American Thanksgiving with Korean Food

We celebrated American Thanksgiving this year with a homemade Momofuku Bo Ssäm. It was such a success that we might do it again for Christmas or New Years or Valentine's Day or St. Patrick's Day and you might want to, too!

We purchased an eight pound boneless pork shoulder from a local butcher and covered it in a cup of granulated sugar and a cup of salt. In a pan, we rubbed the sugar and salt all over, covered it in plastic wrap, and the meat cured overnight (or for at least 6 hours if you're strapped for time). The next day, we preheated our oven to 300°F (150°C), poured any excess liquid out of the pan, had the pork set fat side up, and popped it in the oven at noon. It baked for 6 hours, we basted every hour with juices from the pan.

A little alteration to the Momofuku cookbook's ginger-scallion sauce: 2½ cups of thinly sliced scallions, ½ cup peeled and minced fresh ginger, ¼ cup of grapeseed oil, 1½ teaspoons of soy sauce, 3/4 teaspoon of rice wine vinegar (instead of sherry vinegar), and 3/4 teaspoon of salt. Any leftover sauce we had, Howard used for the rest of the week. It is that good!

The ssäm sauce felt too oily for us, maybe reduce the amount some more? It's was a mix of 1 tablespoons of fermented bean-and-chili paste (ssamjang), ½ tablespoon chili paste (kochujang), ¼ cup rice wine vinegar (again substituted instead of sherry vinegar), and ¼ cup grapeseed oil. We'd try to reduce the oil in half next time.

We bought kim chi and lettuce. Made steamed rice, a cucumber salad, and rice cakes as well.

I love these roasted rice cakes! I urge Howard to make them every chance I get. First you make the Korean Red Dragon sauce. Boil ½ cup of water and ½ cup of sugar in a small saucepan until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat and stir in 3/4 fermented bean-and-chili paste (ssamjang) until it dissolves. Add in 2 tablespoon of soy sauce, 1 teaspoon of rice wine vinegar, and 1 teaspoon of sesame oil to combine. Set aside.

To make the final sauce that the rice cakes will be tossed in, use another small saucepan and boil ¼ cup mirin and ¼ cup of chicken broth on high heat for about 2 to 3 minutes. Add ½ cup of Korean Red Dragon Sauce and reduce on medium for 6 to 7 minutes.

Boil the rice cakes until they float. Drain the water. Heat a large pan over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of grapeseed oil when hot. Then add the rice cakes. Sear the rice cakes for about 3 minutes per side. They get sticky, so use tongs or chopsticks to help flip them over individually. Toss the crunchy rice cakes in the sauce until they're evenly covered (they magically un-stick here). Garnish with sesame seeds and sliced scallions. Eat them right away, they're so addictive and yummy!

Summerlicious: Daishō

Daishō

190 University Avenue, 3rd Floor

Toronto, ON M5H 0A3

Summerlicious in Toronto is one of those wonderful times of the year where we make an effort to go out and try restaurants with our friends. It's nice for those of us who are wallet conscious because the prix fixe menus are set at affordable lunch and dinner prices.

This year, when the restaurant list and menus were released, I was surprised (might have even gasped) to see Daishō on the list. Still relatively new, the opening of the three floors of momofuku eateries in Toronto had caused quite a buzz. But, it was nice to see that they were participating in this annual event!

We made dinner reservations (they had a 6:30 pm and 8:30 pm seating) for the later one to accommodate everyone's arrival after work. Upon arrival, we informed the host that our party was present, but were told that no tables were available yet. So we went down to nikai to wait the suggested fifteen minutes. We went back up to check (since no one was going to come down and inform us that our table was ready) and waited approximately another five to ten minutes until we were finally seated at the bar. How does one get a regular table at Daishō? This was our second time there and we were seated in the same spot, while it's fun to sit high up, I'd still prefer the chairs where my feet and rest on the floor!

