If you don't have David Chang's Momofuku cookbook, you may want to invest in a copy. If you don't know who David Chang is, you may want to re-evaluate your life. Just kidding. Simply come to NYC and try his infamous pork belly buns and ramen noodle soup--it will change your life. Before you salivate any further over the fat-upon-fat phenomenon, I must warn you that I did not make the pork buns. I did, however, (with the generous help of Will) make a delicious Mother's Day feast with Momofuku's Mussels with OS Sauce and Ginger Scallion Noodles served with a side of Sesame Snap Peas (not Momo). The mussels are divine. You simply make a paste of miso, scallions, ginger, soy sauce, sherry vinegar, garlic, and set aside. Meanwhile in a large pot, heat a few tablespoons of neutral oil until hot, add the mussels and sauté for a minute. Then scoop the mussels to one side, add the miso paste, and distribute. Pour some sake in the pot and steam for four minutes. Voila. Serve with julienned scallions and crusty bread for dipping in the au jus. This is a no-fail dish (unless you have bad mussels).
In terms of the noodles, the ginger scallion dish is good, but I expected more. The recipe calls for ginger, scallions, a touch of sherry vinegar, and soy sauce. OK, that's fine, but if you're like my dinner guests, you want more bang for your buck. We added sesame oil, sesame seeds, and more soy sauce, which definitely did the trick.
The snap peas were made up; I simply sauteed the peas in canola oil, drizzled sesame oil, a splash of soy sauce, and some red pepper flakes. They're crispy and have the perfect umami undertone.
All in all, the dinner was such a success--albeit very
salty--and I look forward to making more adventurous Momofuku dishes very soon.