Nash and I always book an indulgent dinner when we’re celebrating something, so we decided on Momofuku Shoto for our Christmas date.
There’s no à la carte menu, only a tasting menu for $120, full of surprises if you’ve never been. We were seated with others around an open kitchen where we curiously watched as the chefs in front of us shuffled about. We also spoiled ourselves with the $85 drink pairing, meticulously curated drinks for many of the courses. I didn’t take a photos of most of the bottles because I was too busy listening to why each drink went so well with the dish! The world of drinks is still a mystery to me.
Our first snack was a Chawanmushi, an egg custard that was delicate and smooth.
Then we had a smoked mackerel fritter.
And an anchovy puff. All three of these snacks went with a white ale from Japan called Hitachino’s Nest.
Those were just the snacks! Here are the mains:
Striped bass – kale, pink peppercorn, habanero
Drink pairing – Chardonnay, Domaine Baud: Blank de Blancs
The bass was super fresh and I would not think to ever pair it with kale, but it worked and provided a compliment of texture.
Dry aged sirloin- tokyo turnip, mustard green
Drink pairing – Junmai Miyasaka Brewing Co.: Okuden Kanzukuri
I loved the crunchy texture of the flakes of rice in the beef.
Lobster- sea urchin, diver scallop
Drink pairing – 2013 Chardonnay, Pearl Morisette: Cuvee Metis
There was an impressive emulsion of the lobster shell that made me want to learn food science. There was a delicate heat to this dish that paired so well with the chardonnay.
Noodle- lamb, sichuan, celery
Drink pairing – 2014 Pinos Gris, J.M. Sohler: Grand Cru Winzenberg
The lamb was so tender, and noodles perfectly cooked.
Cod – wild rice, ginger, chive
Drink pairing – 2011 Marsanne + Friends, Chateau Lascaux
This cod melted in my mouth and I loved the broth so much I sipped it straight from the bowl when (I thought) no one was looking.
There was a palette cleanser after the cod of sourdough bread and sweet sorghum butter.
Muscovy duck – cabbage, kabocha, sorghum
Drink pairing – 2014 Syrah, Frederic Brouca, Faugeres
The roasted kabocha (a winter squash) was one of my favourite parts of this dish. The duck was also delectable.
Welsh Rarebit – 5 year old cheddar, comté, truffle
Real truffles are always a treat and this fried cheese was to die for.
I have a secret: I hate raisins, but the fact that they transformed an ingredient I hated into a delicious ice cream with lovely flavour profile proves their mastery of tastes.
Cashew & Maple
Leche flan
The desserts were all paired with: Barolo Chinato Cocchi from Italy.
We were very impressed with every part of our meal at Momofuku Shoto. It was fun and exquisite. We haven’t been to the other restaurants in the family yet, but we’re excited to try them too!
Tiana Feng 