Asuka N.
Yelp
We had the chance to eat at The Source a few times, in part thanks to the fact that hotel guests get to eat breakfast there every morning if they wish (it's included as part of the package in staying at one of the pavilions). It's located on the top floor of the Ether building, which also includes the reception desk for the hotel. At breakfast time, it's generally pretty empty, so you get your choice of seating; at lunch, though, there are more folks (in large part because the museum itself is quite popular), so I would recommend a reservation, although by the time we showed up to eat (around 2 PM), it began to empty out and was mostly vacated by the time we finished about 90 minutes later. The views are populated of the vegetation on the outer areas ringing the restaurant, as well as of the stage (nice when there is live music) or of the river. Combined with a wait staff that doesn't take itself too seriously but makes sure you are serviced efficiently, and you have a very relaxed setting in which to partake in a meal.
The breakfast dishes are pretty standard - you have some sweeter options, some healthier ones, and a lot of hot dishes that include eggs. All of them are quite good, with my favorite likely being the French toast - aside from the brioche being done to airy perfection, the jam (I asked for the rhubarb-apple iteration, as I'm not a marmalade person) was perfect pairing, and with two 'columns' of toast, it ends up being pretty light. The 'hot' dishes are all pretty decently-sized, so you'll likely walk out filled - but they are all quite good. The eggs hollandaise is served with a kombu-based hollandaise, making it lighter and more refreshing than your typical iteration of this dish. Served with a couple of poached eggs, some swirls of puréed avocado, and really good sourdough, and you have yourself a delicious breakfast. The huevos rancheros is also quite good, even if it's a little lighter on the salsa and guacamole than an American-prepared version. The blue corn tortillas provide a hearty base for each bite, and the beans, egg, and avocado combine to fill you up (and it has a hint of spice to boot). The 'continental' breakfast is definitely a splurge from a stomach perspective - with two eggs over sourdough, two slices of smoked bacon (good, if not cooked as consistently as I would prefer), two pieces of chicken sausage (surprisingly good), and a potato 'rosti' (hash browns, basically)...you're going to enjoy the meal but be thinking about skipping lunch.
Speaking of lunch - I wanted to see how the main meal The Source hosts did (they do not serve dinner). In short, the food was probably even better. We started with a crab tostada on a squid-ink tostada and paired with avocado and a dash of caviar. The caviar is a bit extraneous - there's a lot happening already - but the fresh crab meat on a warmly-flavored tostada was excellent. We did the local oysters as well, and I really liked them; more than the others we have had, it perfectly mixed the creamy texture and finish with a hint of brine. The smoked oyster mayonnaise (we got a few with this) was also quote good, and if anything accentuates the flavor of the sea. We then moved on to the wagyu beef tartare, which was quite unique - the beef is actually partially seared, and combined with the potato 'chips' topping the tartare, you get a nice mix of the beef flavor with the slightly mushy crunchiness of the chips. Our main was an excellent lamb back strap, which was very flavorful and had loads of flavor despite being a lean cut of meat. We finished off with an excellent cherry and blackberry clafoutis; the best way I can describe it is an eggy, crepe-like cake that had the fruit baked in and some buttermilk ice cream on the side to dollop onto the cake and temper the heat (while adding a little more creaminess).
MONA itself is an institution unto its own, but I would definitely carve out time to stop by for a meal here. The food is excellent (as are the cocktails), the decor and ambiance is in the spirit of the grounds and the museum, and it's a nice way to take a break from making one go of the museum and catching some sunlight.