My friend Ute walks through the door of MoVida. “Don’t kiss me, I’m sick” she says. “I’m going straight to bed after this” she adds. Which isn’t actually a problem because we’re dining early at MoVida and we have to give the table back within a few hours. Making a splash in Sydney is Melbourne’s MoVida. There wasn’t press releases although a new Sydney twitter account popped up. Nevertheless Frank Camorra is here in the kitchen this Saturday night and in the bar area are Rockpool’s Neil Perry and his wife Sam.
Getting a booking on this Saturday night was easy and pleasant enough. It’s actually in the former premises of Cotton Duck and there is a central kitchen with glass windows (Cotton Duck’s kitchen had one window at the front). The bar area is on the right when you walk in and is crowded this evening while the restaurant is part way full. Our booking was at 5:30pm and it crowds up as we are leaving around 8pm.
Our waiter, who along with other staff, is an import from Melbourne, tells us that the menu is made up of 65% Sydney exclusives while the remaining 35% is a mixture of the best of the Melbourne MoVidas. We ask for his recommendations and tells us that the signature dish, the suckling pig has already sold out. “You’ve lost me” Ute says folding her arms. “It’s only 5.30pm!” and he explains that the bar patrons snapped up the 7-8 portions made. “But why are there only 7-8 portions?” she asks when he leaves and mutters something about “creating artificial demand.”
A salt crusted dense bread with olive oil is making its way to our table. I particularly like the salty crust and its ability to mop up the very moppable sauces.
Anchoa $4.50 each
Our first item is one that I recall having at MoVida Aqui and is one of their signature items. It is an artisan Cantabrian Anchovy with smoked tomato sorbet. It’s one of my favourites with the divine smoked tomato sorbet, brown anchovy, tiny Lilliput capers and paper thin lacey sourdough cracker.
Gamba Ahumada $5.50
A few times tonight, the wrong dish is brought to our table-dishes that are meant for our neighbours are put down in front of us and we have to tell them that they’re not ours. This one was ours though, a house smoked South Australian prawn with crispy piquillo peppers & bortagga. We both expected this dish to be slightly bolder than it was from just the ingredients (botarraga and peppers).
Cordoniz $7.80
Now the problem with splitting dishes in half is that sometimes, one person gets more of one flavour than the other. For me, I got a lot of the house made black pudding on the pan fried quail terrine whereas Ute didn’t get any. She also got more of the blackcurrant reduction which lent the rich quail a nice counterpoint. Oh and apparently the blackcurrant reduction is one of those things that even chefs that have come here are unable to guess – Ute guessed that it was fruit based.
Mejillones $19
The Spring Bay Mussels were plump and juicy with a thick Salmorejo del Cordoba soup which is made with tomatoes, herbs and nutty, garlicky breadcrumbs. I liked how juicy the mussels were contrasted with the crunchiness of the breadcrumbs. On top were thin, crispy red onion discs.
Carrillera $24
The beef cheek in Pedro Ximenez was softer than soft and divine although Ute did point out that it was more expensive than the Cecina, the air cured wagyu beef with truffle foam and poached egg which is a fair point. This was rich and so velvety in texture, especially that divine cauliflower puree but there wasn’t much Pedro Ximinez flavour in it and it needed a smidge more seasoning.
Pipirana $15
The Pipirana is an Andalusian salad with tuna belly, prettied up with halved, soft boiled quail’s eggs and edible flowers and some sourdough croutons. The smoked tuna belly was lovely and its richness was countered by the pickled vegetables.
Orejas $13
What’s a night without some pig’s ears? We both loved these tasty little morsels of crispy, well seasoned pig’s ear squares. They are very rich even when chased with the guindillas pickled chillis so we couldn’t finish the plate.
Churros con chocolate $12.50
Usually patient Ute was counting down the seconds while I photographed the churros. “Hurry up!” she urged and when I was finished we both sunk our teeth into the light as air churros coated on the outside with sugar. The dark bittersweet chocolate has a slightly orangey edge to it and was rich but I found myself thinking that I would enjoy both elements separately.
