Market restaurants are best frequented in summer time. This is why I chose Mochi am Markt twice in the span of two weeks as my dinner destination. It all started with my new obsession with watermelon salad. Served at a friends’ place with the remark that they had recently sampled the one at Mochi am Markt. Since it was so memorable, they gave it a go at home and came up with something that I thoroughly enjoyed. After that I just wanted to eat it directly at the source, Mochi am Markt.
Funnily enough, both evenings were not perfect for outdoor seating. So the first time, we sat inside, but the second time we managed to sit outside. The huge canvas blinds also kept of the rain which eventually came.
dining area @Mochi am Markt
To start with we got some edamame, a portion generous enough to share by four. Always a winner at Mochi, no matter which restaurant, here they come with a sprinkle of Chipotle and lime on top. Simply perfect!
edamame @Mochi am Markt
We ordered twice the watermelon salad, nicely seasoned with chili, lime, coriander, hazelnuts, and dukkah, as well as the sea bream ceviche, which was by far the best dish I had in a while. The watermelon salad was a bit disappointing the first time, rather bland, while better though the second time. Maybe the chef was a different one that evening? The mint gave it a really fresh flavor, the seasoning was perfect, and overall exactly how you want a salad to be on a warm night. This is definitely something you should try at home.
watermelon salad @Mochi am Markt
The ceviche was both times just absolutely stunning in presentation and taste. Served in a pool of Leche de Tigre, with fennel, salted lemon, and coriander. The sauce was so finger-licking good that both times I used a spoon to savor it to the last drop. Also a really nice portion and great to share.
ceviche @Mochi am Markt
The Korean fried cauliflower, topped with a sweet and spicy sauce and almond slivers was quite good but couldn’t hold a torch to the ceviche. I found the sauce more sweet than spicy and overall the dish rather bland.
Korean fried cauliflower @Mochi am Markt
The Mexican fried chicken, another fried dish, on the other hand was really, really tasty. The chicken meat (thighs and legs) was juicy, nicely fried, and combined with the Chipotle mayo lovely.
Mexican fried chicken @Mochi am Markt
Unfortunately the crispy calamari with lemongrass mayo were a disappointment. Super small portion compared to the other dishes, really overcooked and therefore rubbery, and not tasty at all. There was a bit more in the bowl before I took the picture, but not much as you can see from the missing amount of sauce. Since we left quite a bit, we didn’t get charged for it. But in my opinion, even if they had been great, the portion would not warrant the price.
crispy calamari with lemongrass mayo @Mochi am Markt
Another failure was the shitake tostada with sweet potatoes, pumpkin seed salsa, coriander, and red onion. While it did look good this was the most boring dish ever. Not enough flavor, seasoning, and overall a disappointment. We didn’t finish that one either.
shitake tostada @Mochi am Markt
Better fared the two desserts we got. One was ‘Banoffe‘, which is usually a pie, but here it was a dulce de leche cream blended with banana and peanuts on top. The mousse was tasty, but I am glad we shared it, it would have been too much.
Banoffe @Mochi am Markt
The ‘grilled piña‘ looked way more interesting. but turned out to be a little bit on the blander side. Not really sure why some of the dishes just lacked flavor. Usually the Mochi team is spot on with these things.
grilled piña @Mochi am Markt
Despite the mishaps Mochi am Markt was really an interesting restaurant visit and I immensely enjoyed their ceviche. Just for this dish alone it’s worth a visit. Yours, Pollybert
Mochi am Markt
1020 Wien, Vorgartenmarkt 16
Tel: +43 1 3942012
Tue-Fri 17:00-22:00, Sat: 12:00-22:00
https://www.mochi.at/
