Momofuku's Duck Ssam Platter

I don't like David Chang.  

He's probably my most unfavorite famous chef (I know, thems are fighting words). Despite the fact that he's highly touted as one of the top chefs in New York/USA/Wherever, color me seriously unimpressed. Perhaps I haven't eaten enough of his wares (like Momofuku Ko) to truly experience his culinary expertise, but what I have tried thus far, I haven't loved.  His food feels completely overglorified and overhyped for dishes that feel and taste so...ordinary.

But this previous weekend, I changed my mind.  And I hate that.  I hate to now love David Chang.  (Deep sigh.)

Thanan and I decided to meet at Momofuku Ssam Bar to check out David's new duck rotisserie duck offering.  

For lunch on the weekdays, you can grab duck on rice from the former Milk Bar space next door to the Ssam Bar.  On weekends, they only serve the duck from the Ssam Bar.  It's $14 weekdays (just duck on rice), $24 weekends (comes with the whole works).  The new Milk Bar is now located across the street from the original Milk Bar.  You got all that?  It's confusing.  David Chang has got to make things so goshdarn difficult.

The beautiful whole duck rotates and bubbles in fat in the former Milk Bar space.  I was mesmerized by it.  So mesmerized, I didn't snap a photo of it, but you'll just have to check it out yourself.  It's a juicy, oily mess, and you'll love it.  

The Duck Ssam platter comes with a handful of slices of the gorgeous duck atop fluffy rice, strands of fresh watercress, thin, buttery Bibb lettuce cups, charred scallion pancakes, 

The scallion pancakes were okay (not essential)

a small bowl of pickled vegetables including green onions and rhubarb,

and a small bowl of oily ginger compote.  I ended up slathering this flavorful concoction on everything: duck, pancake, whatever.  It was terrific.

But enough on the sides.  The true star was of course the duck!

The duck that you just knew had to be delicious because of the freakish amount of fat.

Oh such glorious fat!!  Oh how the duck is so ridiculously crispy, yet so succulent and oozing with the cholesterol rich nectar of the gods.

The pieces with meat were just as good also - check out that lovely white rim of fat that I know Diana loves just as much as me.

And then as an added bonus...we discovered our fatty slices of duck were sitting on another form of fatty poultry!  Best discovery ever.

Is Thanan extremely excited by the awesome lunch?

No, he's just enjoying watching these people attempt to load this large couch into this moderately sized SUV.

And wouldn't you know?  They did it!  It seemed quite impossible, but they were able to achieve it - like how David Chang finally made a believer out of me with what is quite simply the best duck I've had in the city yet.  Granted, it's the absolutely priciest, but just looking at those lovely bites of duck fat makes me yearn for another plate yet.  (Goshdangit.)

Momofuku Ssam Bar

207 2nd Avenue

New York, NY