Tarta Santigao $14.50
The tarta santiago was an almond fondant with a gooey centre which was moist and light. The item that really caught my eye however was the fig leaf ice cream which was served with a crumble of house made soft nougat which tastes like those delicious Chinese peanut cookies. The fig leaf ice cream is grainy and refreshing and gives your tongue the same sensation as you get with slightly underripe figs and was my favourite element of this dish. Ute has eaten the tarta Santiago in Santigao and declares this version better. But it didn’t get a look in as she was preoccupied with the churros!
So tell me Dear Reader, do you always go for the signature dish? And do you ever ask if the chef is in the kitchen or does it not matter to you?
MoVida
50 Holt Street, Surry Hills, NSW
Tel: +61 02 8964 7642.
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41 Comments | Add your own
I’m seriously drooling over that beef cheek right now! And churros are always fantastic!
Isn’t is crazy that it was sold out already! The food looks delicious but it sounds a little disorganised and prentious.
Hee hee. I love that your friend was hurrying you up with your photos. I get that too, and I’m not even a food blogger! Sometimes I think my friends hate eating out with me …and I do like trying a signature dish, AND knowing if a chef is in the kitchen. It doesn’t necessarily matter, but I like to know …
Looks good. I too am curious about the artificial demand comment as suggested by Ute though.
The pipirana and pigs ear are my pick of your dishes, but they all sound great! I hate it when special dishes sell out waaay to early, it gets very frustrating after a visit or two and puts me off the kitchen like your friend Ute
It’s always nice to see ‘The’ Chef in the kitchen, but as most places have two meals a day, seven days a week, the Chef certainly isn’t going to be there all the time!
Yum yum food Lorraine. The hurry up part was so funny…the other day we went to this really great Japanese buffet, and hubs wouldn’t let me take the camera. “I just want to sit back and eat’.I couldn’t refuse…after all, it was his birthday treat…
That sounds unusual – running out of the recommended dish before the dinner sitting. I can understand creating excess demand but diners never even got a peek at it!
I really can’t wait to go here myself. I think every dish is carefully thought through and the execution is fantastic
Thanks for the report Lorraine, food sounds delicious but might give the place a miss until they get the customer experience right.
I think it’s important to try the showcase dish of the restaurant. After all, it’s what the chef does best. I missed out on the suckling pig in Melbourne, so great there is another opportunity. Thanks for the post.
Ew orange!
But gosh, I’d have to give the pigs ears a try. Particularly because I’ve only ever given pigs ear to my dog to eat before…
No suckling pig? I was with Ute and it almost lost me, why even recommend it? But then I saw the muscles and Orejas and yes Ah!
he had faith in the rest of the menu and you’ll come back. YUM
Can’t wait to dine here… Will definitely be going for all the signatures!
I don’t always get the signature dish, unless someone else is with me and we feel we can get it and something else for contrast and comparison. I also don’t always ask about the chef, unless I personally know him/her…having been a chef in our town for a long time, I have many connections. I will definitely follow a friend to his or her various new restaurants. It’s fun, and they appreciate my interest in them. For me it’s more about wanting to experience my friends’ food rather than being with some celebrity (I’m not in a big city but we have our share of foodies here). Shame about the suckling pig, that was poor planning on their part and should have earned them docked points!
I adore MoVida – I’ve only eaten at the Melbourne one – but it’s depressing that you have to wait weeks here for a booking. I’d be taking the chance to get in as much as you can now.
I have to say I’ve never asked if the chef is in the kitchen, but I do like to try the signature dish. If they’re going to back it, I’ll give it a try
I’d like to see the new But I love your friend’s observation about ‘creating artificial demand’. 7-8 portions? Pfft.
