Momofuku Seiōbo, Pyrmont

Sometimes I forget that I am my mother’s child. I forget that things that I enjoy doing, eating or drinking could be from her genes working inside of me. I remember her telling me that when she was in her early 20s she would always go out to eat at high class restaurants. I was so shocked that we shared this love for fine dining and kept questioning her, since nowadays all she does is complain about how the cost of a bowl of pho is now $14. Turns out that ever since she met my dad she’s become a lot more money cautious and only spends money for a meal that is oversized and hearty. I couldn’t help but have this in the back of my mind as I was planning my birthday. I wanted her to have a taste of her 20s again and to show her how dramatically the food scene has changed since then. It didn’t take a lot of time before I chose Momofuku Seiobo at The Star for my birthday dinner as I am in awe of David Chang and his contribution to the revolution of the fine dining scene. 

As I am an incredibly organised person in anything food related (the only thing I am actually organised in), I booked my dinner at Momofuku around two months in advance to ensure I got myself a highly coveted table for me and my dining companions, mum included. Reservations must be made to dine there, but walk-ins are free to sit at the bar and choose from the bar menu. We decided on just getting the tasting menu which is $185 per person, but you can have a beverage pairing which is an additional $60 up to $105, depending on what you decide on.

Walking in, we are warmly greeted and taken straight to our table. The dining area is small, dimly lit and intimate. We sit down and are given a choice of still or sparkling water, and told that we are about to begin.

Sea urchin, furikake / zucchini, black garlic / carrot, mullet roe

The night starts with an amuse bouche, or what they called snacks. First comes out 3 thin biscuits that individually have different toppings. We begin with the zucchini and black garlic one, which at first is light and refreshing but then has a smoky aftertaste from the garlic. One of my dining companions likened it to barbeque flavoured chips which was responded with a look of dismay. Next was the carrot and mullet roe, the carrot puree was sweet and smooth while the mullet roe gave it pops of flavour to counteract the sweetness. Personally, my favourite was the sea urchin one which was the last one I tried. The sea urchin was fresh, salty and smooth.

Parson's nose, roe

Next was the parson’s nose with roe, on top of some crème fraiche. Biting into it, it was soft and tender while the outside was golden and crunchy. The crème fraiche gave it a nice lightness and it was incredibly moreish. 

Cep, hazelnut

The last of the snacks was hazelnut and porcini mushrooms on top of toast. The cep, also named porcini, was pureed and spread over the toast and had small pieces of hazelnut mixed throughout. That provided a nice crunch to the dish, while the hazelnut shavings were like a fine powder that really lifted this snack in its entirety.

Bug - mushroom, custard

I am a sucker for dinner and a show, so when they poured the shiitake broth into the bowl at the table I couldn’t help but stare in awe. The Moreton bay bug was beautifully fresh and succulent, the custard smooth and rich but it was the warm broth that really brought it all together. I also loved the addition of the thinly sliced mushrooms on top.

Beef - radish, fermented black bean

This dish was absolutely stunning as it hit the table as the thin slices of radishes were all perfectly placed into a neat dome. My mum loved this dish since she always gets excited about using black bean sauce, despite its pungency. The wagyu beef was expertly cut and seared but the highlight for me had to be those cubes of watermelon hidden within that were surprisingly soft and provided a slight sweetness but also an umami flavour.

Cauliflower - parsley, wood ear

Next was the cauliflower, with parsley puree and wood ear mushrooms. My older brother once said that if he had to go vegetarian he “would probably die” but when he ate this, he immediately wished he could have it at home. Who could blame him? The cauliflower was perfectly cooked and went well with the puree, while the crumb on top was buttery and gave the dish the saltiness and texture it needed. It was absolutely stunning.

Crab - corn, chickpea

It was fresh pasta time. Inside these pillows of goodness was mud crab and corn while on top was breadcrumbs and prosciutto. The freshness of the crab was well highlighted, and crab is probably my favourite crustacean so I well enjoyed this. The crumbs on top were an interesting addition and the pasta was well made and cooked al dente.  

Grouper - witlof, mustard

I loved the use of negative space for the plating of this dish, it really highlighted its simple beauty. My mum had a bit of a crisis because she was too distracted with digging in so she forgot to take a photo, but we calmed her down by saying that someone else had a photo on their camera and she went back to enjoying her meal. The fish was soft and perfectly cooked. The chef proudly showed off the beauty of Australian produce by telling us that it was from Queensland. The mustard in the celeriac puree was initially quite strong but with the witlof and fish, it all worked well together.

Duck - rye, swede

I couldn’t help but be excited when the smoked, crispy skinned duck was placed in front of me. It has been a longing of mine to try duck cooked this way. As we were all cutting into the crispy skin, the tempo of the restaurant’s music started to become very upbeat, intensifying the experience for us all, with one person saying it was “like we were on a journey together.” It really was though. The duck was cooked pink and melted in the mouth, with the fat well rendered and the skin crispy with flecks of salt on top for seasoning. The swede seemed to be braised and complemented the smokiness of the duck, and also mellowed the whole dish out. 

Rhubarb - yoghurt, koji

The savoury dishes ended here and the desserts began. We started with poached rhubarb, yoghurt sorbet and koji. The rhubarb was quite tart which worked well with the sourness of the sorbet. Towards the end of the dish, the sorbet melted into the rhubarb and they worked so well together you forgot they were two different components. The koji also gave the dessert a well needed crunch that brought it alive.

Ewe's curd - choux, rose

This dessert was a favourite at the table. Breaking into the choux and seeing those fresh vanilla pods was probably one of the prettiest sights of the night. The choux was crumbly and unlike any I’ve had before and worked well with the ewe’s curd within that was flavoured with the vanilla. The rose syrup finished the dessert off nicely and I was left scraping the plate.

Corn - chervil, anise

Initially, I thought this dessert was strange and that I wouldn’t be able to finish it. However, since the meringue was so crispy and sweet, the corn custard a silky consistency, the chervil ice cream well-made and the anise such a fine powder, it all worked so well together on one spoonful and I couldn’t get enough. It was also a good portion as towards the end it was getting a bit too sweet.

Canele

To end the meal we were given canele, which is a traditional French pastry. They look incredibly simple but they take a long time to produce and perfect. The outside is darkly caramelised as it is actually a custard mixture that is brought up to a very high temperature, while the inside remains a soft centre. The darkness of the crunchy exterior complemented the sweetness of the custard innards.

Chocolate mousse cake with cocoa nibs

The staff from Momofuku also prepared a birthday surprise for me, in my absolute favourite way – with chocolate. They placed in front of me a chocolate mousse cake with a glossy outside and cocoa nibs surrounding it. The mousse cake was decadent and you could tell it was made from good quality dark chocolate. There was also a biscuit base that cut through the richness of the mousse, and if I wasn’t full before this I was definitely full now.  

Our meal ended and our stomachs were pleasantly filled. Along with our bill came complimentary tea sachets that were made in Newtown just specially for the restaurant, which I am very excited to try at home. The service all throughout the meal was excellent and it even continued as we left as one of the staff saw us trying to take photos outside and offered to take a group photo of us. When later asked what I was going to do the rest of the night I said I was probably going to just sleep as I couldn’t think of anything that could beat the night I had. Thank you Momofuku for a memorable one, I will be back soon.