To start, we were given an amuse bouche, a shot of chilled pea soup. It was tasty and woke up our taste buds for sure! I'm not even a fan of peas, but that soup left me wanting more. Going clockwise starting from the top left corner: Two burger buns, hot sauce, falafel bun, and shrimp bun. I had the burger bun, which was reminiscent of a McDonald's hamburger, included onion, cheddar, and special sauce. A bite of Howard's shrimp bun which had good clean flavours, the shrimp was accompanied with spicy mayo, pickled onion, and bibb lettuce. The gigantic one we were all eyeing was the falafel bun with yogurt, chickpea, and cucumber. Our friend gave us the nod and thumbs up as she gobbled it up. The falafel bun was the one that came with the little dish of hot sauce, but that didn't stop us from dipping our respective appetizers into it.

Howard tried the pork chop with corn, chanterelles, and nori. Unlike any pork chop we've had before, it was tender and was almost like a slice of ham cooked very well.

I rather enjoyed the trout with shrimp, pepperoncini, and herbs. There was definitely a good kick to it and the trout and shrimp didn't overpower each other.

We were served a palate cleanser of cucumber granita before dessert was served.

Howard's crack pie dessert with whipped cream and powdered sugar. If you haven't had their famous crack pie before, we would recommend that you share it. It's incredibly sweet and if you have too much, your teeth will start to cringe from all the sugar. But a bite or two? Lovely!

I tried the fried strawberry pie with vanilla, spiced sugar, and cookie crumb. A bit disappointed that the ice cream had melted so much by the time it arrived. And there wasn't anything special about the strawberry pie. As one of our friends put it, it's a strawberry spring roll!

An assortment of cake truffles.

Aside from waiting for a table, service was attentive and friendly. The buns at momofuku are always a standout and the main dishes were well prepared and cooked. Sadly, the portions were a bit on the smaller side for dinner entrées and the desserts weren't that inspiring (as you can purchase them from milk bar). Still hungry, we left and debated eating at noodle bar, but the dinner was already one of the higher prix fixe prices, so we decided against it.

Fried Chicken at Daishō

Daishō

190 University Avenue, 3rd Floor

Toronto, ON M5H 0A3

At last, the highly anticipated wait is now over, Momofuku is in Toronto! The city didn't just get one, but four clearly defined establishments. If you've been to the ones in New York City, you'll recognize that the only overlap is the Noodle Bar. And we don't have any Momofuku Milk Bars here ... yet?

So here's the quick overview: Noodle Bar serves the ramen, Nikai is a bar and lounge, Daishō serves the large format meals, and Shōtō is for the tasting menu.

When we were in New York, Howard and I never had the chance to try the large format meals, so we were very excited for Daishō to open here. This is probably the first of many meals there.

For any of the large format meals, you have to make reservations in advance. This wasn't too difficult with their online reservation system. We managed to book a Saturday for our group of six to have the fried chicken dinner.

Friendly hostesses greeted us and we were led to our seats at the bar. We were a little disappointed we didn't get a table, as the stools don't make for comfortable seating for a family style meal (especially for those of us who are a foot shorter than the guys, it was harder to reach the foot rest). Immediately, we were all given glasses of water (nice!) and two plates of pickled cucumbers to start.

Howard's parents actually make great pickled cucumber, so we had that to compare it with. Because Daishō didn't peel some of the cucumber skin off, there were parts that were really bitter. Overall they were good, we always enjoy cucumbers with sesame oil, vinegar, and red chili flakes, but if I had to choose, I'd pick the ones Howard's parents make.

The fried chicken meal includes two whole fried chickens. I'm telling you, it is quite impressive when they bring it out. The size of the pile of wings and drumsticks is enough to make you start salivating. The skin of the chicken is crispy and nicely seasoned. However, if you want flavour for the meat, you'll need to dip it in the ginger scallion sauce or jalapeño garlic sauce.

We are also given thin scallion pancakes, shaved radishes, herbs, and a jar of pickled vegetables.

