Last week, Miss Niss joined Blog and Tweet Boston for an amazing dinner at Moksa, a Pan Asian Tapas restauarant located in Central Square, Cambridge. We were invited to a four course dinner, and each course was served with a choice of either a cocktail or a glass of wine.
This was my second event with Blog and Tweet Boston and I must say that this is a fabulous group. Their events are well organized, special and worthwhile for the bloggers. The group attracts a diverse group of bloggers and I’ve enjoyed meeting every food, fashion or fitness blogger.
From the moment I arrived at Moksa, I was impressed with the service. I was offered a choice of beverage shortly after I sat down. I arrived late and everyone was already enjoying their first drink of the night. For my pre-dinner drink, I chose a glass of rose wine.
The wine was smooth and tasty, a perfect start to the evening. Our first course was a roasted butternut squash soup with coconut infused curry and young soybeans.
I was surprised to see butternut squash soup on the menu at an Asian restaurant, and I was absolutely delighted when I brought the first spoonful to my mouth. The roasted butternut squash flavor shone through the brightest, as it should with a squash soup, and the curry really enhanced the flavor, rather than overpowering it. The edamame was an inspiring addition. I never thought to add edamame to soup, but now I am definitely going to try it at home. Perhaps the best part of this soup was that we all received the recipe on the back of our menus! Paired with the butternut squash soup was a choice of either a Fall Manhattan, or a glass of Sake. I opted for the sake, which was tasty but very strong! Everyone around me who ordered the Fall Manhattan loved it.
For our next course, I received a special vegetarian option when everyone else enjoyed spicy tuna dumplings.
These patties made from chickpeas, potatoes, and peas were bursting with delicious flavors, and the texture lent itself toward the comfort food spectrum. Paired with this course, I chose the Peking Sailor, Hendrick’s gin, Campari, Elderflower vinegar, cucumber, and bubbly. Are you surprised it was absolutely delicious? If I wasn’t driving home and it wasn’t a Wednesday night, I would have enjoyed a few of those!
For a surprise course between appetizers and the main course, we were served sushi. To be honest, I forget what was inside the vegetarian roll, but I remember it was delicious!
For the main course, I had paneer masala.
No, those are not cubes of tofu. It’s cottage cheese! Paneer masala is a traditional Indian dish of cottage cheese cubes, peppers, onions, and Indian tomato sauce. I really loved this dish. Often Indian dishes are very spicy for me, and the paneer masala was not spicy. I loved the texture of the cottage cheese cubes; they were similar to tofu. The ingredients seemed fresh, it wasn’t too oily, and the Indian spices were simply perfect. I was so full at this point and I wanted to save room for dessert, so I took half of this generous portion home. My meat-loving Mr. ate my leftovers when I got home and he also loved the paneer masala!
Paired with the main course, I went back to wine.
The full bodied red paired well with the main meal. And, lastly, my favorite part of any meal: dessert.
Warm coconut rice pudding paired with Milk & Honey, a cocktail of cognac, rooibos, milk, and Boston honey, was a unique choice and delicate end to the meal. Plus, the rice pudding served in a tea cup was an adorable choice. I used to really not like coconut, and now I’m happy to say I’ve acquired a taste for it. I love rice pudding and I liked the addition of coconut and pumpkin. This dessert is really perfect for fall, and it paired really well with the Milk & Honey cocktail.
Throughout the meal, we were provided excellent service from the staff at Moksa. Good service is almost as important as good food, in my opinion. I am so impressed with both the delicious food, warm and inviting atmosphere, and attentive service at Moksa. I can’t wait to eat here again!
Thanks to Blog and Tweet Boston for organizing, and thanks to my fellow bloggers for the fun conversation!
This meal was provided free as part of Blog and Tweet Boston. As always, all opinion as my own.
