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Naga Moon(ee)

A new(ish) local that doesn't *quite* hit all the spots.

Being enroute to my gym, Naga Moon is a restaurant I saw long before it opened.  I’m always keen on trying out new spots, especially if they’re local, and my local mate E was quite happy to join me.

We went for dinner - not a rowdy one, which can be the case with E, but this time she had an early morning start teaching pilates. I’d also had a later lunch, so we opted to share a selection of dishes instead of partaking in the tasting menu…

… Yes, we still over-ordered.

The website claims Modern Thai, and that’s fair.  It veers towards Pan-Asian, with the inclusion of dishes like beef tartare and spring rolls.

I opted to try the advertised virgin rum cocktail - only to be told they’d run out of the main ingredient.

“Our bartender would be happy to make up something else though,” our waitress smiled, though when I asked her what the (fake) spirit in the something else would be, neither she nor the bartender could answer.

I, personally, have a hatred of paying $20 for what is essentially a combination of juices (such an accountant, I know) and so declined.  

“Just water,” I said, “Sparkling*.”
No items found.
No items found.

Our food choices for the evening were thus:

A birds eye view of a plate of raw fish sitting in a yellow-green oil.

KINGFISH - I’m a sucker for ceviche, or crudo, or whatever the Pan-Asian version of raw fish is.  This dish was beautifully presented, and definitely the highlight of the starters.

A close up photo of two pale spring rolls with a sweet chilli dipping sauce.
A close up of the wagyu spring rolls.  The meat seems quite dry.

WAGYU BEEF SPRING ROLLS - Disappointing.  I was hoping for something on par with Benyue’s Lamb Spring Rolls, but those hopes were quickly dashed.  The pastry was pale but oily, and lacking that essential crunch factor.  The beef itself could have been anything, and I was left wondering if the use of the word ‘wagyu’ on the menu raised expectations unfairly. The inside was very dry too.

A close up of brown fritters, with a dipping dish of sweet chilli sauce in the background and a green lettuce leaf.

CORN CORIANDER FRITTERS - I thought these were bland and floury, but E enjoyed them.  The dipping sauce was exactly the same as what came with the spring rolls, which doubled my disappointment.  The lettuce was also browning... euch.

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A birds eye view of a black dinner plate, holding deep fried tofu cubes and eggplant crisps artfully arranged.

SILKEN TOFU - This was our waitress’s recommendation, and I am a fan of tofu.  Whilst I thought the tofu itself could have been better (it didn’t melt in my mouth like others I’ve tried), the sauce was lovely, and the eggplant crisps kept their texture the next day.

A close up of a square of pork belly atop sauce.  Piled on top is a salad of bean sprouts, cucumber, chilli and herbs.

STICKY PORK BELLY - This was my favourite sauce of the evening.  The sourness of the salad paired perfectly with the sweetness of the pork (and M agreed when he got to try the leftovers)

ROTI BASKET WITH SATAY - I thought the roti was good (E did not).  We both thought the satay left a lot to be desired, but at least there was enough sauce in both the tofu and the pork to compensate.

No items found.

We didn’t finish our selections (which meant I wasn’t able to try the dessert I wanted: a layered pandan cake with meringue) and unfortunately, I’m not sure I’ll be coming back to try it.

Overall, I thought it was expensive for the quality: it’s cheap-and-cheerful food at mid-range prices. There are better options out there.

* I got in the habit of ordering sparkling water in the year I took off alcohol, especially when the menu didn’t have good non-alcoholic options (*cough*Embla*cough*). Essentially a ‘treat’ that didn’t negatively impact the flavour of the food I was tasting.

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About Confab with Charli

I’m an accountant and recovering pessimist, exploring life after COVID to find my way back to the simple joys of life.  For me, that’s good food and good writing.  Want to collaborate?  Get in touch.