#97 – DUCK LUNCH at MOMOFUKU SSÄM BAR in New York

For the third year in a row, I’m going to attempt to eat every single item on Time Out New York’s annual 100 Best Dishes list. In no particular order, here’s my take on their Top 100. Let the gluttony continue…

SADLY, MOMOFUKU SSÄAM BAR IS NOW CLOSED.

The lunch menu at Momofuku’s Ssäm Bar is most definitely duck-centric. At dinner, the wild card in David Chang’s Asian food empire does a whole rotisserie duck meal (which requires reservations and a lot of money), in addition to a variety of other large format meals and entrees. But at lunch, it’s pretty much all duck.

Sure you could get some sides or a few slices of ham, but if you want anything verging on substantial, you better like the quacker.

We tried to get the Duck Lunch (a mini-version of their full-on duck feast) a few months back, but were greatly disappointed when they had sold out. It seems this happens quite a bit at Momofuku since the Duck Noodles we ordered on our second visit were also sold out.

Fortunately, the list item was not sold out this time. The pink slices of duck breast were served on a bed of white rice with a stewed pork sauce and a side of watercress. Frustratingly, the chive pancakes and lettuce cups were a few dollars extra. Wrapping the meat in either greens or salty carbs is the best way to get all the flavors, but this duck is so good, the extras are not even necessary.

The duck flesh disintegrates as it touches your mouth, while a slightly sweet and crunchy skin remains. All those cliché words used to describe perfect meat preparation comes to mind: meltingly tender, perfectly cooked, duckin’ delicious!!

It’s definitely up there with the best preparations of duck that I’ve ever tasted. So it’s fitting and appropriate that lunch is dedicated to the fowl.

Would Momofuku Ssäm Bar’s Duck Lunch make my Top 100 of the year? How can it not when everything about it (except perhaps the price add-on’s and inconsistent supply) is perfect? 10 out of 10.