On September 30th, the final service at Momofuku Ssäm Bar, a restaurant that has made its mark in New York's dining history, will take place. David Chang, increasingly distant from the kitchen and focused on podcasts, series, and branded ready-to-eat products, continues to lead five establishments across the United States.
The news
Nothing lasts forever, especially in the ever-changing realm of cuisine. However, it's noteworthy that a restaurant that has been a cornerstone of New York's dining scene for the past two decades is closing its doors: David Chang's Momofuku, with its last service, as announced on social media, scheduled for September 30th. Opened in 2006, it's now in its second closure, which appears to be permanent.
"We will always be grateful to the teams of today and yesterday, who made this restaurant special over the past 17 years," reads the Instagram post dated September 8th. "It's hard to overstate the impact Ssäm Bar has had on Momofuku and beyond. Ssäm Bar is where we prepared our first Bo Ssäm and ducks and met so many people who remain part of the family. We believe in food as a means to connect, start conversations, and challenge the status quo. This ethos has been true at Ssäm Bar from day one at 207 Second Avenue and will continue to live on in everything we do through the Momoverse in the future."
In May 2020, in an attempt to address the financial hemorrhage caused by the pandemic, the group underwent a revolution. Due to the expiration of the lease contract, Ssäm Bar in the East Village, previously profitable, would relocate and merge with Bar Wayō in Manhattan, in a location destined to evoke nostalgia for its previous bohemian allure. On the other hand, the Italian-Korean concept Nishi in Chelsea and the Washington location were permanently closed.
The cuisine remained groundbreaking in its pan-Asian blend of high and low, bringing the flavors of Korean gastronomy to the Big Apple for the first time. It was an offering for everyone, both in terms of pricing and appeal. "My initial reaction is almost like a bulldozer, just to see what happens, because that's how I'm wired, and then I think ex post on what I could have broken," justifies Chang, who had even passed through Daniel Boulud's starched teams.
The group's intercontinental expansion, abruptly halted by the pandemic, led to the closure of several locations, while the sale of packaged products such as instant noodles became increasingly prominent. Chang himself delegated kitchen duties, focusing more on podcasts and TV series. Three establishments remain open in New York (Noodle Bar, Ko, and Bäng Bar), along with Momofuku in Las Vegas and Majordomo in Los Angeles.
Cover photo: @Wall Street Journal
