We always get top-notch service from the Momofuku team. Not only very professional and but very friendly and cool, too. Quality of the food is superb. Raw dishes and oysters are very fresh. There are many options for vegetables as well as meat dishes. Grilled Maitake mushrooms are so tasty, and short ribs are a must. Heritage pork chop is delicious, too. Great wine and beverages list, at every price point and for every palate.
Mac Yellek
Probably the best dining experience I’ve ever had. The Ssam Set was great. The bread and spicy butter really set the tone for the flavors and quality of food to come. The Beginning course was a little on the spicier side, but the flavors were worth it. The Middle was full of amazing textures and savory flavors. The Dessert sorbet was light and fluffy. We tried both but of the Skin by the glass wines, my favorite was Pittnauer (for being light, tropical, and just a good wine).Thank you Ssam Bar! You were amazing!
Ahmed Monessar
My visit to Momofuku Ssäm Bar was an absolute delight. The food was exquisite, with bold and unique flavors that left me wanting more. The dishes were expertly prepared and beautifully presented. The service was exceptional, with knowledgeable staff who were attentive and provided excellent recommendations. The atmosphere was vibrant and energetic, creating a memorable dining experience. Momofuku Ssäm Bar truly deserves a 5-star rating for their exceptional cuisine and outstanding service.
michael shanker
Maybe it's me but the prices are being charged for the this whole experience were way too much. Oysters were $25 for a half dozen. Creation spin on the minionette was a nice touch. The pork buns were very good. Nothing but I haven't had before. The dry aged waigoo 10 oz steak have very little vegetables. The steak was delicious and tender. Had a very nice seasoning to it but it was definitely not worth $108. The dessert was good. It was a creme brulee chocolate tahini with sesame seeds. I found a menu to be very limiting. There were no starches to choose from that weren't $30. I believe it was just a rice dish. I left there feeling hungry. As far as service. For this establishment I would have expected a better experience. Cleaner looking staff without dirty aprons. Mismatched outfits the greeter walking through the bar space with a yellow water container. Drinking it while walking through the room. Dessert check being presented to our table while on the other hand, having a stack of dirty plates. Food came out whenever, the appetizer came out first then the entree and then the small plate. The staff is very courteous and the food did come out in a reasonable amount of time. I just think this is a fast food version of fine dining and the price and the service and a full experience. Don't add up.
Yosuke Izumi
I first heard about this restaurant on Facebook and wanted to try it out. Finally, I got a chance to visit. Party of two, and we sat in the dining area with a grill on the table. My probably was probably too high, but with quality of food, I wasn’t so impressed this time. As there are a lot more restaurants in NYC to try, it’s not so likely I’ll be back. Their green salad and garlic rice were good:-) Service was better then regular restaurants and no complaints.
Ryan Cronan
We really enjoyed the seaport incarnation of Ssam bar. Very interesting and tasty menu, plus a lovely outdoor patio.
Marc H.
