re: Your can't miss/somewhat affordable places in NYC

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just checked the menu.....damn, that place sounds pretty badass. Is it fairly new?

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It's been around a year at least, and is part of a small family of Momofuku (lucky peach) restaurants owned by David Chang. Chang is something of an enfant terrible of the food scene, but he's my kind of guy. No bullshite or pretension, a slight rage problem, and he's all about the food. Ssam bar is very good, I went at lunch (I just posted about part of that trip in a separate post) right when it opened. One thing that is clear: this place is not about hype. The guys working there are wearing jeans and tshirts/flannel shirts, their own clothes, and instead of being indifferent slackers, they know the menu and know food and are really enthusiastic about it. My wife and I arrived just as they opened and ate our meal with only two other tables occupied. It was a really low key awesome food experience and if you are in to food and really appreciate unique and pure flavors, I highly recommend it. Oh, and go to the bakery next door for a cookie, that is some good stuff right there.