How nice to see some Spanish food–nice Spanish food, at that. That tuna belly really grabbed me, as did the mussels.
I don’t care if the chef is there or not. OFten I’ll try a signature dish, but I am pretty adventurous if there are other offerings that jump out at me.
A hugely appetizing menu for me, especially as I know Iberian cuisine probably the least of all of the European ones. Beautifully photographed, the usual desire to reach into the screen to lift out one’s own choice is strong! [Hm, can smell my own early lunch in the kitchen: good
!] No, I often bypass the signature dish to see what else I can find of interest. But am happy when I see the owner chef in the kitchen, hoping the rest of the cooking staff is more on their toes 
!
What an interesting selection of dishes. I heard a chef speak on Sunday and he was saying if things aren’t available on the menu it’s a good sign because it means they are getting things delivered fresh from quality suppliers which can cause issues with delivery etc. But a shame about the suckling pig nonetheless xx
lovely post! ive been looking forward to reading about this place!
Most dishes look colorful, this always put me in a good mood in a restaurant, but for the signature dish, rarely it is a vegetarian one (unless the restaurant is vegetarian, of course) so no, often I have to choose the often single veggie option available.
I never used to ask if the chef was in the kitchen but after a weekend at Eat Drink Blog I think I’ll be asking in future. Love the look of the pipirana. I know it has the very over-used edible flowers but it looks so elegant!
Nice! Finally I can eat at Movida without booking a flight to melbourne. Everything looks fanastic. Churros? Yes please!
What a fresh and delicious palate my friend
I hope your friend gets better soon!!!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Wow! I must go to this place! What an interesting menu! It all looks so delicious!
I never ask if the chef is in the house, as long as the food is cooked well, it doesn’t bother me! Love the look of those churros! Mmmm…a favourite of mine!
CANNOT wait to go to Movida Sydney…will wait to the crowd dies down a bit though (however I did do a slow walk-by the other day…it looks FANTASTIC)!
Those mussels look to die for. We’ve had such trouble trying to book MoVida for a weekend – apparently they are booked out until January!
What an interesting place and the food looks wonderful too. It bugs me when food is presented in front of a patron and represented to the rightful owner, it feels used!
I like ordering signature dishes.
Getting a booking on a Saturday night was easy?! They’re booked out of Saturdays until 2013. Ridiculous.
Those pigs ears look great! Sad I can’t come out with you any more
It all looks really good. You must have a big name to get a booking.
The suckling pig sold out? What a shame – you really made me hungry now.
Since I have not eaten anything at all today I better stop looking at your lovely pictures, Loraine and go to bed.
Hope your friend has recovered and has not past, whatever it was, onto you.
Ciao Carina
Ah, after all these years of travelling to Sydney they now open a MoVida and I am no longer travelling there..boo..hoo. I dream about their anchovy and tomato sorbet it was so good!
Oh Movida in Sydney, yay! I almost also try the signature dish
Heidi xo
I just tried to call the phone number to make a booking but I just get the ‘beep beep beep beep’ sound of a wrong number – is the number listed above correct?
Hi Tess, that’s the number that it is listed under. Perhaps they’ve got something wrong with their reservation system?
I get the “hurry up” looks from friends too, the pains of being a food blogger! I do try to order a mix of signature dishes and new interesting things.
I’m surprised there weren’t too many press releases floating around in Sydney. There is usually something mentioned in the Melbourne newspapers in the weeks leading up to the opening every week!
The dishes at the Sydney restaurant, for some reason, look more colourful than the ones in Melbourne.
Ahh Movida. Might be slightly easier to get into now that we have one in Sydney. Was turned away a couple of weeks ago in Melbourne (what is with the no booking policy most restaurants in Melbourne city seem to have? And people are willing to queue for an hour or two…that I really don’t get!).
I’m dying to go but it doesnt seem a little hit and miss especially with the staff sending you guys the wrong dishes all night
i LOVED MoVida! Must go back for the anchoa…
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