New trendy food spots are popping up everywhere, but the secret to keeping customers coming back is doing something well, and with their speciality offering, MooMoo at Mall of Africa has made a lasting impact, turning heads, and making the decision of “where to eat”, that much simpler.
We recently visited the restaurant, and as 1 vegan and 3 meat lovers, one of whom is pregnant, there was unsurprisingly a resounding chef’s kiss, and here’s why:
The Ambience: After being seated in the large restaurant, the space actually felt cosy and classy, allowing you to feel very comfortable and warm. The friendly and inviting family feel with big stable tables and beautiful lights above each one created a lot to admire, and quite a few conversations about the decor, so possibly the best place to help you break the ice on a first date?
For a cold Tuesday night, they had massive gas heaters around the restaurant, low music set an inviting ambience and encourage conversation at the table, as a great mixture of people enjoyed their meals around us.
Decor: With a lot of direct visualisations of cows around the restaurant, it was undoubtedly on the cow-chic side of decor. It’s a unique look and themed is a refreshing change compared to the average steak restaurant. The fresh grass patch on the table is highlighted by the light fixture in a bucket, hung above our table gave a literal farm-to-table feel, and going to the bathroom
also became an experience as a mooing cow sound met me when I entered the doors.
A highlight of this restaurant is definitely the wine wall, placed practically for browsing the wine selection and as a constant reminder that you are a wine and steak bar, it showed the variety of quality wines one can order any day of the week. The display of happy hour specials, Sunday sundowner sessions and other enticing offerings were on display, making it even easier to plan your next visit.
Food: A wide selection of meaty-centric mains focused on the “build your own plate” concept. For non-red meat lovers, the menu includes chicken and pork options, and a few gourmet salads which could be altered to accommodate a vegan. Diners also have a selection of small plates and a few hearty meals like peri-peri chicken livers and gourmet bread bowls. Accompanying side dishes are billed extra per selection and consist of fries, sweet potato fries, onion rings, coleslaw, baby potatoes, roast veggies, creamed spinach
and a side salad – they might come on the side, but they are definitely worth every bite!
Beef Carpaccio Rolls: This favourite, and highly recommended option had the 3 meat lovers in ABSOLUTE AWE! If anything, they will be rushing back just for these pepper-crusted raw beef rolls filled with parmesan cream, crispy capers and crunchy gherkin bits. The capers and gherkins gave it more texture and another layer of flavour. Definitely a 10/10.
Philly Cheese Steak: A generous serving of steak with fried onions smothered in a combination of Emmenthal Cheese and MooMoo’s cheese sauce, served in a hollowed-out bread roll. The bread roll was fresh, the steak was soft, and the cheese sauce was thick and creamy – a husband’s recommendation is definitely an option to consider!
500g beef espetada: 500g pieces of generous meat, hung from a skewer dripping in garlic butter. Ordered medium rare, and the meat arrived more medium than rare, so it was easy to appreciate the quality pieces of meat 
hung before us, but the “dripping in garlic butter” part and the BBQ basting were a little lacking. But, honestly, the quality of the meat didn’t need any condiments. The meat was soft and not chewy. It was rich in flavour and an absolute delight to eat. It’s a dish the restaurant should be proud of and for R265 a plate, it’s a value-for-money meal enough to be shared with others. For the sides, we had coleslaw and spinach. Both are recommended but keep in mind that the portions are significant if you were thinking of ordering only one side dish.
Drinks: Now here, they do not go wrong at all! They have a wide selection to choose from, from wine to beer to cocktails and even mocktails, there should be something for anyone. You can get a recommendation to pair your wines with steaks or certain sauces to enhance the experience further.
Pina Colada Mocktail: As an avid mocktail drinker while pregnant, it was clear we had a fan around the table confidently saying that ‘MooMoo’s has some of the best mocktails in Gauteng’. The Pina Colada was tasty and not too icy. Perfectly blended, and the juices never split.
Price: Prices are on average a little higher, but for the quality and portion sizes, definitely aligned. It’s not overpriced, and is perfect for a Sunday family outing, for millennial girlfriends to have dinner or even a double date.
Service: they are attentive to a fault. The waiter was not overbearing, and was consistent, allowing us to enjoy our time, while not being too far away if he was needed. He was also knowledgeable and conversational. He had no slip-ups, and the timing of food delivery was also on the faster side. The uniform worn by the servers is quite tasteful. The manager is attentive and checked on us once – which was enough. We appreciated it, and it was delightful. Here, yet another 10/10!
