HAVING eaten in Moonfish a number of times over the years I was a bit concerned when I realised it was closed for a revamp.
Would it be turned into a cold, modern eatery or would it retain the cosy charm that has lured me time and time again?
Thankfully, in cosmetic terms, what’s happened to Moonfish is more botox than full-blown liposuction.
A lick of paint here, a new light fitting there, I hardly noticed the difference – which is good news in my book.
To start I had a bowl of Shetland mussels with smoked bacon and shallots (£4.95).
The plump orange mussels literally oozed flavour, with their juices turning the beer and cream sauce turning it into lip-smacking seafood broth.
It smelled so good even my mussel-detesting fiancee had to have a taste.
She ordered tempura king prawns with a sweet soy dip (£6.95).
This was the perfect starter for someone wanting to save their appetite for the main course – even the batter was light and didn’t make her feel as though she’d eaten a mini fish supper.
My cod with sage, crisp Serano ham and crushed potatoes (£15.95) was impressive, the white fish flaking with barely a touch from my fork.
Equally as impressive was the wasabi hollandaise. Thankfully the potentially-potent Japanese flavouring didn’t blast my sinuses to oblivion and it actually proved to be a subtle addition to my plate.
Meanwhile, my fiancee was rudely ignoring me in favour of her own dish, a pan-fried seabass with coriander and rocket risotto and chilli jam (£15.95). The crispy skin contrasted deliciously with the soft flesh and the risotto wasn’t stodgy in the slightest thanks to the coriander and rocket, which gave it a lift of freshness.
Both full, we forced ourselves to have pudding and I plumped for the calorie-crunching-sounding chocolate creme brulee (£4.50) while my fiancee went for the virtuous grapefruit posset with blackberry salad (£4.50).
While the velvety chocolate centre of the brulee was deliciously rich, the hard caramel shell was as thick as a £1 coin in places. It took a hefty hit to break through and even steelier nerves to take a bite.
The grapefruit posset was dish of the night for my fiancee. Light and refreshing, it was the definition of palate-cleansing. I was allowed only one taste and immediately wished I’d ordered the same.
I’ll accept that a meal at Moonfish isn’t the cheapest of nights in these credit crunchy times, but at least you know you’ll be tasting some of the best food Aberdeen has to offer.