As longtime followers of David Chang and his Momofuku brand, when my wife and I traveled from California to NYC, I made a reservation to surprise her. Upon arriving, we received a warm friendly greeting and were whisked away to a waiting elevator to our table. Once seated, the staff were very attentive and friendly. Checking the menu we decided on the fixed menu. $110pp with the additional Super Saam option along with the wine paring option. Starting with bubbles was great and we enjoyed the well dressed salad and flat bread with the strongly spiced compound butter, which set our expectations for the flavors to come. The oysters were tender and the accompanying sauce worked well, even if lacking balance. The rabini (broccoli rabe?) was good and the chili sauce was a great pairing however, the grilled asparagus, which was part of the upgrade, outshined it. The one thing on the asparagus: it came with what was advertised as bernaise sauce however either the tarragon was missing so so subtle it was undetectable. Better described as hollandaise sauce but still very tasty. Our left handed waiter/chef/sommelier using right handed scissors struggled due to the scissors however was able to do what she needed to throughout the meal. She was super friendly and knowledgeable about each wine she poured us as well as attentive to our water glasses. We left the first course and moved on to the prawns..the sauce was spicy and flavorful but the head on shrimp were slightly overcooked detracting from the texture. Now the to proteins...the short rib glazed with a simple honey soy glaze was perfection and paired wonderfully with the wine selection. The flatiron steak, while cooked to a perfect medium rare lacked flavor, even salt and pepper, which made it very disappointing. It was tender and the wine paired well with it however the lack of flavor made this something I could do much better at home. The pork shoulder appeared to be seasoned nicely before cooking so we were excited to have this but were again disappointed by the lack of flavor, if by design or not. The pork, while cooked perfectly did not have wow factor we were expecting. The garlic soy rice appeared along with the cucumber salad. Cucumber salad was as advertised as a cucumber salad, nothing special. The garlic soy rice, upon appearance looked very flavorful but upon taste, it was underwhelming and bland. The strawberry sorbet with lime zest paired well with the dessert wine and was refreshing and tart. Expecting to be wowed by this experience, we were not. That being said the simple sorbet served for dessert as a nod to the old Ssäm bar "mochi from the Trader Joe's around the corner" made me laugh and I actually appreciated that. Or perhaps it was nod to Tossi's strawberry shortcake?Overall, we had a great time but the wine and service were far better than the food. Notes for improvement: Left handed staff should be provided the tools they need (lefty kitchen shears exist we can sent you some! We have a lefty in the family)Wine pairings are a glass of wine in California not a tasting. Apologies if that is different in New York and we are misunderstanding. But the sommelier referred to it as a tasting while the menu said it was a pairing. These are two different things. $55 pp for a pairing is incredibly reasonable but for a tasting not so much. More flavor on the proteins. This was our biggest stumbling block for a higher review.
Sharon B.
We came here for date night last night and ate in the dining room - absolutely loved it and cannot wait to return! We sat in the dining room and enjoyed a nice view of the city. The interior is polished but not stuffy, staff were super friendly and welcoming. The food was amazing. We got the set menu which turned out to be a very good decision! Every dish was so delicious - from the salad to the meats (seriously wow flavors!!). Hard to even say what was my favorite as everything was so good. The sauce for the prawns was one of the best tasting sauces I've ever had. The staff are clearly very skilled as they are the ones cooking in front of you (which I thought was such a cool clever rendition of traditional Korean bbq). Everything was charred perfectly and just the right amount of crispy and juicy at the same time. The broccoli rabe was a standout for me - i easily could have had it all to myself and not shared any with my husband. The short rib was my favorite of the 3 red meats but they were all good - I mean close your eyes mmmmm good. It was the perfect amount of food and I'd say for the quality and amount, $110 pp is a steal! I would add this place to my list of favorites in NYC!
Jerome Sumauang
Simple Aperol Spritz was not done right, reserve a table on the patio, had issue with their kitchen. Manager talked to us for comp food(appetizers) so the inconvenience was there already for dinner, I’m easy to please cause. But not even a 10% discount. Now heading off to a different restaurant for entrees. Best you can do as a manager apologize and recommend other restaurants and offer to come back.
Serg Chernata
Had a wonderful dining experience here, special thanks to the staff. The ssam set was a good amount of food and frankly it ended up being too much for us after adding the potato wedges. The cocktails were really well prepared and rather strong. Would definitely come back, especially to sit by the water when the weather is nice.
Nice view + great flavours (which were yummy but non authentic) but the food was a bit salty. Cocktails are strong and p decent!
Lucy H.
we had a late reservation to this place on a week day, it was pretty cute and we were led to the second floor.we ordered the pork belly, black angus flat iron beef on the grill and the quality of the meat was so juicy and tender. my favorite was the pork belly. the beef was a little too raw for me and bloody, but my boyfriend liked it.i would recommend the potato wedges, they were really crispy and large and flavorful, and the dipping sauce was just delicious. it filled me up!i also really liked the oysters in kimchi. there was no dishonest, and the marinade was a great texture and paired nicely with the fresh lemon.we also got the chocolate crème brûlée. i really liked this! the quality of the chocolate was so rich and velvety, and the crunch of the crème brûlée was nice. i liked the balance of flavor in the salt and the sesame seeds.this place has solid food, it's just everything is just 30% more expensive than i feel like it should be. i also was not expecting it to be a raw / grill menu, so the variety for me wasn't there. it felt a little too casual since it felt like korean barbecue
Jaimie C.