Our server had recommended we order some dishes to go with the chicken. His personal favourite were the brussels sprouts, but no one in our party was a fan of them! Instead we decided to order the carrots with birch syrup, malt, and black almond; cabbage with pork, pine nuts, and pok pok vinegar; and the nugget potatoes with fermented black bean, chili, and orange.

Unlike the large portions of chicken, the vegetables came in a smaller portion. The carrots were plated beautifully, everyone got a taste of it since there were so few. The cabbages received split reviews from our table. Some didn't like it, others found it interesting, and I, rather enjoyed the flavour from the charred cabbages. The nugget potatoes were good, but not rave worthy.

Service at Daishō is ... efficient. Our glasses of water were always refilled, plates and cutlery were swiftly collected. Even though we were still working on the pickled cucumbers, they were also suddenly taken away. While we appreciated the fact that they kept the tables tidy and made room for all our dishes and plates, it was disheartening to have unfinished food thrown away.

We ordered two of the three desserts on the menu. While the Sugar Pie sounds amazing, we were warned that it was a big pie. Instead, we tried Apples with cedar, miellat, and cashew (pictured above) and Chocolate with five different textures (pictured below).

The group consensus favoured the chocolate dessert. The chocolate cubes were surprisingly light, cold, and had quite a unique texture. Paired with a spoonful of everything else on the plate, it was delicious.

Would we go back for the fried chicken meal? Probably not. Would we go back to Daishō? Yes, we still want to try the other large format dinners like the bo ssäm, porchetta, beef short rib, and if we save up for it, the beef ribeye.

Looking Back: 2011

Happy New Year! How many of you celebrated all night long and did the countdown? We did. That is why we thought it would be best to have this post scheduled. ;)

We missed doing this in 2010 (we did it for 2008 and 2009), but we're bringing it back. Here's a look back at our favourite posts of 2011.

Howard's Top 3 Favourites:

1. Home Cooking: Sylvia's savory dinner because it's the best savory dinner she's made for me (even though it wasn't exclusively for me). 
2. Lady M Confections and Ladurée and Sucré: NYC in the rain because we made the day fun even though it could have easily been miserable. 
3. Kurt and Diana: KD's wedding because it was our first mass undertaking and we were able to pull it off with success (I hope).

Sylvia's Top 3 Favourites:

1. Lemon Soufflés: An impressive, delicious, and difficult dessert to master? Challenge accepted! I got to learn from my mistakes and gain an understanding to the not-so-secret creation of soufflés.
2. How: Pinwheel Cupcakes: This was something that I wanted to make for awhile, the idea danced in my mind for a couple of months, and they turned out quite nice! Whimsy!
3. Calvin and Hobbes Birthday Cupcakes: Fun. These were so fun to make and blog about.

We also wanted to start 2012 with a giveaway. We feel that this is the time of year when we all feel the most ambitious. Maybe this year you'll make healthier desserts or cook like a Michelin starred chef?

BabyCakes
Vegan, (Mostly) Gluten-Free, and (Mostly) Sugar-Free Recipes from New York's Most Talked-About Bakery
Written by Erin McKenna
For confectionists of all kinds, delicious alternatives lie within: Red Velvet Cupcakes, Chocolate Shortbread Scones with Caramelized Bananas, Strawberry Shortcake, and BabyCakes NYC’s celebrated frosting (so delicious it has fans tipping back frosting shots!), to name just a few.

Momofuku
Written by David Chang and Peter Meehan
Momofuku is both the story and the recipes behind the cuisine that has changed the modern-day culinary landscape. Chang relays with candor the tale of his unwitting rise to superstardom, which, though wracked with mishaps, happened at light speed. And the dishes shared in this book are coveted by all who've dined - or yearned to - at any Momofuku location (yes, the pork buns are here).


