I get asked often what my favorite restaurant is, and too be honest, I love many NYC restaurants. But, I always do answer Momofuku Ssam for a variety of reasons. I love it's casual and hip atmosphere, and I love how each dish has great flavor and texture. The Momofuku Empire gets a lot of hype, and mostly deserved, and I do think it is an all-round fantastic restaurant!

I had't been to Ssam Bar in a while, so late Friday night I thought it was time to pay it a visit to see if it was still worthy of being my favorite. I now have many favorites and am not sure I can name just one, I will tell you, the food at Momofuku Ssam Bar is still excellent!

An appetizer of Long Island Fluke ($15) with tiger's milk, fennel, and nori, was delicious and wonderful!

Crispy's Pig's Head ($21) with sauerkraut and pear mostarda, had great flavor combinations and textures, and was a good dish.

I wasn't going to order dessert, but was glad I did. The Grapefruit Cream Pie ($7) with Ritz cracker crust and black sesame was surprisingly great!

So for great food, with great flavors and textures, in a fun, and cool atmosphere, Momofuku Ssam Bar should not be missed. It's one of New York City's best restaurants.

Momofuku Ssam Bar
207 2nd Ave (at 13th St.)
New York, NY 10003
www.momofuku.com