Fast Facts

Restaurant name: Tjing Tjing: Momiji 

Address: 165 Longmarket St, Cape Town City Centre, Cape Town, 8001 

Phone number: 021 422 4374 / 422 4920 / info@tjingtjing.co.za 

Opening times: Friday and Saturday from 6.30 pm. For availability on any other night of the week, email to make a request. 

Average price of a main course: R595 pp or R1100 pp including a drinks pairing. 

Corkage fee: No BYO 

Parking situation: Street parking  

Food

Momiji is an exquisite and creative take on modern Japanese cuisine and offers a tasting menu, a pescatarian or vegetarian version of the standard set menu at Momiji is available if requested when booking. The first course was trio of dishes, including sesame tuna nigiri and smoked yellowtail sashimi served with fermented daikon oroshi; pickled mussels served with freshly baked milk bread (perfect for making the most of the delicious sauce); and aged rump yakke served with umami mayo, pickles and chives. The wine pairing elevates the flavours as you eat the trio.

 

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The second course of Kinoko dobin-mushi is an ode to the Japanese technique of cooking a meal in a dobin tea pot. The dish includes grilled, pickled and crispy mushroom in a dobin, which is poured into a bowl of quail egg, courgette, mushroom dashi, spekboom, matcha and chicken skin furikakeru. The flavours of the dish are impeccable, and the mushrooms add dimension to the dish. The spekboom adds crunch and is a lovely nod to South African culture. The drinks pairing is the Umami Bomb, a cocktail designed to reinforce the umami flavour of the dish, and is made using Makers Mark bourbon, honey, lime, sesame and topped with shiitake mushroom.

 

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The third course is wagyu ‘tong’-katsu and Yaki imo – tongue served with a smoked and pickled sweet potato served with black sesame. The presentation of the waygu ‘tong’-katsu is impressive and the pulled meat is so flavourful that it doesn’t really taste like tongue as you would normally recognise it. The Yaki imo could be considered a bit too sweet and lacking in texture. The suggestion is that the two dishes be eaten as one, as they balance each another well. This course is served with Saurwein Nom Pinot Noir 2018.

 

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The fourth course is the dessert course, prefaced with a glass of Hokutsetsu Umeshu (a traditional Japanese liqueur), and is once again a trio. A beautifully plated dessert of preserved apricot ohagi, served with toasted rice ice cream, topped with popped sorghum, a gorgeous combination of sweet and creamy flavours. Although you could mistake ohagi for mochi, they are prepared differently. If you look closely at the ohagi you can see rice, whereas mochi has a smoother texture. A night of Japanese dining would not be complete without a mochi truffle. The nation’s good luck charm Kitto Katsu (a Japanese KitKat) is paired with a refreshing herbal tea.

 

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Drinks: 

This is no ordinary wine pairing. The drinks pairing with this set course meal is just as curated and creative as the menu. The first course was paired with a Portuguese vinho verde and a local Pinot Gris, both served at the perfect temperature, which complemented the pickled mussels, milk bread, sashimi and aged rump yukke perfectly.

 

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Service: 

Momiji staff are friendly, warm, professional and very well informed. They guide you through an educational, creative, and fun dining experience. The attention to detail could be increased with water being topped up between courses.

 

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Ambience: 

Momiji is on the first floor of Tjing Tjing House in Cape Town’s CBD. The decor is minimalist, in accordance with Japanese style. The atmosphere is calm, relaxed and warm. Momiji is a well-executed, unique experience.

 

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Good for:  Big group dinners, good for tourists, neighbourhood/hidden gem, romantic/good for dates.

Eat Out critics dine unannounced and pay for their meals in full. Read our full editorial policy here.