Moppity Vineyards, Hilltops NSW

It didn't come as a great surprise when the good folk at Moppity took home (yet another) award - Best new brand 2010, Quaff 2010. They've been very busy lately collecting awards and trophies. 
So we decided to go ahead and test the wine and see what the hooplah is all about! Well, in short, they've nailed it on every front. Great wine, great range and unbelievable price (though that'll change soon, inside sources have warned me). 
We were so impressed that we decided to put three of their wines on our wine-list: Cab Merlot, Rose and Sav Blanc. Central Ranges has emerged as a region to watch out for. Every year, something big comes out of that area. Thanks to people like Jason Brown, we haven't seen anything yet....

Veggie patch - spring is here!

XXXX Summer Bright Lager

I know I'm challenging a lot of loyalties here, but let me say this, Summer Bright is the Aussie answer (finally) to Corona. There might be a bit of a difference but I guess we can live with it. Now, I'm more of a wine kinda guy but every now and then I end up in situations where you shouldn't ask for wine if you dont want to labelled a w**ker. Just grab a beer. In those situations, I wouldn't mind a Summer Bright. It's light, fresh and crisp. Add that magical wedge of lemon and voilà! Now the serious part - it's so much cheaper than Corona.

Another beauty by Ben Glaetzer

Bishop, by Ben Glaetzer. 2009 Shiraz. It's so much more than what it seems like when you first open it. It evolves into something much larger, much more lovable overnight. Beautiful shiraz. Available for around $30 AU, this is a great wine to stock up on.
Great on its own. Medium-bodied, gentle spices and mesmerising aroma. Berries are evident and the palate is full. All of that aside, it has that something special about it. Something that makes it a love t first sip.
It's no secret that Ben Glaetzer has been changing the way wine is produced and made in the Barossa. For a few years, he's been busy belting out wines that are more elegant than in your face. Lot gentler than what most people expect from the Barossa. Wines that are thoroughly enjoyable. This is a fine example of all that class and elegance that Ben has added to Australian wine.

Healthiest meat in Australia!

If someone asked me what was the healthiest meat that I could get in Australia a few years ago, I would have said 'Organic Chicken'. Or 'Organic Lamb'. Or something like that. But back then, Kangaroo meat was something out of a trivia night.
All Kangaroo meat (to my knowledge, at least) is organic. As far as I know, Kangaroos used in the meat industry are all wild. They do not have any antibiotics or hormones applied by the humans to boost their growth. For a simple reason - there's no need for it. 
The more I know this meat, the more confused I get. Why isn't this the most popular meat out there? This is by far the healthiest meat available to mankind. It has no man-infused chemicals in it. It is the only source of a fat that is highly beneficial to humans (according to the CSIRO). It has huge quantities of iron it in. It tastes awesome! Then why? Why isn't it the most consumed meat in Australia? Even the hippies I see flocking the organic op-shops hardly ever go for organic Kangaroo meat. And contrary to the common belief, they do eat meat.
I have tried a few different recipes with Kangaroo meat. I like all of them. Actually, that's an understatement. I love all of them. Chilli Kangaroo stir-fry is awesome and a personal favourite. Kanga steaks on mash. Kanga curry. There's a lot you can do with this versatile meat.
The best part is that I don't have worry about all the chemicals, antibiotics and hormones that are a part of the meat industry in the west. I dont have to worry about getting some kind of cancer later on in my life. Human organs are not made to handle unnatural chemicals that we find in most meats and other food products today. It's all as simple as that.

Grill it!

Going by taste alone, I don't think there's a better way of cooking food than grilling it. And then there's the health-related stuff as well. Personally, if I can grill it rather than fry it or bake it, I grill it. If it's a lazy evening, beer is in the air, I char-grill it. And if it's chicken or lamb that we're talking about, I some times flame-grill it.

Some people say roasting works well as well. Yes it does. So does baking and deep frying. No dispute there at all. But grilling is the simplest and fastest way of cooking food that tastes great and is healthy and feel-good at the same time! So grill it!!

Here's a quick recipe that everyone can adopt and come up with a kick-ass chicken dish in less than ten minutes! Once you've marinated the chicken overnight (or for at least a few hours in the fridge). Enjoy!

Take 3 tablespoons of olive oil and heat it in a pan. Add 5 tablespoons of tomato paste to it an mix well. Add 1 tablespoon of minced garlic to the mix and keep cooking on low heat. Now add 1/4th of a cup of red wine (I go for a Cabernet Merlot, gives the chicken a robust taste and adds good colour) and keep heating till you can't smell the wine anymore. Now add 3 tablespoons of lemon juice and let the mix cool.

Dice a half a kilo of chicken breast or thigh fillets (or use the whole fillets) and then mix with the mixture when it has cooled down (or else it starts to cook the chicken when mixed). Refrigerate overnight or at least for a few hours.

