Duck, Duck, Duck
You've had the Momofuku Noodle Bar fried chicken dinner and the Momofuku Ssäm Bar bo ssäm, and you think the Momofuku crew can't one-up themselves. It just can't get better. Then you have the Má Pêche beef seven ways as imagined by David Chang's co-chef Tien Ho, and after a good, but less transcendental experience, you think, "Yup, they met their match. It just didn't click the way the other two did."
So you're skeptical when you hear about a second large format reservation at Ssäm Bar. But you have the duck lunch and after a great meal you're intrigued and you go ahead and make the rotisserie duck dinner reservation. From there you never look back.
Order some pickled vegetables while you wait for the platter: chive pancakes, Bibb lettuce, hoisin, duck scallion, crispy shallots, and your choice of two sides. The duck has a crispy skin and the meat inside is so moist, airy, and juicy that it's hard to believe. It's almost like duck breast masquerading with sausage flavor. And then there's the duck confit patty they slide in there. Crispy, juicy, and crazy good. You make your Bibb taco with breast, confit, sauces, scallion, and shallots, and forget Chinatown Peking duck altogether. And for these reasons this dish made my list of most memorable meals of 2011.