Note: I was invited to dine as a guest of Momoda and the Australian Good Food Guide, however all opinions are my own.
Momoda, a Chinese slang term for ‘kiss-kiss’, quietly opened up in the Melbourne Building in Civic a couple of months ago. A more laid-back sister restaurant of the upmarket Wild Duck in Kingston, Momoda offers an unconventional twist to Asian street food.
The restaurant fits about 100 people and is very spacious inside with a section to the side that can be used to hold a larger party/function.
We were invited to dine at lunch time on a leisurely Saturday. After being asked whether we drink cocktails, an assortment arrived at our table throughout the lunch. The first cocktail was the Peachy Keen (usually $18), consisting of peach makgeoli (Korean sparkling rice wine), Chambord, egg white, vodka, lychee and violet liqueur. This was a bit too girly and sweet for Mr FPJ. My mocktail consisted of Chinese sour prune juice, watermelon juice, pineapple, lime, lemon and mint. I loved that it was carefully balanced as I find most mocktails far too sweet. I asked about prices for mocktails (which are not listed on the drinks menu), and was told to expect to pay $8-$10 depending on the mocktail’s ingredients. I can live with that.
Mr FPJ asked for a coriander-less lunch, but other than that, we waited to be surprised with our food. A few small dishes arrived for us to sample. Mr FPJ tells me the crunchy lotus chips with sour prune mayo (usually $7) would be a perfect accompaniment with a beer after work. The cured salmon with kombu creme, apple, and soy sago (usually $14.80) was one of my favourite dishes. I thought the kombu creme enhanced the salmon, elevating the sea-based dish. I loved the strips of sweet apple on top that added juicy sweet freshness too.
The dragon-cut baby cucumber with strawberries, chilli, bocconcini and shan-xi aged vinegar (usually $9) is a dish I wouldn’t have ordered myself, but it was surprisingly very tasty. The sweet strawberries and fresh cucumber contrasted superbly with the tartness of the vinegar. The mild bocconcini helped to carry the flavours and tie it all together. It was such a unique and interesting take on essentially a salad.
Next to come out was the Peking duck bao with fennel, cucumber, shredded leek and plum sauce (usually $6). Though it wasn’t the traditional white steamed bao, the super soft buns were a nice alternative. We appreciated the thick chunk of duck meat provided. The thick cut King Oyster mushroom bao with pickled jalapeno, carrot, worcestershire sauce and wonton was equally pleasant and I liked the addition of the crispy wonton skin.
We both loved the Mongolian kangaroo spring rolls (usually $8 for two pieces) with Sichuan chilli salt, and a wombok and ginger salad. The spring rolls had been generously stuffed full of meat, some vegetables, herbs and spices. A must try!
The next round of drinks arrived. Momoda were testing a new cocktail to be placed on the menu, and at the time of dining, they had not yet settled on a name. It consisted of 45mls of Luzhou Langjiao Erqu Jiu, a Chinese spirit made of 52% alcohol, prune juice, tamarind puree and mandarin. Mr FPJ couldn’t describe it, though we’re told it’s a common spirit and people drink straight shots of it in China. I was happy with my virgin mojito. We also tried the recently introduced smoked scallop croquettes (usually $14). They had been filled with a hot creamy sauce and some crunchy water chestnuts, served with kimchi sauce.
The Momoda fried rice (usually $15) is another signature dish and very different to the regular Chinese restaurant fried rice we’ve all come to know. The Momoda fried rice incorporates Chinese fermented olives giving the rice its dark hue, snake beans, shiitake mushrooms, sweet corn and fish roe. We loved this unique twist. I don’t actually like olives (I always pick them out), so I was surprised that I liked this dish so much. It didn’t have that distinguishing strong olive taste about it. The fish roe added a fun popping sensation to each mouthful.
We also received a half-portion of the yu-xiang eggplant with red vinegar, sesame paste, ginger and dry chilli (usually $18 for the full portion). The warm fatty goodness of the eggplant was divine while contrasting with the carefully balanced sweet yet sour vinegar dressing. As with most tempura, the batter quickly went soggy so snap it up fast!
To finish off our lunch, two desserts arrived. First, I tried the black angel black sesame fried ice cream with charcoal bamboo crumble, and salty condensed milk (usually $9). I’m pretty sure this will be a crowd pleaser for those that love black sesame ice cream. The charcoal itself didn’t have much of a flavour so don’t worry about biting into something burnt.
It was a sweet dish with a bit more sweetness from the condensed milk on top. I loved it and would be happy to order another.
Then I dug into the bubble milk tea pannacotta with milk crumb and sago (price not yet available on the menu). I should have tried this dessert first as my first mouthful of pannacotta was bitter. The milk tea pannacotta had no sweetness to it, but made perfect sense when mixed in with the condensed milk tea and milk crumb. I love drinking bubble milk tea, so I was disappointed that the sago pearls weren’t the soft chewy pearls that can be found in the drink, rather these were a harder version.
One last cocktail arrived for Mr FPJ to sample. This was the Penang Curry (usually $18) consisting of vodka, Aperol, homemade curry and a tamarind base. Mr FPJ tells me it doesn’t quite taste like a curry or curry powder as the tamarind provides a sweet yet zingy undertone. He suggested perhaps a hit of chilli to give it some heat as well as a chilli garnish, and was quite chuffed when our bartender took on his advice (about the garnish). I believe the cocktail is still being tested out.
Momoda are about balanced modern Asian flavours, dishes designed for sharing and Asian-inspired cocktails. Apart from cocktails, the selection of beers on tap include Bentspoke, Pact Beer Co, Zierholz, Asahi as well as a Momoda lager. Mr FPJ would be happy to enjoy a beer with the lotus chips, kangaroo spring rolls, and Momoda fried rice. A good introduction might be to try the 2-course $15 express lunch, available everyday.
The manager at Momoda informed us that their Friday and Saturday nights are fully booked, so reservations are essential on those nights. Your late night party cravings can also be satisfied with the kitchen closing around midnight.
A big thanks to Momoda for having us!
Momoda
39-47 Northbourne Avenue (Melbourne Building)
Opening hours:
Monday to Saturday: 11am until late.
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