I was under the impression that this is the same quality as the regular momofuku just don't serve the noodles. While I've never had momofuku, I have heard it is overrated... and I guess my experience has confirmed that. The food was mediocre at best. Here are the items we ordered 1. Skirt steak- tasted over cooked? Dry, and not tender at all.... Feel like I can make a better steak than this...2. Branzino- I liked this the most out of the few items we got... cuz you really can't go wrong with fish...it was lacking in the flavor department tho, and the salad had WAYYY too much dressing.... It's almost as if they put all the dressing for the fish onto the salad.... The fish in comparison didn't have much flavors 3. Brussel sprouts- mediocre... the flavor is not there. I've tasted way better brussel sprouts at every other restaurant I've had.4. Roasted oysters (one of their most popular dish)- not good... couldn't really taste the oysters since it was overpowered by the crunch. Ambiance: very small indoor section, that only had bar seats and high bar tops. Most of the seats were outdoors.... And not ideal when the weather is chillyOverall verdict- save your money... you are paying for very subpar food that's overpriced... the food items were not cheap! Actually on the expensive side.
Brian A
We had the Ssäm experience and loved it. Great staff, and umami-rich food. Really regret leaving any of the food behind, but we’re older and don’t have our old capacity. Flame-grilling at the table without fuss, with tasty appetizers and sides. Grilled aged short ribs, pork shoulder, and pork belly, plus grilled rapini, and two huge grilled prawns with n’duja butter. (I’ll be trying to duplicate that at home!) Not cheap, but good value.
Gui M.
Went to Momofuku Ssäm Bar for a friend’s birthday, and it was worth it. Very nice ambient in the restaurant’s dining room, where we had the tasting menu. The service was excellent, and we had the sake pairing with the dinner, which was a nice addition. The food was very good. The initial dishes were excellent, though the mixed greens and the fluke ceviche did not wow me. The meat portion of the meal was heavenly. They were prime beef and pork cuts, and it showed. The dessert sorbet was very light and refreshing. Would recommend for a special occasion.
We always get top-notch service from the Momofuku team. Not only very professional and but very friendly and cool, too. Quality of the food is superb. Raw dishes and oysters are very fresh. There are many options for vegetables as well as meat dishes. Grilled Maitake mushrooms are so tasty, and short ribs are a must. Heritage pork chop is delicious, too. Great wine and beverages list, at every price point and for every palate.
Probably the best dining experience I’ve ever had. The Ssam Set was great. The bread and spicy butter really set the tone for the flavors and quality of food to come. The Beginning course was a little on the spicier side, but the flavors were worth it. The Middle was full of amazing textures and savory flavors. The Dessert sorbet was light and fluffy. We tried both but of the Skin by the glass wines, my favorite was Pittnauer (for being light, tropical, and just a good wine).Thank you Ssam Bar! You were amazing!
My visit to Momofuku Ssäm Bar was an absolute delight. The food was exquisite, with bold and unique flavors that left me wanting more. The dishes were expertly prepared and beautifully presented. The service was exceptional, with knowledgeable staff who were attentive and provided excellent recommendations. The atmosphere was vibrant and energetic, creating a memorable dining experience. Momofuku Ssäm Bar truly deserves a 5-star rating for their exceptional cuisine and outstanding service.
Maybe it's me but the prices are being charged for the this whole experience were way too much. Oysters were $25 for a half dozen. Creation spin on the minionette was a nice touch. The pork buns were very good. Nothing but I haven't had before. The dry aged waigoo 10 oz steak have very little vegetables. The steak was delicious and tender. Had a very nice seasoning to it but it was definitely not worth $108. The dessert was good. It was a creme brulee chocolate tahini with sesame seeds. I found a menu to be very limiting. There were no starches to choose from that weren't $30. I believe it was just a rice dish. I left there feeling hungry. As far as service. For this establishment I would have expected a better experience. Cleaner looking staff without dirty aprons. Mismatched outfits the greeter walking through the bar space with a yellow water container. Drinking it while walking through the room. Dessert check being presented to our table while on the other hand, having a stack of dirty plates. Food came out whenever, the appetizer came out first then the entree and then the small plate. The staff is very courteous and the food did come out in a reasonable amount of time. I just think this is a fast food version of fine dining and the price and the service and a full experience. Don't add up.
