MoMo

3rd August 2011

Now this restaurant was a true epic dining experience with staff and a restaurateur that understand that a true dining experience is more than just great food but also remembers that the food is the most important part of the experience. From the moment you pressed the elevator button and the music from the restaurant played in the elevator to the 2 hosts getting the elevator for me on the way out, this was a polished superb dining experience in all regards.

Once the lift doors opened, you were greeted by an opulent and beautiful dining room with plush carpet, comfortable chairs and crystal chandeliers. After being seated, i was offered the drinks menu and decided to start with a Turkish Delight Martini. Tasting amazingly like Turkish delight with a strong rose flavour it was a spectacular drink.

The host came up after this and offered the menu stating that they normally do mostly sharing menus but as there would only one would enquire with the kitchen whether they could do a modified sharing menu for one. I agreed and went for the Arabesque sharing menu which featured 2 entrees, 2 mains accompanied with 2 side dishes, Desert Mezze and fruit and sorbet to finish for $130. A reasonably expensive price but given the amount of food being offered it was decent value.

Just before any courses were served it was offered a rose scented hand towel to freshen up. Before the entrees came out (as if i needed more food) they served warm bread, Turkish spiced crisp vegetables and a sweet molasses dipping oil. The dipping oil was beautiful and sweet and the combo was excellent. 

After the breads despite having a paper and study to be going on with they also inquired whether i would like to read on of Greg's travel / food books from turkey. Another little touch and unasked for request that added another layer to the service.

The entrees both came out together which would be customary with the sharing style menu but given i was alone was a rare little thing they didn't think of. The first entree i tried was the duck breast roasted on the bone served on a bed of creamy lentil - burghal pilav and baby beets. Tender slightly pink duck breast with a fragrant and spiced pilav was a revelation and a true wonder of a dish. Perfectly put together and matching of flavours with amazing presentation and colour. WOW!

The other entree was a gingered rabbit terrine with a small salad and a whipped dip containing fior Du lait (type of mozzarella). The robust and powerful flavour of the terrine was well matched by the light dip and salad. Great dish.

With main course i decided to order a glass of wine. Having not finished my cocktail they offered to re chill the cocktail whilst i had the wine as well. They also gave an explanation of the type of wine and warned that whilst the wine would match with the two main courses, it was a very powerful wine with a bold flavour that some people wouldn't like. The wine arrived promptly after ordering and in time to be served with my main course. Another tick on the already top notch service being provided.

The first main course to come out was the quail in dukkah crumbs, stuffed with cardamon bacon and served with a mushroom and bean stew with verjuice. The rich gamey flavours of the quail and bacon were combined with the dukkah crumbs for an amazing flavour but it was the exquisitely flavour verjuice that stole the show.

This course was also accompanied with the first side - the goat's milk haloumy fritters with almond and leatherwood honey. The goat's milk haloumy was cooked in a beautiful light tempura batter and covered with the almond and honey. Soft delicate and delicious and of the 2 sides this was perfectly matched to this main dish by the staff.

The second course was a signature dish from Greg Malouf and one of the favourites of other guests and the wait staff. It was the duck bisteeya. Confit duck covered in a filo pastry and topped with icing sugar and Cinnamon. Served with a lime and cabbage salad and served with a side of whipped dutch cream potatoes with french butter and pine nuts. The bisteeya was everything that the staff had said and was one of the best dishes i have ever eaten. Rich duck served in a crisp filo pastry with a slight sweetness from the icing sugar and Cinnamon contrasted and worked amazingly. Combined with the fresh salad and mash it was exquisite.

Following the main course was the dessert mezze. Three small desert on the one plate - one a Persian saffron tart with passonfruit curd and mascarpone cheese, the next a lemon and orange flower ice cream with a hazelnut and dried rose crumble and finally the hot chocolate and Kahlua cake stuffed with whipped Medjool date. Deserts was equally amazing as the savoury dishes with the chocolate cake being my favourite especially the whipped liquid date centre.

Following the desert plate was a plate of fruit and sorbet with pistachio halva. By this stage i was beginning to feel full and only had a few pieces of the extremely fresh and tasty fruit. I enjoyed the sorbet immensely but have always disliked halva i only tried a little to know that this food was too chalky and not for me even cooked at a 2 hat restaurant. Accompanying this was the Darjeeling tea which was served in two beautiful tea cups and tasted as good as it was presented.

Served with the tea was 3 petit fours, a Florentine, Turkish delight and a walnut bread with coffee mouse. Again a notch up from your regular Turkish delight and Florentine whilst the mousse was excellent.

From the opulent dining room, the top notch silver service and amazing first rate food this was how fine dining should be and was an extravagant and amazing experience. Normally i look forward to the next restaurant as the new and exciting usually trumps the restaurant i have just been too but this place i looked forward to going back to and would recommend again and again. It was truly a class performance from first to last and well worth the extravagant price tag that accompanied it. Favourite restaurant so far and there is a decent margin.