Momofuku Ko reservations (or not)

Perhaps you've read about the system for getting reservations at New York restaurant Momofuku Ko, or tried to eat there yourself.

To experience a meal at chef David Chang's new place, you must go to the website, create an account, log in before they start taking reservations a week in advance at 10 a.m., and click as fast as you can to nab one of the few, coveted spots. They only take reservations for 1, 2, and 4 people, and you must show ID that matches your reservation information.

There are only 12 seats. There is no cheating, no work-arounds. You can join forces with your friends to all start clicking exactly at 10, then take each other to dinner when you actually land a reservation. You can synch your computer clock with that of the restaurant's website. You can strategize about days, time slots, and processing times for each click. You can cross your fingers or hold a rabbit's foot. That's about it.

I want to eat there. Not because it plays hard to get, but because the food sounds amazing, an amalgam of Asia, France, and pure creativity involving bacon puree, pickles, lots of raw fishy things, and apple pie with miso. (OK, I'm aware that description just sounds crazy.)

This morning I made my first attempt. I set an alarm for 9:57 so I wouldn't forget. I synched clocks. I began clicking furiously a few seconds ahead of time. I did everything right! But when I clicked on one of the open spots, I got a better-luck-next-time message. It had already been snagged, along with every other slot.

Read about my near-certain next failure here tomorrow.