The Moomba - Aussie cuisine

Took the buddy here for a birthday lunch treat; before that I even enticed him with the idea of having an exotic meat - Char Grilled Kangaroo Loin. However, much to our dismay, this item was no longer in the menu.

Lucky for us, The Moomba has quite a large selection of starters, mains, and desserts to choose from and we quickly decided on our choices for the set lunch (priced $38++ for 2 courses and $42++ for 3 courses).

Naturally, we went for the 3-course option as it only costs $4 more for a dessert.

An open-kitchen concept

As you can see, the restaurant has a casual concept; nothing too fancy.

 

 photo credit: yumyumformytumtum
The buddy's starter: Bacon-wrapped Crayfish on Wilted Spinach with Poached Egg
Juicy, savory bacon paired with the natural sweetness of the crayfish, this was a delightful starter; with a perfectly poached-egg to boot.

*I lost a couple of photos, thus had to replace it with pictures from other food bloggers.

 photo credit: yumyumformytumtum

My starte: Iberico Ham with Brie croquette

Interesting fact: Iberico ham, also known as Jamon Iberico, is the finest ham in the world. The curing process of this prized meat takes much longer than the common ones, possibly because of the huge amount of fat on each ham.

So how do you tell if it's an Iberico? As you can see from the photo above, the meat is dark red and marbled with veins of fat, which are two characteristics of an Iberico ham.

Served paper-thin, it had a complex, intense flavour that increased with every bite. Sweet, nutty, and not salty-in-a-way-that-leaves-you-cringing. Best eaten with the sweetish fig and equally yummy Brie croquette.

Buddy's main: New Zealand Grilled King Salmon 

For a fish that has been done-to-death, this was perfectly executed. I loved how they grilled the salmon till it was slightly charred on the surface and meltingly-soft inside. This was served on a bed of pumpkin mash with a warm aubergine and tomato relish which were welcomed accompaniments to the main star.

Mine: Confit of Duck, nestled on garlic mashed potato and served with vine tomatoes, corn kernels, caramelized fig and smoked duck breast.

A few bites after, I immediately regretted my choice of main and wished that I'd gone for the Mushroom Risotto instead :( 1) The skin wasn't as crispy and flavourful as its French counterpart. 2) Although sufficiently tender, the flesh of the duck wasn't the fork-tender, rich-tasting kind that I had expected.

Well, I still polished it up anyway. Not that it was lousy, but I've had other mind-blowing renditions before that I couldn't help comparing. Perhaps this is Aussie's take on Duck Confit? Maybe someone could tell me.

Another shot

My disappointment was short-lived as I eagerly waited for desserts to arrive! #instantperkmeup

Among other equally-tempting choices such as Rhubarb Crumble and Warm Chocolate Pudding, I opted for the Lemon Tart, which came with a scoop of Fig & Manuka Honey ice-cream and creme anglaise.

Encased in the crusty shortbread tart base was a creamy lemon curd that had a pleasant zing, and yet not too sourish. The fig & manuka honey ice cream pleased as well, though I mostly tasted only the honey. The custardy creme anglaise was simply delightful and more-ish.

The buddy chose their Banana Macadamia Sour Cream Pie, and changed the default Vanilla ice-cream to the Triple Chocolate flavour. (kudos to their flexibility, btw)

Garnished with tropical fruits like strawberries, mango slices, blueberries, and kiwi, the buddy couldn't wait any longer. The pretty dessert, however, failed to impress. Decent, but not outstanding. And that dollop of cream definitely wasn't any sour cream, just normal whipped cream. The chocolate ice-cream too, was as normal as it can get, nothing special there.

We ended the meal with our choice of teas(large selection too), I had the Green Tea Mango Lemongrass(something like that) Tea while I forgot the buddy's choice. Mine was definitely nicer; fragrant, and invigorating to the senses.

Despite the hits and misses here, I would still recommend The Moomba for its large selection for the lunch set menu. Portions are generous here, so make sure you order the right dishes, and your meal would be bound an enjoyable(albeit super-full) one.

More awaits..


The Moomba
52 Circular Road, Singapore
6438 0141
Website

Opening Hours
Mon–Fri: 11am – 2.30pm
Mon–Sat: 6.30pm–10pm
(Closed on Sun & PH)