Giveaway Regulations and Conditions: 

• The New Year Giveaway is open from Sunday, January 1, 2012 to Thursday, January 12, 2012. Entries submitted after 12 midnight EST on Thursday, January 12, 2012 will not be considered. 
• There are three ways to enter, you only have to do one:
  1) Post in the comment section below:  I want to spend my new year reading ______________. (Fill in the blank with the title you would like to win.)
  2) Post on A Baked Creation's facebook page: I want to spend my new year reading ______________. (Fill in the blank with the title you would like to win.)
  3) To enter via twitter, tweet: I want to spend my new year reading ______________ with  @abakedcreation (Fill in the blank with the title you would like to win.) 
• Please leave a way for us to contact you.
• Winners will be randomly chosen and announced here on A Baked Creation. 
• The winners will have 7 days to claim their prize. If we do not get a mailing address, the prize is forfeited.
• This contest is available to residents of Canada and the U.S.A. only! However, if you have friends and family with a Canadian or American mailing address, feel free to enter. There will be four different winners, one for each book.
• Disclaimer: The giveaway copy of BabyCakes and Momofuku were not sent to us by the publisher.
• UPDATE: Winners have been chosen and notified! Congratulations to Rosebud5192 who will be receiving a copy of BabyCakes. Congratulations to Cat who will be receiving a copy of Momofuku.

Best of luck!

Mini Momofuku Tour

Aside from visiting all the dessert shops, Howard and I wanted to do a Momofuku tour. At the time of this post, there are four Momofuku restaurants in New York City: Noodle Bar, Ssäm Bar, Ko, and Má Pêche. In addition, there are Momofuku Milk Bars, but more on that later.

To plan it, we looked at the restaurant hours, checked which ones took reservations, and read through the menus. While we would have loved to eat at all four, we decided to skip Ko because it was out of our dining budget.

Má Pêche
15 West 56th Street
New York, NY 10019

Monday, we made reservations to have lunch at Má Pêche, not knowing how packed it would be. From our experience, not very! We probably could have walked in. To get to Má Pêche, you pass a Momofuku Milk Bar on the main level (which was, I have to admit, a huge distraction for me).

The hostess was friendly and took us downstairs to the dining room. There's a tiny bar to the right of the stairs, the kitchen straight ahead, and the tables arranged in a large "X" shape. The dining room has high ceilings since the main floor doesn't cover it.

Looking around, it looked like most of the other diners were having a business lunch. A few couples and casual groups. Howard and I probably stood out as tourists since we were dressed pretty casually.

Our waitress was nice and helpful, we asked for recommendations and chatted about the menu. She strongly suggested that we also visit Ssäm Bar.

I ended up picking the prix-fixe:

1. summer rolls - pork, lettuce, hoisin sauce, peanut (pictured above)

2. rice noodles - spicy chicken, bok choy, basil, tomatoes

3. compost cookie - from Momofuku Milk Bar

The summer rolls were not different from how we would make them at home. So this appetizer didn't shine, but what we both noted was how fresh it tasted. I'm not sure if freshness is a flavour or just a comment on how natural the ingredients are.

The rice noodle dish surprised me, it wasn't the kind of pasta I had expected from a French-Vietnamese restaurant. Nor was the chicken spicy! For Howard's entrée, he had the brisket with noodles, cabbage, and herbs. That dish had the pho noodles I liked!

Howard and I also shared the crispy pork shank with yogurt, lime, and jicama. While it is listed under large plates, it's not very big. We both probably had three bites each. That dish deserved to be tried, it was well-seasoned and tasty.

Sorry for the lack of photos, but it was dim inside the dining room and we just ate!

Momofuku Noodle Bar
171 1st Avenue
New York, NY 10003

Thursday, we were among the group of people waiting outside for lunch service to begin. We got to sit at the bar this time (click here for our first visit), but not the one facing the kitchen.

We don’t usually get a drink, but the lychee soju slushie (pictured above) sounded fun. It was pretty strong, I could have used more lychee. =P

To start, we got the famous pork buns, filled with hoisin, scallion, and cucumber. How do they get the pork so soft and lush?

I was there to try the kimchi stew with braised kimchi, pork shoulder, and rice cakes... but they were out of rice cakes. So here is my second choice, the spicy chicken ramen with tuscan kale, smoked sesame, and nori.

