Momoya - Chelsea

Another date, another enjoyable restaurant. This time, Japanese in the heart Chelsea: Momoya.

We started off simple: edamame and sake. The edamame ($5) was typical. Baby soybeans that had been boiled and were served with salt. A little too much salt in my opinion. The sake was delicious however. We ended up splitting two bottles of Tokimeki ($26 -- 300ml). In the past, I have never really enjoyed sake. I find it to be too bitter. That being said, I'm certainly not an expert when it comes to sake, but the Tokimeki was outstanding. First of all, it was a sparkling sake, which was something that I had never had before, but it was crisp and refreshing. On top of that, the Tokimeki was fruity, which made it a very pleasant drink.

Next, we moved on to the meal. Our first appetizer was Beef Tataki ($11), thin slices of beef, lightly seared and placed in soy-based au jus. Very enjoyable plate. Topped with a kaiware salad (sprouted daikon radish seeds), it reminded me of a perfect, slightly chilled summertime meal. After we had finished our plate, we sampled a dish of raw Yellowtail amberjack in a citrus-soy sauce which was topped with sliced jalapenos ($10). The fish was fresh and delicious, but I felt that there were too many jalapenos, which overpowered the flavor of the fish and sauce. By simply pushing them to the side however, the problem was easily fixed.

Our sushi then arrived. First, we sampled the Salmon Crunch roll ($10), which had spicy salmon paired with mango and avocado, as well as crunchy rice. While the salmon was very fresh and the roll had a lovely assortment of flavors, we both agreed that the Salmon Crunch seemed to be too heavy.

While we were consistently satisfied with our meal, I must say that a particular dish stuck out for me. I had never eaten eel before, and had no interest in ever trying eel. But there it was, sitting in front of me. A slice of eel, held on top of a bed of rice by a piece of seaweed, and then lightly drizzled with teriyaki. And I must say, I was pleasantly surprised.

With Momoya, the dishes aren't wildly innovative, but being innovative isn't Momoya's goal. Their goal is to make a pleasant and enjoyable meal. They offer a comfortable and familiar menu, with your standard appetizers, sushi and sashimi as well as conventional main courses.

Overall, a very enjoyable experience and seeing that it's only a few blocks from my apartment, I will certainly return in the future.


Momoya
185 Seventh Avenue
(at 21st Street)
(212) 989-4466