Tomorrow, Frank Bruni reviews Momofuku Ssäm Bar. Today, the Eater oddsmakers have set the action as follows:
Zero Stars: 5-1It's a big day for big David Chang. His new menu is unquestionably lights-out, but Ssäm doesn't fit into the traditional model of a Restaurants restaurant; it was $25 and Under-ed at the outset, after all. The very conservative bet here is one star, with enthusiastic commentary from the Bruni. Two stars would recognize the genius of Ssäm and the reality that the Times is the Times and the system is the system and to bet on more is to be betting on a real watershed moment. Three stars is the bet we'd take if we didn't know better, because the food is that good—and on the rice cakes bolognese alone, Chang is making every chef in NY very nervous. That said, we're going with a blockbuster two stars and praying we'll ever get a seat in the place again.
One Star: 3-1
Two Stars: 2-1 ??
Three Stars: 6-1
Four Stars: 25,000-1
· Momofuku Ssam Bar [NYT; after 8:00 PM]
?? denotes the Eater bet.
