Despite only living a few doors over from Moxhe, in the beachside suburb of Bronte, it wasn’t until a few week’s ago that the husband and I finally gave our local seafood restaurant a whirl. At the time, Jude was battling a broken leg and our weekly restaurant jaunts had dwindled to zero, sitting firmly in the too hard basket. That was until we remembered Moxhe and calculated that it was just close enough for Jude to hobble to on his crutches (even if he was a shattered man by the time he got there).
I’m just happy that we finally had a rock-solid excuse to fork out the cash (because Moxhe isn’t cheap) and try this hidden gem. Yes, it’s extravagant but worth the money.
One of Sydney’s best seafood restaurants
Moxhe consistently ranks in Sydney’s best degustation lists, and I’m not surprised given it serves a feast of seafood that’s so fresh you could believe it’s come straight from the ocean. Every morning chef and co-owner David Coumont heads along to the Sydney Fish Market, handpicking the day’s seafood (which explains why the produce is as fresh as a dip at Bondi’s Icebergs pool) For this reason, the menu changes daily, depending on what’s been sourced that morning.
Growing up in land-locked Belgium, David has very evidently fallen in love with Australian and New Zealand seafood, turning his restaurant (named after his Belgian home village) into a showpiece of local fish and shellfish – all with a focus on sustainability and lesser-known species.
While Moxhe offers a simple a la carte menu, the six-course seafood degustation for $75pp is the only way to go, as it truly showcases the variety of sea life loitering in our waters. And, if you’re going to sign up for the degustation, it would be rude not to do the matching wines for $55, which are handpicked by David’s partner-in-crime Helen Diab (who’s no restaurant amateur herself).
If you’re on a budget and don’t have a broken-legged husband (and therefore no excuse to splash the cash), there’s also a two-course lunch special for $35, which is a nice little sampler. Or you can save on the wine bill, with Tuesday nights BYO (a $15 corkage per bottle applies).
Starters, including mini seafood tarts and housemade sourdough bread with butter rolled in sea lettuce
Seafood that’s of the highest quality
The night we visited, everything was faultless and executed with finesse. Every dish brought out the subtleties of the seafood to perfection. It’s pretty obvious that a whole lot of attention to detail goes into each and every plate.
Our degustation kicked off with a selection of starters that truly set a cracking pace. But, it was the beer blini topped with mackerel that really set the bar quite high.
Beer blini with mackerel
We also added the extra course of Kangaroo Island scallops. At an extra $18pp, I argued it was too extravagant, but who can argue with a man with a broken leg who just wants some scallops. After we splurged on the indeed divine molluscs, we skipped the extra cheese course ($15pp), which made me a little sad, because we all know how much I love CHEESE!
This is what else went down in our degustation at Moxhe:
Spotted mackerel, with lemon zest dressing and curry leaves
Blue mackerel, with squid ink and oyster dressing, gomashio and pickled turnip
Pips with beach greens and local seaweed
Kangaroo Island scallops, with scallop roe sauce and smoked egg brouillade
Sand whiting from NSW, with chicken jus, Jerusalem artichokes, mushroom and Tuscan cabbage
Marigold sorbet palate cleanser
Dessert of beurre bosc pear mousse, with wood sorrel and chocolate biscuit. (Not wood squirrel, as Jude tried to convince me)
Moxhe is…
This 34-seater restaurant is elegant and refined, yet relaxed and intimate. It’s a place where you’d happily take your parents. Or a date that you’d like to be able to hear what they say.
All in all, expect to be blown away. Moxhe’s candlelit space is delightful, with fresh flowers adorning the simple wooden tables. The service is incredibly friendly, like you’re being treated to a really slick dinner party at a mate’s house. But, it’s the seafood that’s the star.
Moxhe | 65B Macpherson Street, Bronte, New South Wales
Phone: (02) 8937 0886
moxhe.com.au
