Boston | Second Visit to Mooncusser

Had a good impression after visiting late last year, so decided to give it another try. 🍣 Japanese Hamachi Tartar Scallion and sesame aromas paired with spicy-sour sambal and a crispy nori tempura base. The flavors were refreshing, but eating it with my hands as recommended left them covered in chili sauce 🥹. 🦌 Venison Carpaccio Raw venison served with persimmon, mint leaves, and crushed peanuts. The initial taste was a rich, complex sweet-spicy surprise. Unfortunately, the venison was quite sinewy, and once the seasoning faded, chewing felt like a bit of a chore. 🥣 Celery Root Soup Probably the highlight of the night! A creamy celery root soup with crab meat and aji amarillo (which I understand to be a South American yellow chili sauce). Drinking this warm soup in winter was pure comfort. The delicate strands of crab weren’t overly sweet, but paired wonderfully with the chili sauce—just as the spice began to build, the rich soup mellowed it out. Herbs and crispy quinoa popcorn kept it from feeling too heavy. 🐷 Grilled Berkshire Pork Essentially a refined take on sauerkraut with pork… I originally came for the roasted duck leg listed online, but found it had been replaced with pork. The pork during my last visit was perfectly cooked and seasoned. This time, the cooking was just as skilled—full of meaty, charred aroma—but the sauce was so salty… so salty that it overpowered any trace of black truffle or quince (?) in the dish. My tongue was still feeling parched on the way home 🥀. 🍊 Winter Citrus Semifreddo Who else watched The Final Table Season 1 and craved Edward Lee’s mochi semifreddo? I immediately ordered this dessert. More like an airy mousse than ice cream, it had a slightly chewy, marshmallow-like texture that melted gently on the tongue. The citrus pairing was nice, though the macadamia nut oil flavor felt a little odd (but then again, imagine how delicious a rice-infused mochi semifreddo would be!). 🍸 Cocktail: Fish House Sidecar A base of cognac and rum. Nothing special to say—not bad, I guess. Truth be told, I don’t consider myself overly critical when it comes to fine dining, and it’s easy to see Mooncusser’s focus on flavor balance and innovative fusion ingredient pairings. But the execution often feels a bit lacking. When I first made a reservation—before the Michelin guide announcement—my friend thought it had potential to earn a star. Perhaps missing out wasn’t entirely unexpected (not that earning a star necessarily means it’s delicious 😅). #GoodFood #BostonFood #Michelin #BostonLife #FoodExploration