Date attended: 1 March 2013 Style: Restaurant, Open Kitchen Cuisine: Japanese and Modern Australian What to look out for: Signature Steamed Bun Pork Belly and Beef Wagyu
“Just like the interior aesthetics of Momofuku Seiōbo, their dishses are even more so - clean and minimal.”
Momofuku Seiōbo was all the rave back in 2013. In fact, having write up this post now in Dec 2015 - it’s still quite the fuss today.
Well, get ready as we go through a whopping 10-course lunch degustation; eating our way though for 3 hours! Suffice to say, I couldn’t move after that seating. As I am completely unfiltered and like to overshare, I went to the bathroom 3 times for this.
Plot twist: I’ve gone through a longer seating – nearly 6 hours – and a bigger course degustation – 15-courses. You can read about it here (add Vue de Monde degus here). But for now, let’s focus on Momofuku Seiōbo.
Smoked Potato Apple
A closer look of the Smoked Potato Apple
Momofuku Seiōbo’s signature Steamed Bun Pork Belly
Pink Snapper, Celery, Mustard
Potato, Roe, Parson’s Nose
Eel Dashi, Turnip, Almond
Onion, Burnt Leek, Yolk
Hapuka, Cucumber, Black Garlic
Wagyu Beef, Lettuce
A closer look on the marbling of that Wagyu Beef…
Curd, Blackcurrant, Mint
Pear, Honey Cream, Muntries
And in case you weren’t full enough, they threw in a Homemade Chocolate filled Donut
What Lexxie Says: This was quite the menu for a degustation. You’re probably wondering what I meant by that. Well, let me break it down for you.
In terms of aesthetics of the restaurant, it was minimalist-like; an open kitchen on one side of the restaurant with a Bar, and then dim lighting throughout the restaurant. Essentially it was a little dark to see out in the distance unless there was light illuminating from above.
Let’s start off with the look and feel of their degustation menu. Just like the interior aesthetics of Momofuku Seiōbo, their dishses are even more so - clean and minimal. Even the simplest of the dishes, the Steamed Bun Pork Belly and the Curd, Blackcurrant, Mint were quite clean; matching Momofuku Seiōbo’s minimalist-like interior. If anything, the Pear, Honey Cream, Muntries looked as though it didn’t match the continuous look and design of the degustation menu – but still beautiful through my eyes. That Chocolate filled Donut – totally left field, like totally. Bit of a ‘What the? What’s that doing here?’ moment.
Of course, looks are one thing – taste is another. As always, negatives first.
The Donut. Didn’t quite understand its presence at the time. However, thinking back on it, I think they may have been testing something new in the kitchen. Or it seemed like a very playful element towards the end all that hard work from the kitchen. It’s not that I didn’t enjoy the Donut (I am a sweet tooth, after all), I just didn’t see a purpose of it for this degustation.
Ok – on to positives. Yes, there are no more negatives, and even then I don’t really consider the Donut a negative in terms of taste.
My absolute favourite dish of that degustation was the Beef Wagyu. I must say, it was one of the best cooked meats I’ve had, ever. It was soft and tender, it was marbled beautifully and melted in your mouth. I could’ve eaten an entire plate of it. It wasn’t part of the degustation menu and was a substitute from a lamb dish as part of the original degustation menu they were serving. No regrets.
The other favourite was their signature Steamed Bun Pork Belly. These days, almost every Asian restaurant have their own variation of it. But Momofuku Seiōbo make amazing soft buns that are fluffy and the pork belly was rendered and spiced perfectly. Also the best Steamed Bun Pork Belly I’ve ever had so far. Beware – once you have one, you’ll be wanting more.
So now you see why I mentioned it was quite the menu for a degustation. I would certainly love to go back again and see what their new menu holds.
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