Yes! The owners of
the successful restaurant chain in Melbourne have finally decided to spread
their wings and expand their food empire to Sydney. The best part, is that they
have also bought along a selection of the classic MoVida dishes.
On this unbearably
hot summer night, I chose to take my good old friend to MoVida, for a
long-overdue catch up. It was so hot that night that I barely had any appetite.
Thankfully the back street Surry Hills restaurant had their air conditioner on
full blast and the dining area was pleasantly cool. Coupled with the warm and
welcoming smile from the floor staff on arrival, my night kicked off to a great
start.
The setting of the
restaurant is casual and cozy. The walls made of raw bricks but much of the
internal area has been decked out with a lot of warm-coloured wood. The dark
leather seats gave the restaurant a slight edge and adds to the character.
Large floor to ceiling windows ensures that as much natural light is allowed in
before the sun sets. On the front is a display of their seafood and oysters, to
your left is the main dining area and to your right are high-top tables and the
bar. We were seated at the bar where we could clearly see all the action behind
it!
I started the night
with an icy glass of Sangria - a Spanish wine punch with fresh fruit. The name
of this famous Spanish drink, Sangria, is derived from the Spanish word 'Sangre'
which means 'blood'. The blood tasted so good, I ordered a jug to share - why
not?
Our first dish was
the Anchoa - Artisan Cantabrian Anchovy with smoked tomato sorbet on a flat
sourdough crouton. The Spanish take their anchovies very seriously and here at
MoVida, they use the finest anchovies from Cantabria. The anchovy meat was firm,
meaty and not too salty and balanced out with baby capers and the rustic tang of
the smoked tomato sorbet. This dish was heavenly. A recipe to this amazing
dish is posted on the MoVida website and I am going to have to give this a try at
home soon!
Our next dish was the
Bocata De Buey - tender pieces of wagyu wrapped around a hard hollow baguette,
topped with tocino de cielo (a Spanish style custard), pickled and black garlic,
edible flowers and chopped chives. This dish is bold and is beautiful, and
tastes as good as it looks! If asked whether I would change anything, I may
suggest a substitute for the air baguette which I found a little too hard for
this tender and delicate dish.
Then followed the
Salmonjero - a thick and creamy tomato puree soup originating from Cordoba in
Southern Spain. The soup was served chilled with a long chunky piece of jamon
and boiled quail egg.
Oysters were
offered on the menu and again I could not resist and ordered two serves each of
the Ostra - Sydney rock oysters shucked to order and served with Manzanilla
jelly and compressed watermelon. Though the oysters were evidently very fresh
and served nicely chilled, I didn't find that the flavours of the condiments
worked too well with the creaminess of the rock oysters.
Now to my favourite
dish for tonight, Cecina - large thinly sliced air cured wagyu beef served with
a big dollop of truffle foam topped with a poached egg. The cured wagyu slices
were slightly salty and very tender. Prior to eating you would wrap the truffle
foam and poached egg with the wagyu into a parcel and cut right into it to enjoy
all the flavours together at once. The truffle foam and poached egg harmonised
the saltiness of the wagyu and the dish reached a heavenly equilibrium. My
taste buds danced a little salsa on the spot and my eyes sparkled so much, the
patrons sitting adjacent us immediately ordered a serving too!
Our final dish was
the Flor Con Calamares - braised zucchini flowers filled with smoked eel
brandade and served with grape tomatoes and fresh calamari. Don't let the
appearance of this dish fool you, the calamari was the star of this dish (not
the zucchini flowers!). The calamari were very fresh, sweet, juicy and
tender.
The conclusion -
MoVida Sydney was well worth the wait. Bring an old friend or two, arrive early
(very early to avoid a long queue - we turned up at 6pm), order a few tapas
dishes, pick and chew away, lay back for a relaxed chat and enjoy the warm
ambience the restaurant offers. Order again and repeat the process until you are
satisfied you have enjoyed the best Frank Camorra has to offer!
The service was a
bit of hit-and-miss though. Good service is like the icing on a cake and can
really make or break a dining experience. Having heard many people rave about
the good service at MoVida, I came convinced my old friend would have an
enjoyable night, but admittedly left with a bit of disappointment. Perhaps the
staff member who served us was having a bad day? Nonetheless, the heart poured
into the dishes is evident and I will return.
xx
50 Holt
Street
Surry Hills NSW
2010
(02) 8964
7642
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