Howard got the chilled spicy noodles again! The waitress had to ask if he’s had it before because this dish is spicy, so be warned!

Momofuku Ssäm Bar
207 2nd Avenue
New York, NY 10003

Friday, in the pouring (and I mean pouring) rain, we made it to Ssäm Bar for their duck dishes! FYI, they have hand dryers in the washroom, it helped me dry off a little bit.

We saw the sign on the door, reminding customers to keep the volume down for the neighbours. We can see how fun and rowdy this place can get during happy hour and into the night. The dark wood furnishing was nice and the open kitchen is always fun to watch.

At that time, there was someone taking photos inside the kitchen... hmm another cookbook project or a reporter?

It was counter service at lunch, so we ordered and took our playing card sign to a table of our choice.

The fried duck dumplings with summer beans and sriracha mayo. The dumplings were nicely fried, not overly oily or greasy. I didn’t care for the dip, but I’m not a fan of mayo.

The spicy fingerling potatoes with chili black bean sauce was appetizing. Howard mentioned that his father also makes a similar flavour (but not with potatoes).

Mmm our main dish! Rotisserie duck over rice with duck scallion, ssäm sauce, and crispy shallot. We went all out and added the lettuce and chive pancake.

Momofuku, we applaud you for making pork and duck taste so good.

We look forward to what Momofuku brings to Toronto next year!

Momofuku Noodle Bar

We almost missed it.

We almost couldn't find it!

We actually had an outdated map (in our defense, we thought it was up-to-date) on this trip. Some of the stores and shops listed were no longer in business or had moved just a couple of blocks down. So, we found the spot were our map said Momofuku would be and after looking up and down the street, we decided to ask a taxi driver.

Howard: Hi, do you know where Momofuku is?
Taxi Driver: What?
Howard: Momofuku.
Taxi Drive: Momo...?
Howard: Momofuku
Taxi Driver: What's that?
Howard: A restaurant...
Taxi Driver: No, sorry.

I was in the middle of searching for free wifi with my iPod, when we were saved! A very nice pair were just turning the corner and overheard Howard's conversation with the Taxi Driver. They told us that they were actually on their way to Momofuku and we were welcomed to follow them.

Yes, please!

We thanked them and scurried after the quick walking pair. The guy was from California visiting the girl. She was currently living in New York, but was originally from the same part of Toronto as us! Unbelievable!

Here, we made it:

Momofuku Noodle Bar
171 First Avenue
New York City, NY 10003
(212) 777-7773

We parted ways with the friendly pair in Momofuku as they were actually seated at the bar (lucky). We squeezed in to share a table in the middle of the restaurant with another group who were already enjoying their appetizers.

The lunch menu for August 17, 2010. They have prix fixe meals, very tempting (chocolate chip cake truffles!), but a bit out of our lunch budget for 3 people...

The customer service there was really good. They understood that they had lots of customers and did their best to be quick, clever, and courteous.

At first, all three of us wanted the Momofuku Ramen, but I persuaded the guys that we should try all three noodles on the menu. Dispite their whining, my brother listened and ordered the Ginger Scallion Noodles that had pickled shiitakes, cucumber, and menma.

It was really good! Something that I would order again because it was perfect for a hot summer day. The combination of the ingredients made the noodles taste very fresh and spring-like.

In the end my brother prefered his noodles over mine! See? It all worked out to everyone's favour!

Howard can handle the heat. So he got the Chilled Spicy Noodles that contained Sichuan spiced sausage, spinach, and cashews.

I tried one small strand of noodle and it was spicy!! But so good. So I only recommend it if you can handle it. Our very clever waitress came by many times to refill our glasses of water. =)

Again, in the end, Howard preferred his order to mine!

Finally, the Momofuku Ramen with pork belly, pork shoulder, and a poached egg. Picture perfect of what I expect when I think ramen.

Howard wanted to go back for the rest of the week. Ever since we've been home, he's whined for Momofuku at least 5 times this week. You know Howard, we do have the cookbook if you want to try your hand at making it yourself. =P