The Other Critics

Bruni Loves Ssäm Bar Even More; BarBao Reimagines Vietnamese

Frank Bruni raises his estimation of Momofuku Ssäm Bar: “I’ve circled back because eating at Ssam feels so unencumbered, honest and joyful, and because I can’t stop reflecting on the daring and importance of Mr. Chang’s work there.” [NYT]

BarBao is a Tribeca restaurant on the Upper West Side, writes Steve Cuozzo, who thinks Michael “Bao” Huynh is doing for Vietnamese food what Michael Psilakis did for Greek cuisine at Anthos. [NYP]

Ryan Skeen is comfortable at Irving Mill, and his confidence and enthusiasm for “a meaty menu of generously portioned, geographically ambiguous food” extends to the wait staff, observes Jay Cheshes. [TONY]

Gael Greene also visited Irving Mill this week and raves about dishes that range from “weird and wonderful” (deep-fried minced pork toast) to “merely marvelous” (ribs). [Insatiable Critic]

Missy Robbins’s food more than makes up for the bland décor and chatty server at A Voce, writes Alan Richman. Her cooking is “exceptional, not simply because it tasted good but because it was unusually multifaceted for Italian cuisine.” [Forked/GQ]

Obikà is remiss in not serving cow’s-milk mozzarella, but Robert Sietsema calls the buffalo mozzarella “stunning.” [VV]
Related: Rome’s Obikà Mozzarella Bar Opens in Manhattan [NYM]

Ryan Sutton has breakfast at Momofuku Milk and swoons over the egg muffin, the cookies, and nearly everything else. Pastry chef Christina Tosi is “reinventing American fast food for the gourmet set,” he declares. [Bloomberg]
Related: Q&A; With Christina Tosi [NYM]

Danyelle Freeman is surprised by her delight at Rouge Tomate’s healthy menu: “Usually the thought of self-consciously healthy food makes me depressed … [b]ut I don’t feel that way at Rouge Tomate.” [NYDN]
Related: A Tour of Rouge Tomate

The bourbon beats the food at Char No. 4, writes Lila Byock, but some dishes — the house-cured bacon, the cornflake-crusted oysters, and the honey-roasted chicken — are worth staying sober for. [NYer]

Bruni Loves Ssäm Bar Even More; BarBao Reimagines Vietnamese