I first heard about this restaurant on Facebook and wanted to try it out. Finally, I got a chance to visit. Party of two, and we sat in the dining area with a grill on the table. My probably was probably too high, but with quality of food, I wasn’t so impressed this time. As there are a lot more restaurants in NYC to try, it’s not so likely I’ll be back. Their green salad and garlic rice were good:-) Service was better then regular restaurants and no complaints.
We really enjoyed the seaport incarnation of Ssam bar. Very interesting and tasty menu, plus a lovely outdoor patio.
As longtime followers of David Chang and his Momofuku brand, when my wife and I traveled from California to NYC, I made a reservation to surprise her. Upon arriving, we received a warm friendly greeting and were whisked away to a waiting elevator to our table. Once seated, the staff were very attentive and friendly. Checking the menu we decided on the fixed menu. $110pp with the additional Super Saam option along with the wine paring option. Starting with bubbles was great and we enjoyed the well dressed salad and flat bread with the strongly spiced compound butter, which set our expectations for the flavors to come. The oysters were tender and the accompanying sauce worked well, even if lacking balance. The rabini (broccoli rabe?) was good and the chili sauce was a great pairing however, the grilled asparagus, which was part of the upgrade, outshined it. The one thing on the asparagus: it came with what was advertised as bernaise sauce however either the tarragon was missing so so subtle it was undetectable. Better described as hollandaise sauce but still very tasty. Our left handed waiter/chef/sommelier using right handed scissors struggled due to the scissors however was able to do what she needed to throughout the meal. She was super friendly and knowledgeable about each wine she poured us as well as attentive to our water glasses. We left the first course and moved on to the prawns..the sauce was spicy and flavorful but the head on shrimp were slightly overcooked detracting from the texture. Now the to proteins...the short rib glazed with a simple honey soy glaze was perfection and paired wonderfully with the wine selection. The flatiron steak, while cooked to a perfect medium rare lacked flavor, even salt and pepper, which made it very disappointing. It was tender and the wine paired well with it however the lack of flavor made this something I could do much better at home. The pork shoulder appeared to be seasoned nicely before cooking so we were excited to have this but were again disappointed by the lack of flavor, if by design or not. The pork, while cooked perfectly did not have wow factor we were expecting. The garlic soy rice appeared along with the cucumber salad. Cucumber salad was as advertised as a cucumber salad, nothing special. The garlic soy rice, upon appearance looked very flavorful but upon taste, it was underwhelming and bland. The strawberry sorbet with lime zest paired well with the dessert wine and was refreshing and tart. Expecting to be wowed by this experience, we were not. That being said the simple sorbet served for dessert as a nod to the old Ssäm bar "mochi from the Trader Joe's around the corner" made me laugh and I actually appreciated that. Or perhaps it was nod to Tossi's strawberry shortcake?Overall, we had a great time but the wine and service were far better than the food. Notes for improvement: Left handed staff should be provided the tools they need (lefty kitchen shears exist we can sent you some! We have a lefty in the family)Wine pairings are a glass of wine in California not a tasting. Apologies if that is different in New York and we are misunderstanding. But the sommelier referred to it as a tasting while the menu said it was a pairing. These are two different things. $55 pp for a pairing is incredibly reasonable but for a tasting not so much. More flavor on the proteins. This was our biggest stumbling block for a higher review.
