Momofuku Seiōbo: One of everything at the bar

It’s not all that often that I order one of everything on a menu. Indeed, I don’t think I’ve ever done it before. Before Momofuku Seiōbo, that is.

Momofuku Seiōbo has been thrilling Sydney-siders and visitors alike since opening at The Star in October last year. After an initial stint post opening, chef and restaurateur David Chang isn't often seen in the dark and cell-like restaurant (from the outside) but apparently does drop in when he’s in town.

The view from the bar at Momofuku Seiōbo, The Star, Pyrmont

One evening, when our original dinner plans went awry, we happened to pass by the heavy bars of Momofuku Seiōbo and spotted four empty seats at the bar.

There’s a no-reservations system for the bar area, and it looks on in the distance to the kitchen and degustation diners. Dinner is sorted by indicating on the paper menu how many of the six bar menu items we’d like – one of everything, please.

Seasonal pickles

As we got our drinks sorted – the gorgeous Mutemuka Shizo 2010, Junmai Muroka Nama Genshu sake from the Kochi Prefecture in Japan – it didn’t take long at all for the huge dish of pickles to arrive before us at the bar.

The variety and large serving size were impressive, with my favourite easily being the kimchi, which had a stock-like depth beneath the chilli flavour. There was something very natural and serene about the presentation of pickled onions, radishes, daikon, cucumber, beetroot, shitake mushrooms and carrot.

Pickled egg

The single pickled egg was pretty much just that – a single, peeled, pickled egg split in half, revealing a bright, gooey yolk. There was a familiar kind-of-sour, kind-of-sweet flavour to the hard-boiled egg and I couldn't help feeling very much like Moe Szyslak for a moment.

Confit chicken wings

Things got a little more interesting and started arriving all together with quite a large plate of browned chicken wings – both mid-wings and drumettes – garnished with shallots and chilli. While tender and well-seasoned, there wasn’t a ‘wow’ factor to the wings other than their ability to get the mouth watering on sight.

Spicy roasted rice cakes

The undoubtedly Korean dish of spicy roasted rice cakes, or tteokbokki, would be a treat for those who like Korean rice cakes, of which I am unfortunately not one. The spicy sauce was, however, spot-on with the chewy, cylinders of carbohydrates showered with sesame seeds.

Pork buns

And then there were the infamous pork buns. With two to a serve, they’re actually smaller than I had anticipated, although I can now understand how people can declare their desires to eat ten of these. I think I could too, if I was particularly hungry.

After hearing so much hype and seeing so many imitations (including my own, not-so-successful attempt at home), it was always going to be difficult to beat the expectations.

The bun was soft, nearing squishy, and held the sweet pork and lightly pickled cucumber, and with a few squeezes of the not-very-hot Sriracha chilli sauce, the pork bun was a few mouthfuls of contentment.

Spanner crab roll, celery salt chips

But the spanner crab roll was there to save the evening. The crunchy potato crisps were a great start although the celery salt was a little lost on me.

The toasted brioche hot dog-style bun was filled to the brim with a creamy mayonnaise-dressed mix of spanner crab flesh, chopped celery and herbs and other goodness that made this the menu item worth fighting over and perhaps ordering doubles.

Between two people, one of everything at the bar was probably enough for a light dinner. The Momofuku Seiōbo bar is probably not a place to sit and linger too long over a stemless glass of sake: one might get jealous of the degustation diners and go another one of everything at the bar.