MOMO Chicken and Beer: Brisbane (AUSTRALIA)

August 2022 · 4 min read · Queensland

It has been a crazily long time since I was last in Brisbane... over two decades! Wow, that sort of dates me a little bit... but when I was last here, it was a much quieter northern state capital... quiet and much less developed and cosmopolitan than it is now! In fact, coming in from the airport and wandering around the city, you could quite easily think that you were in one of the larger southern state capitals.

As usual, in a new town and a new place... I do spend a little bit of time wandering around trying to find places to eat. This particular night, I was wanting to find something rice-based to help settle my cranky stomach... perhaps it is the Asian in me, but I find that rice based dishes have a better chance of settling my tummy.

So, searching around on Google, I noticed that there was a Korean style place that was within an easy stroll from the apartments where I was being put up. I do love Korean food... and a nice little BiBimBap would go down quite nicely... if it was cleanly cooked!

The Space

MOMO was sort of interestingly modern and slightly trendy... it was quite busy, especially in comparison to the various restaurants that were surrounding it. Lots of younger people as well as families... so, quite a popular place! Unfortunately, that meant that I didn't manage to snag a table by the wall... which would be my preferred location to eat!

I was a little bit confused about where the cutlery and chopsticks were... but after looking around and quietly observing other diners, I saw that there was a nifty little drawer on the side of the table that contained everything that you would need!

The Menu

Like most places in Australia, MOMO has transitioned to the horrible QR code system for menus. Thankfully, you can still get some physical menus if you ask for them... again, I'm not against digital things like some Luddite... but randomly "clicking" URLs from QR codes is just training really bad bad bad security habits.

What I did find interesting about the menu, was the interesting mix between regular Korean food, and something that would be more at home at a fried chicken/seafood shop! Perhaps there is something that I don't know about Korean food, or perhaps the odd fusion of styles is something that is quite appreciated by the local Brisbane population?

The Food

So, I ended up having a mix of the two styles myself! Some fried calamari as a starter... wow, this was really good. Nice and tender, but with a crispy batter that was ever so lightly salted and not at all oily! I wish fish and chips shops did it this good!

... and followed up by the main event. A chicken teriyaki Bi Bim Bap... served up on the traditional hot stone bowl for a nice and crispy rice bottom! Also a top choice, with the traditional rice dish being nicely clean and comforting to eat!

The Experience

Oh, I loved this place! I only wish that it was much closer to my home and not located in a different state! But, it will be good to know that I have a decent place to return back to when I'm up in the north again! Finding a good place the first time out is both a blessing and a curse... I'm just more tempted to keep coming back instead of exploring further!