You’ve probably heard of the Potato Potato Potato dish at Somssi, the newest restaurant from Na:eun Hospitality. The triple-layered potato dish is the most labor-intensive dish on the menu but has also become the most popular order, with the kitchen going through up to 100 pounds of potatoes each week. The whimsical, caviar-topped dish really encapsulates what the restaurant is trying to achieve: “We should have serious food, serious hospitality, but we shouldn’t take ourselves too seriously,” says managing partner Ahris Kim. Here’s how the Somssi kitchen preps to create the newly famous potato and plenty of other dishes before a night of service.
Yukon gold potatoes are put through a ricer to become a cream and butter-heavy puree that is set in molds in the freezer. After being toasted in breadcrumbs, the logs of potato are wrapped in russet potato ribbons before being fried up to order.
Next is the ox tongue, which is brined for just over 16 hours before being slow-cooked in herbs, aromatics, and beef tallow for four hours. Huge cuts of tongue are carefully scored so they will get a great sear when they hit the grill. It’s served on a romesco sauce with just a bit of wasabi on the side.
Finally, pork loin is coated in ground shrimp for a creative schnitzel that is reminiscent of shrimp toast. The schnitzel is topped with a sweet-and-sour plum sauce that balances out the thick, crispy fried exterior. Scallop crudo is made up of pressed scallops surrounded with a strawberry sauce and topped off with gooseberries and peppers.