeed; as are your early morning meetings.
· Momofuku Ssäm Bar Menu [Camp Momofuku]
· Ssäm 2.0: New Menu Revealed! [~E~]
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