When I dine at any restaurant, I look for a variety of things: the ambiance, the service and the food – both quality and quantity. However, many places may fall short of an extra star because they try so hard to get the major things right; they sometimes forget the tiny details. Oftentimes, I find myself ignoring the tiny details in favour of the major accomplishments. Based on my recent experiences at Moomba, this place clearly has no issues creating solid, uncomplicated dishes, so flavourful and subtly plated, it is saddening when the meal is finally over. Sit with me as I take you through the journey which is the Moomba experience.
The service is friendly and professional; our waiter left nothing to the imagination: if there were a request, it was met and then some. During course breaks, the basket of garlic bread was replenished, which is not a norm. The team of servers flowed well together as if everyone knew his role and executed efficiently.
At first glance, the menu seems to be similar to others, tapas, burgers, etc. With further study, you’ll notice the main courses are set up in a vegan- and vegetarian-friendly way. The chef has organized the menu so it’s not necessary to add meat to your dish if you don’t want to. In the spirit of vegetarian dishes, I took advantage and had a vegetarian dinner. There is a strong need to mention the garlic bread a second time, only in this instance I want to emphasize how the chef managed to improve a basket of bread without having to reinvent the wheel.
For some reason, the bread brought to a table is an afterthought, only used to keep hands and mouths busy and avoid awkward silences until the food comes. The bread at Moomba is a cut thicker and slathered in garlic butter, perhaps they know how uninterested I am about buttering my own rolls – either way, it’s appreciated. It resembles a slice of pound cake and is served with bottles of balsamic vinaigrette and oil, which would seem like they don’t work, but I’m glad for the surprise mouthgasm.
I strongly suggest you try the herb shallot mushrooms stuffed with goat cheese and garnished with pesto sauce. Why? Because it’s mind-blowing! The deliciousness of the dish isn’t lost in its simplicity. The goat cheese, which is a personal favourite of mine, manages to remain creamy with a perfect outer crust and sits perfectly inside a small- to medium-sized mushroom cap. Slicing into one of the appetizers is a sensual experience, the smell, the feel, the look of cheese and mushroom essence mixing together is almost overwhelming.
For the main course, I opted for a roasted baby beet salad. In this salad were tiny balls of heaven secretly disguised as coconut and pistachio crusted goat cheese; remember there was mention of my affinity for goat cheese. The salad contained mixed lettuces and was garnished with citrus brown butter dressing. What they don’t tell you is the salad has pleasant sprinklings of orange, to accentuate the dressing, radishes for a crunch and red onions to elevate the flavours.
If you’re not an onion person, you may ask to have them removed, but I personally prefer them on my salads. The garlic and herb marinated shrimp did add a touch of something special to the dish, because the light smokiness of the char only enhanced the fresh flavours. There was some cheating. I may or may not have taken a bite of the mac and cheese with the petit fillet, but if I was admitting I did, I’d say it’s definitely worth it.
Thanks to the ample portion sizes, dessert was very hard to choose. The ice cream seemed like the best bet to complete the meal without filling me to excess. It’s large enough to easily share with two people, so if you’ve gotten to dessert, I suggest you share it with your dinner partner. My favourite presentation of the night goes to the ice cream; it came in a neat line garnished with chocolate and slated caramel with light puff pastry. Overall, I am very hard to please, but I’d say I will definitely revisit Moomba.
Special mention: Mojito Royale made the traditional way, except for the addition of sparkling wine rather than club soda. Your inner drunkard will thank you!
Info:
Moomba, Maho Village
Open: Tuesday to Sunday 6:00pm-1:00am
Closed Mondays
Phone: +1 (721) 545-2380
Cuisine: Multi-cuisine
Good: FOOD, service
Price range: $$$
Ratings:
Staff friendliness: *****
Service speed: ****
Restaurant cleanliness: *****
Food quality: *****
Value for money: *****
Ambience: ****
