{Dining Out} Lunch date at Momofuku Ssam Bar

Duck Sandwich  with iceberg lettuce, spicy mayo, peppadews ($12)

Yesterday was our last day in the city before heading off to Toronto to spend the holidays with my family. So Jeff and I both decided to take the day off (for last minute packing and errands) and treat ourselves to a leisurely lunch at Momofuku Ssam Bar.

We easily got a table when we arrived around 12:30pm. For lunch service, you have to order from the counter in the back space that used to be Milk Bar. After you order, select your own seat and your food is then brought to you. If you love duck and pork, this is the place for you!

Pork buns ($10)

 We started our meal with the Steamed Pork Buns (with hoisin, cucumbers, scallions), which were almost at our table mere minutes after we ordered. Slabs of pork belly just melts your mouth. So good! Most of the tables around were starting with the Pork Buns as well.

Next up was the Duck Sandwich (top photo). Though we enjoyed the crispy bread, tender duck meat, and spicy mayo, I'm not sure we'd order it again. We're definitely glad we tried it (it was quite tasty) and I don't think you'd be disappointed if you ordered it..It's just that after having this next dish, the sandwich doesn't stand a chance.



Duck on rice ($14 + $1 extra for lettuce)

 Loved the Rotisserie Duck on Pork Fried Rice with duck, scallion, ssam sauce, and crispy shallot. Definitely pay $1 more for the lettuce - we enjoyed making our own lettuce wraps with this perfectly cooked duck and all the fixins. We will return for this dish!
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After enjoying a duck-filled lunch, we instantly wished we came with a few friends. With a group, you can order the Rotisserie Duck Ssäm with chive pancakes, bibb lettuce, hoisin, duck scallion, crispy shallots and two side dishes. This dish requires reservations in advance. So who's in?

{Dining Out} SHO Shaun Hergatt $33 Lunch Deal

Have you ever wanted to dine like a Wall Street executive but wished you had their expense account? After hearing about SHO Shaun Hergatt's lunch prix fixe meal special (appetizer and entree $27, 3-course including dessert $33), we were excited to dine in style at only a fraction of the cost.  The interior and atmosphere is sleek and austere, but the food and service is warm and decadent.

The formative wine cellar fortress was the apple of my husband's eye while I loved the design of the double espresso shot glass.

In addition to the prix fixe meal, you can also order the "Endless" wines by the glass deal.  For an extra $10, you can choose between a refillable glass of red or white wine. The white wine option was a Muscadet (a French white wine) Guindon '08, Coteaux de la Loire sur Lie. My husband opted for the red wine option - a Saumur-Champigny, '05, Thierry Germain, Loire Valley. Over the course of the lunch, he was able to have 3-4 glasses of the pretty, food-friendly Cabernet Franc (13% ABV) - a steal at only $10. Meanwhile, I was enjoying the multi-grain bread with hummus.

Appetizer course:  Shavings of Iberico Ham with young mache and quail eggs. The usually pricey and formerly illegal Iberico ham was why we ordered this dish.  (Iberico ham was also illegal in the U.S. until July 2007 when a Spanish slaughterhouse had won USDA approval).  This delicate, salty, melt-in-your mouth was so good it should be illegal (but we're glad it's not!).

Appetizer course: Green Asparagus Spears with crushed hazelnuts and green asparagus sorbet. We loved this fresh dish with tons of crunchy hazelnuts, cool asparagus sorbet, salty shaved Parmesan cheese discs, and thick but tender asparagus.

Entree: Char Siu Pork with pickled apple, scallion soubise, micro cilantro. This dish is an elegant take on a traditional Chinese dish. It brought back memories of the tasty and fatty pork dish that my grandmother would make for family get-togethers.  The pork belly is slow-cooked with a variety of spices and seasonings making it tender and flavorful. I loved how this dish came served with crispy rice (our favorite part of cooking rice in a rice cooker or hot stone pot).

Entree: Crispy Skin Salmon with fiddleheads, favas, arugula puree. We ordered this dish because fiddleheads (those pretty curled vegetables), though rich in nutrients, need to be properly prepared and cooked in order to remove bitterness and toxins.  Overall, this dish is light and very appropriate for Spring.

Petit Fours:  The round Pink champagne truffle was milky and the apricot fruit jelly was sweet and fruity.

Dessert: Caramello Chocolate biscuit, crunchy toffee ice cream.  Decadent, sweet, and sinfully good - this dessert is perfect for anyone with a sweet tooth!

Dessert: Australian Pavlova passion fruit, jackfruit sorbet. The meringue Pavlova was crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. I especially loved the beautiful fruit flavors from the thinly sliced strawberries, passion fruit, and jackfruit sorbet.  It tasted like Summer.

If you find yourself in the Financial District - perhaps after taking out-of-towners to Wall Street or the Statue of Liberty - treat yourself to an elegant lunch at SHO Shaun Hergatt.