Moreish Mussels by the Kilo at Mighty Mo's Pop-Up at Hatchery, Tuanjiehu

The guys behind culinary incubator Hatchery, and previously successful Beijing pop-ups such as Buena Onda and Soul Bowls, bring Beijing New Zealand green lipped mussels in their latest concept: Mighty Mo's.
 

The best thing to do is go with at least four people, and just order everything on the menu. That's what we did, anyway, and this is what it looked like:
 

The fiery sea bass chuan'r, made using Balinese-style lemongrass and turmeric, were the right balance between zesty and spicy, and came with a spicy kecap manis sambal and a lime to squeeze over it. Gone in about two minutes, it's safe to say that these were a hit.
 

The mussels were pretty darn close to sea perfection: beautiful, big, and juicy. We had them in all three sauces, and, cutting to the chase, the old faithful (RMB 85 for 500g, RMB 160 for 1kg) was favorite. The sauce was creamy and flavorful, and perfect for soaking the stodgy roasted bread in. Our only qualms were that there could've been a little bit more sauce. But then we suppose we should have just ordered (even) more.
 

Don't get us wrong though, the puttanesca and Thai green curry sauces were good, too, but the puttanesca could've been a little bit creamier and heavier, while the Thai green curry sauce left the mussels' taste a little bit more subtle, with the sauce overpowering. Nevertheless, the spices in the Thai green curry sauce made our tongues tingle, which is what we like.
 

We washed it all down with New Zealand's Tuatara beer (RMB 45), but there is a range of wines if you want to up your sophistication. Take our advice: go quick. Bookings are filling up, so make sure you check out the schedule and visit before Mighty Mo's is no more. To make a reservation, email jj@hatchery.asia. 

Feb 1-6: Mighty Mo’s Dinner 50 percent off food (reservations only)
Feb 7-13: Spring Festival
Feb 15-21: Mighty Mo’s Dinner 50 percent off food (reservations only)
Feb 22-28: Mighty Mo’s 25 percent off food
Mar 12: Grand Opening Party (details to come)

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Photos: Margaux Schreurs