Moon (Amsterdam, Netherlands)
Date: Tuesday 15 November 2022
Restaurant: Moon
Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands
After having to cancel an earlier booking last month due to losing my sense of smell and taste (thanks, COVID-19), I finally got to visit Moon. Located on the 19th floor of the A'DAM Tower, Moon is a revolving restaurant with 360° panoramic views of Amsterdam and beyond. The slowly rotating restaurant goes full circle once every 75 minutes, providing a truly unique dining experience in Amsterdam.
Moon offers two set menus (Full Moon for the a non-vegetarian experience, and Green Moon for a vegetarian experience), and a choice of 3-, 5-, 6-, or 7-courses. My dinner companion opted for the 7-course Full Moon menu, while I went for the 7-course Green Moon menu. We also both had a non-alcoholic drink pairing for each course.
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Drink pairing: In-house pink elderflower cordial with a 0% Riesling
A surprise for us, since when we last checked the menu (a week ago) the menu listed a different first course. The complex balance of delicate flavours in this course meant this was a shoe-in for our favourite dish of the night.
***
Course 2: Tempeh, peanut, yellow curry, bean sprout (Green Moon)
Course 2: Lobster ravioli, fennel, bisque, lemon, star anise (Full Moon)
Drink pairing: In-house blend of rooibos and honeybush
I found both dishes to be well-executed, but rather uninspired for a fine dining restaurant. The highlight was the bisque foam.
***
Course 2: Lobster ravioli, fennel, bisque, lemon, star anise (Full Moon)
Drink pairing: In-house blend of rooibos and honeybush
I found both dishes to be well-executed, but rather uninspired for a fine dining restaurant. The highlight was the bisque foam.
***
Course 3: Leek, sambai, black garlic, potato
Drink pairing: Leave Your Sword lapsang souchong kombucha
A cross between a foam and a puree, this velvetty blanket of potato-y goodness brought the whole dish together beautifully. The sambai-zu and black garlic added a funky, delicious twist to a classic combination of flavours.
***
My celeriac dish read a little bit like a Masterchef Australia contestant received a challenge to "hero" celeriac in their dish, and they took it very seriously. There were perhaps 4-5 different forms of celeriac in this course; all delicious on their own but out-of-balance when eaten together. I felt the dish suffered from too much saltiness (particularly in the celeriac jus), and could have benefitted from a touch of sweetness (perhaps a celeriac-vanilla puree?) and acidity.
Over on the non-vegetarian side, this course offered short rib that was impeccably cooked, but the highlight was the little gem number on the side. Capers have never tasted better to me.
A cross between a foam and a puree, this velvetty blanket of potato-y goodness brought the whole dish together beautifully. The sambai-zu and black garlic added a funky, delicious twist to a classic combination of flavours.
***
Course 4: Salt-baked celeriac, pickled celeriac, celeriac jus, hazelnut (Green Moon)
Course 4: Short rib, little gem, capers, port reduction, green herb emulsion (Full Moon)
Drink pairing: Leave Your Sword Earl Grey kombucha
Drink pairing: Leave Your Sword Earl Grey kombucha
Over on the non-vegetarian side, this course offered short rib that was impeccably cooked, but the highlight was the little gem number on the side. Capers have never tasted better to me.
***
Course 5: Beef loin, pumpkin, turnip, beef jus, spices and seeds (Full Moon)
Drink pairing: Van Nahmen Morellenfeuer cherry juice
This was a beastly portion of pasta. Absolutely delicious, packed full of mushroomy umami goodness. The basil added some welcome freshness to the whole dish.
The beef loin was tender and uncomplicated. The beef jus was exquisite, and the earthy puree paired very well with the meat.
***
Drink pairing: 65° brewed chamomile tea
I enjoyed this course a lot more than I expected to. The rum baba was a great vehicle for the sweetness of the pineapple and the rich, slightly nutty vanilla flavour of the tonka bean ice cream. The crumb added a wonderful textural element to the dish. I was very pleased that the rum in the cake didn't overpower any of the other flavours in this dish.
***
Course 7: Coconut, passion fruit, puffed rice, mango
Drink pairing: In-house rose iced tea blend
Sadly, the last course was our least favourite of the night. This dish, much like the first course, is a brand new addition to the menu; but unlike the first course, the fact that this dish is still in its first few iterations shows. There were far too many coconut elements, all of which were very strongly flavoured. The zesty passion fruit curd provided some much needed tang to cut through the sweetness of the coconut, but unfortunately it was far too acidic and left a really strong aftertaste. The interactive experience of shattering the coconut bread to reveal the dish hidden below felt purposefully gimmicky with little thought to the edible experience, and the coconut macaroons on the side were a confused addition that did little to aid the (by now already overwhelmed-by-coconut) palate. My biggest complaint with this dish as the seventh and final course is the choice of flavours: summery, tropical fruit are a great choice for a first dessert. For the second dessert, I would expect something rich and satisfying (read: chocolate), especially if it follows a tropical fruit (pineapple) sixth course.
***
You'd be hard pressed to find a review of Moon that doesn't mention their chips, so we knew we'd be remiss if we didn't get our hands on this Jenga stack of potatoes. Impossibly crispy on the outside and soft and pillowy on the inside, these chips have a deeply salty, umami character thanks to the lacto-fermentation process they undergo for 4-6 days before they are fried. They offer a really interesting, complex, and addictive taste that keeps you reaching for one more bite.
***
Course 7: Coconut, passion fruit, puffed rice, mango
Drink pairing: In-house rose iced tea blend
Sadly, the last course was our least favourite of the night. This dish, much like the first course, is a brand new addition to the menu; but unlike the first course, the fact that this dish is still in its first few iterations shows. There were far too many coconut elements, all of which were very strongly flavoured. The zesty passion fruit curd provided some much needed tang to cut through the sweetness of the coconut, but unfortunately it was far too acidic and left a really strong aftertaste. The interactive experience of shattering the coconut bread to reveal the dish hidden below felt purposefully gimmicky with little thought to the edible experience, and the coconut macaroons on the side were a confused addition that did little to aid the (by now already overwhelmed-by-coconut) palate. My biggest complaint with this dish as the seventh and final course is the choice of flavours: summery, tropical fruit are a great choice for a first dessert. For the second dessert, I would expect something rich and satisfying (read: chocolate), especially if it follows a tropical fruit (pineapple) sixth course.
***
Side: Twice-cooked fermented chips
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Overall impressions:
Atmosphere: 9/10. Casual and elegant vibes. The booth-seating system provided a good amount of privacy without feeling too tucked away. Catching a glimpse of the kitchen every 75 minutes was a real treat.
Views: 10/10. Amsterdam isn't known for its distinct skyline but there is something absolutely magical about seeing such a bustling city from so far up, especially at night.
Staff: 9/10. Very pleasant and friendly; highly knowledgeable about the menu and about food in general.
Food: 7.5/10. Both the (non-vegetarian) Full Moon menu and the (vegetarian) Green Moon menu were cohesive and (mostly) seasonal. I'm a big fan of anywhere that allows vegetarian food to really shine, and Moon did that in spades. There was a lot of skill and technique shown in how perfectly the foams, purees, oil emulsions, and jus were made. I was thoroughly impressed with how considered the non-alcoholic drink pairings were for each course; every pairing served to enhance the dining experience, and did so beautifully. The menu was a bit uninspired at times and a few dishes were unbalanced. And, it's not often you say this about a fine dining restaurant, but the portion sizes were problematically large.
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