Smallwares' Ssam-Style Feasts Shake Up Typical Family-Style Fare

Image: Stuart Mullenberg
This season, gather with your loved ones for some serious feasting at Smallwares and its slinky, red-lit boîte, Barwares, where chef Johanna Ware prepares a trio of gorgeous ssam-style dinners that feed up to eight people for less than $150. The mash-up-loving chef offers both a cumin-perfumed Chinese/Middle Eastern riff on lamb and Korean-gone-Southern barbecued pork spareribs. Her stylish take on a traditional Korean-meets-Northwest family meal centers on a massive whole roast salmon (above). Fragrant with ginger and cilantro, the fish is carved table-side and served with a rainbow of sweet-tart, spicy, and funky dipping sauces, pickles, and kimchis, from apple to cabbage. Tuck all those savory goodies in crisp scallion pancakes, ruffle-edged lettuce, or nori. Every bite is a flavor-zinging present. Ssam-style dinners require 72-hour notice. Call for reservations.