We came here for date night last night and ate in the dining room - absolutely loved it and cannot wait to return! We sat in the dining room and enjoyed a nice view of the city. The interior is polished but not stuffy, staff were super friendly and welcoming. The food was amazing. We got the set menu which turned out to be a very good decision! Every dish was so delicious - from the salad to the meats (seriously wow flavors!!). Hard to even say what was my favorite as everything was so good. The sauce for the prawns was one of the best tasting sauces I've ever had. The staff are clearly very skilled as they are the ones cooking in front of you (which I thought was such a cool clever rendition of traditional Korean bbq). Everything was charred perfectly and just the right amount of crispy and juicy at the same time. The broccoli rabe was a standout for me - i easily could have had it all to myself and not shared any with my husband. The short rib was my favorite of the 3 red meats but they were all good - I mean close your eyes mmmmm good. It was the perfect amount of food and I'd say for the quality and amount, $110 pp is a steal! I would add this place to my list of favorites in NYC!
Simple Aperol Spritz was not done right, reserve a table on the patio, had issue with their kitchen. Manager talked to us for comp food(appetizers) so the inconvenience was there already for dinner, I’m easy to please cause. But not even a 10% discount. Now heading off to a different restaurant for entrees. Best you can do as a manager apologize and recommend other restaurants and offer to come back.
Had a wonderful dining experience here, special thanks to the staff. The ssam set was a good amount of food and frankly it ended up being too much for us after adding the potato wedges. The cocktails were really well prepared and rather strong. Would definitely come back, especially to sit by the water when the weather is nice.
Restaurantji Recommends
Nice view + great flavours (which were yummy but non authentic) but the food was a bit salty. Cocktails are strong and p decent!
we had a late reservation to this place on a week day, it was pretty cute and we were led to the second floor.we ordered the pork belly, black angus flat iron beef on the grill and the quality of the meat was so juicy and tender. my favorite was the pork belly. the beef was a little too raw for me and bloody, but my boyfriend liked it.i would recommend the potato wedges, they were really crispy and large and flavorful, and the dipping sauce was just delicious. it filled me up!i also really liked the oysters in kimchi. there was no dishonest, and the marinade was a great texture and paired nicely with the fresh lemon.we also got the chocolate crème brûlée. i really liked this! the quality of the chocolate was so rich and velvety, and the crunch of the crème brûlée was nice. i liked the balance of flavor in the salt and the sesame seeds.this place has solid food, it's just everything is just 30% more expensive than i feel like it should be. i also was not expecting it to be a raw / grill menu, so the variety for me wasn't there. it felt a little too casual since it felt like korean barbecue
I was under the impression that this is the same quality as the regular momofuku just don't serve the noodles. While I've never had momofuku, I have heard it is overrated... and I guess my experience has confirmed that. The food was mediocre at best. Here are the items we ordered 1. Skirt steak- tasted over cooked? Dry, and not tender at all.... Feel like I can make a better steak than this...2. Branzino- I liked this the most out of the few items we got... cuz you really can't go wrong with fish...it was lacking in the flavor department tho, and the salad had WAYYY too much dressing.... It's almost as if they put all the dressing for the fish onto the salad.... The fish in comparison didn't have much flavors 3. Brussel sprouts- mediocre... the flavor is not there. I've tasted way better brussel sprouts at every other restaurant I've had.4. Roasted oysters (one of their most popular dish)- not good... couldn't really taste the oysters since it was overpowered by the crunch. Ambiance: very small indoor section, that only had bar seats and high bar tops. Most of the seats were outdoors.... And not ideal when the weather is chillyOverall verdict- save your money... you are paying for very subpar food that's overpriced... the food items were not cheap! Actually on the expensive side.
We had the Ssäm experience and loved it. Great staff, and umami-rich food. Really regret leaving any of the food behind, but we’re older and don’t have our old capacity. Flame-grilling at the table without fuss, with tasty appetizers and sides. Grilled aged short ribs, pork shoulder, and pork belly, plus grilled rapini, and two huge grilled prawns with n’duja butter. (I’ll be trying to duplicate that at home!) Not cheap, but good value.
Went to Momofuku Ssäm Bar for a friend’s birthday, and it was worth it. Very nice ambient in the restaurant’s dining room, where we had the tasting menu. The service was excellent, and we had the sake pairing with the dinner, which was a nice addition. The food was very good. The initial dishes were excellent, though the mixed greens and the fluke ceviche did not wow me. The meat portion of the meal was heavenly. They were prime beef and pork cuts, and it showed. The dessert sorbet was very light and refreshing. Would recommend for a special occasion.