Momo Brasserie & Bar: Cafe, CBD Sydney (7 Sept 2012)

65 Elizabeth Street, Sydney NSW 2000

http://www.momobrasserie.com.au

Pastrami on Elizabeth

“We're the home of New York style pastrami; wholly made in-house from our own special recipe. Our chef takes 5 days to lovingly create this succulent and highly flavoured delicacy.”

A catchup lunch with Liberty Miller from Liquid Ideas brings me to my suggestion of Momo Brasserie which has been on my wish list since I noticed the renovations earlier in the year and promotion of their pastrami in the SMH Good Living. I order the New York Pastrami ($17.90) which comes with a small mountain of warm house made pastrami. I was expecting to see a sandwich but it's served more like an open sandwich so no luck in trying to pick it up like the one I had at Katz's Delicatessen in New York. The chips were good and the pastrami quite peppery and fairly tender and moist although not quite as dreamy as the one I've had at Katz's which was super moist and thinly sliced to perfection. I had dish envy when the Smoked salmon and gravlax (cured salmon) salad ($19.50) arrived. Loved the creamy dill dressing, fresh flavours and attention to thinly sliced onions so they're not too overpowering when eaten. The generous size will certainly not leave you hungry. Service was friendly and welcoming and you could tell the personable owner Bruce Goldman was a man who took pride and care of making sure his customers were happy. I hope to return to try a few other dishes including the Reuben classic sandwich.

SNAPSHOT REVIEW:

PROS: Friendly and welcoming service, Generous portions, Buzzing atmosphere, Tempting menu, Reasonable prices for the quality

CONS: Not quite the pastrami I fondly had at Katz's

MUST TRY: Smoked salmon and gravlax salad, Returning to try other menu dishes
VERDICT: A pleasant spot for a nice lunch catchup

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New York Pastrami: stack of warm house made pastrami on toasted rye served with slaw, pickled cucumbers and American mustard ($17.90)

Smoked salmon and gravlax (cured salmon) salad with pickled cucumbers, lettuce and creamy dill dressing ($19.50)
SIMON FAVOURITE :-)

Menu

The Pastrami Story

Chef John Casey

Bill $37.40 for 2 — paid by Liberty as a thank you for coming to the Wolf Blass event

Unisex toilet clean and handy shelf to pop your bag on

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Eat, Deli Kitchen: 'The Reuben' Wagyu Salt Beef on Rye, Westfield Sydney (19 Nov 2010)

The Sydney Room, Level 5, Westfield Sydney

Cnr Market and Castlereagh St Sydney NSW 2000

Not quite what I was hoping

I must admit I was very excited when I heard there was a pastrami on rye to be had at the new Westfield Sydney but once I worked out their version was actually served cold I knew it was going to be a far cry from the famous Katz's Delicatessen version I loved. I opted for the warm 'The Reuben' Wagyu Salt Beef on rye, Swiss cheese, pickles, mustard mayo ($13.50) which seems to be their signature sandwich and more comparable to what I was expecting. The meat isn't as thinly sliced and juicy as the much loved Katz's but it now sets the standard for finding a better one in Sydney. It's a pretty expensive sandwich but thankfully fairly filling to keep you satisfied for a while. The cold open cut sandwiches look pretty fresh and tempting so perhaps something to try for next time.

Other visits to Eat, Deli Kitchen:

• 19 Nov 2010 - The Reuben Wagyu Salt Beef on Rye

• 9 Nov 2010 - 8 new eateries

SNAPSHOT REVIEW:

PROS: Pretty tasty, Fairly substantial, Freshly made, Good variety of sandwiches to choose from

CONS: On the expensive side of sandwiches

MUST TRY: Other sandwiches on the menu

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'The Reuben' Wagyu Salt Beef on rye, Swiss cheese, pickles, mustard mayo ($13.50)

Pastrami shaved on rye ($13)

Roast beef and grilled vegetables with baby spinach ($11.50)

Open salmon sandwich with capers and créme fraiche ($13.50)

Open sandwich with grilled zucchini and feta ($11.50)

Hot sandwich menu

Cold sandwich menu

Coffee menu

Ingredients for hot sandwiches

Service and preparation counter

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Katz's Delicatessen: Pastrami Sandwich on Rye, New York (26 Oct 2010)

205 East Houston Street, New York 10002

http://www.katzdeli.com

I'll have what she's having!

If I had to pick one foodie highlight when I recently visited New York it would have to be this place. It doesn't seem to get more authentic than this and even though it's probably become more commercial due to the movie When Harry Met Sally and seeing all the celebrity photos plastered all over the walls it still exceeded my expectations of how good it was — Meg Ryan might have summed it up perfectly with her emotions. As you walk in you get a food ticket which is marked depending on what you order. There's a few cutting stations for the pastrami and they give you a little sample to taste to make sure you're happy with the meat.

The pastrami is sliced beautifully thin and packed into the sandwich with a tasty mustard. The meat was so tasty, moist and melt-in-your-mouth that I would simply describe it as succulent. Someone needs to open one of these places in Sydney — please! The Pastrami Sandwich on Rye ($14.95, $16.28 inc tax) was more expensive than I was expecting but I think worth it and I loved the pickles on the side. There's enough meat in one sandwich to possibly share between two but it's very tempting to keep it all to yourself. If you order anything else on the menu then you possibly might be disappointed because their signature dish is the pastrami. Service was pretty efficient once you worked out the system of how to order and if you like how your sandwich maker made your sandwich then you can give them a tip.

SNAPSHOT REVIEW:

PROS: Possibly the best pastrami sandwich on rye in the world, Open 365 days, Tasty and moist pastrami

CONS: More expensive than I was expecting but worth it, Can take a while waiting to be served when busy

MUST TRY: Pastrami Sandwich on Rye, Living in New York

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Pastrami Sandwich on Rye ($14.95)

SIMON FAVOURITE :-)

Juicy thin slices of tasty pastrami = food heaven!

For the best go to Katz's Delicatessen

Menu

Slicing up the pastrami

Plenty of seating but still packed

Celebrity wall — if it's good enough for Johnny Depp then it's good enough for me.

When Harry Met Sally crew

The spot where Harry met Sally — check out the sign above.

When Harry Met Sally famous scene

Open 365 days a year — now that's dedication.

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