Momofuku Seiōbo, Pyrmont

Dave Chang has been one of my favorite culinary personalities for a very long time; he just seems like the coolest guy. Momofuku Seiōbo was the first restaurant in Dave’s empire to be “born” outside of NYC. I remember sitting in class in 2011 and monitoring all the seiōbo chatter online instead of doing my work. It’s not the most price-friendly establishment in Sydney so it’s taken me 3 years to finally add it to my rolodex of eats and it is definitely a personal highlight.

I absolutely love open kitchens (even when I don’t sit near them) because I get to see how professional chefs operate. The Momofuku Seiōbo kitchen is headed up by Ben Greeno and his crew is quiet, focussed, and wipe down their surfaces very often. It’s also great to have a chef come out with each course and explain it to you, as menus aren’t provided until you’ve finished your meal. The constantly changing tasting menu is meant to celebrate Aussie produce and can be consumed with a wine pairing or a juice pairing.

Course 1-3: crab, chickpea; zucchini, black garlic; urchin, furikake paired with sparkling tea

A small plate of amuse-bouches comes out to start the meal; little bites in small pastry shells. I started with the sea-salty crab on chickpea puree. A good fresh start. Next came the spheres of zucchini on some sweet black garlic. Finally, uni. Uni makes me cry. It’s so creamy and beautiful… I think I’m tearing up.

Course 4: parson’s nose, roe

Parson’s nose is a fancy word for chicken tail, a not-often seen ingredient in cooking. Without proper cleaning, it can have a rather unpleasant flavor. The saltiness of the roe is very complimentary to the crispy and fatty fried tails. Delicious.

Course 5: cep, hazelnut

Rectangles of toast are covered in mushroom puree and dusted with a copious amount of finely shaved hazelnut. It’s like a pleasant fluffy cloud with the occasional piece of hazelnut.

Course 6: scallop, kombu, duck broth paired with watermelon juice

The centrepiece of this is a simple raviolo filled with a whole scallop. It sits atop a small mound of firm house-made ramen noodles. At the bottom of the bowl are a few spoonfuls of a rich smoked duck broth.

Course 7: beef, radish, fermented black bean paired with rhubarb soda

This is definitely one of the most aesthetically pleasing dishes I’ve ever eaten. We were instructed to give everything a good stir before eating. At the bottom of the bowl is a mix of fermented black bean sauce, wagyu and, if I had to guess, rhubarb. The artfully constructed mound of colourful root vegetable slices is dusted with fermented black bean.

Course 8: marron, pea, pistachio paired with apple and fennel juice

This dish looks so simple. The marron is accompanied by what seems to be a creamy mustard and Worcestershire sauce. It’s a little confusing to see something that looks wholly like peas but tastes like pistachio.

Course 9: john dory, broccoli, lemon paired with cucumber and lemon myrtle juice

Another simple dish; soft delicate john dory with almond slices, lemon and broccoli puree. The lemon is so tart that I understand why only a small squeeze was necessary. Thinking back, the fish is so buttery that I just might cry (again).

Course 10: partridge, truffle, endive paired with roasted green tea, barley, and kombu

The partridge is crispy skinned and cooked to about medium; just the way I like it. Initially I had no idea why the fresh endive tasted buttery but after observing the kitchen in between courses, I figured it out. Another piece of endive has been cooked down and dusted with kombu. This was one of my favorites.

Course 11: duck, rye, swede paired with black current and thyme juice

Swedes are a nice replacement for the more traditional potatoes. Scoring on the lightly smoked duck means it’s basically pre-portioned for you! Plus, I’m always thankful for a thin layer of fat underneath crispy skin.

Course 12: ewe’s curd, choux, rose paired with rose and lychee juice

Ewe’s curd has a pleasant tartness similar to frozen yogurt. Lashes of pale pink rose flavoured syrup decorate the plate. The choux has “pineapple bun”-like cracks, and resembles a crunchy planet with sweet rings; kind of like a yummy dessert Saturn.

Course 13: corn, chervil, anise paired with ginger and lemon soda

A slab of meringue seems to be dusted with a smattering of anise powder. Chervil ice cream is not something you would be used to, it’s got a slight taste of aniseed and for some reason it reminds me of freshly mown grass… in a good way. The smooth corn custard works well the rest of the plate.

Course 14: artichoke, pear, sunflower

Translucent slices of burnt pear are arranged in a pretty flower on top of some soft artichoke slices and what seems to be a caramel. It’s decorated by a handful of sunflower seeds and sunflower petals. The taste of burnt pear is delicious but ephemeral because the slices are so thin!

Course 15: canelés

Seiōbo has been known to end a meal with a savory bite but in a twist, we were served a traditional petit four: canelés. The dark crust covers a soft, spongy, and sweet inside. A simple but great last bite.

The parting gift were small packets of a special Momofuku blend of tea from Newtown’s T Totaler. It’s a nice memento that would probably last a lot longer than kimchi. There are some things I would have loved to try such as: the infamous pork belly buns, Dave’s katsuobushi, and a “Seiōbo egg” (Ko got one so I think Seiōbo should get one).

I love the fact that I’m trying a Good Food Guide three-hatted tasting menu while a playlist consisting of artists like AC/DC and Wu-Tang clan plays. I spy two photos of Angus Young; the only things decorating the place. A pretty accurate reflection of the establishment: bending the conventions and rules. Hidden away in the The Star, I consider this establishment a gem and I’m glad I finally got to try it.

Momofuku Seiōbo
The Star, 80 Pyrmont St
Pyrmont NSW
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