G R I L L:

If you do not have a grill, heat a pan and add some oil to it (spray oil works best). When the pan is hot and you can see the oil has heated up, throw the diced chicken in the pan or the fillets - you should hear a sizzle. cook on one side for approx. 3 minute and then turn and do the same. Once the chicken has been grilled completely, you can serve it with toasted bread and diced tomatoes and cucumbers. Too easy.

Grilled Sandwich - Vegetables and Cheese!

This one takes less than 5 minutes once you're grill is good to go!

Came up with this one on the go. Got myself a few vegetables from the markets. Chopped them up and threw them in the freezer last week. I do that genius stuff every now and again.

Yesterday afternoon, feeling a bit hungry, don't want a big lunch.... what do I do... oh! the frozen vegies. Out they come and voilà! One of the simplest lunch recipes was born.

Steamer ready! If not, boil some water. Throw the veggies in. They just need to been softened up a bit, not cooked entirely. The mix that I'm using is very simple -

Cauliflower

Broccoli

Carrots

Beans

You can use the frozen vegie packs from the supermarket. I just happen to be in the fresh markets every week so I usually do my own.

Use any type of bread, I use white (that's because I run and exercise) and spread the steamed vegies on the bread. Grate some cheese on the top when you're done. Some salt and pepper (freshly ground if that's an option). On to the grill and make sure the bread gets toasted nice and crisp - that ensures two things, one, the bread feels good to bite into and two, the cheese melts.

Nothing you didn't know! BUT. How many times have you DONE this in the last 2 years? Exactly.

Home-grown, no pesticides, no chemicals herbs and veggies.

Most people would say "isn't that Permaculture?". Most probably it is. I just dont know all the principles of permaculture...
Ok - growing your own veggies might not always be the cheapest way to go around doing things in hospitality. It tastes better. Would people notice? Most probably not. As a specific characteristic, it's hard to tell with pin-point accuracy that the coriander garnish was grown within 15 mtrs of the table you're having the meal at. As a complete meal/food experience, you would. Guaranteed.
I'll keep posting the progress of the patch. Mostly, I plan to plant herbs etc. Maybe a few cherry tomatoes... Ahh! Natural sweetness!

The Tin Soldier - Chardonnay 2007

Probably one of the best wines to have come out Hunter Valley in recent times. 2007 is outstanding, 2008 is really good. James Halliday gave 2007 a score of 94/100 - nothing else needs to be said about this wine.

Downside, not much available out there. You wouldn't find any of this stuff in the bottleshops (that's what Mark Hussy from the winery told me) and it being a boutique winery, not many bars would be stocking it.

As far as the flavours go, very well balanced, very subtle. Fruit and spice are the obvious flavours that leap out of the glass.

A better way of doing sausages!

Ok, I ran this through most of my friends and most of them liked it. One of them, a farm-boy, didn't. He went on record saying that it was criminal to do 'sausages' this way. I respect his opinion. He's from a farm near Tamworth.


Most common way of doing sausages in Australia is pan frying them. Throw in a bit of oil, heat it up and then add the sausages and pan-fry them until they are cooked through.
Here's my way:
Fill a pot or a large wok with hot water, add sausages and bring to boil. Take the casings off and discard them - your body doesn't them. Now, marinate these sausages in your favourite marinade. Mine is Worcestershire with Hot English Mustard. Cover the sausages with the marinade. I like to have them glazed with honey after the marinating. 
Put the sausages away overnight or at least for a few hours. When you're ready for them, take a non-stick frying pan, use olive oil spray and when its hot enough, throw the sausages in. Minimal grease, maximum taste. Please eat healthy - choose your sausages carefully, make sure they are organic and are made from actual meat.

Metala 2008 Cabernet Shiraz

Not as bold as some of the Penfolds reserve releases you can find for a decent price right now, which, in my case, is better. I like my reds to be elegant. Classy in taste, not in price or look. So, yes, I found this to be a great wine. Goes down well without food. Add a bit lamb meatball to it and its a treat.

Borderline subtle, not very spicy at all, this is a wine that anyone can enjoy.

Witches Falls 2007 Syrah

Most people don't know this but there is a region in Queensland that grows a considerable amount of grapes and a lot of wine comes out of it - the Granite Belt. Wineries are scattered all over the place and also spill over to the nearby areas such as Mt. Tamborine. Witches Falls is located in that region. The actual vineyard is minuscule. Owners get a lot of grapes from the Granite belt and mix it up.

The 2007 Syrah is their premium range. The bottle I bought at the cellar door set me back by $48. It's nothing like your usual Barossa Shiraz. It tastes very different - you can tell. Was it good to drink? I can't say I enjoyed as I enjoy the stuff out of the Barossa but having said that, it's not a bad drop. We had it with dinner. Spicy Asian cuisine. It went down very well. It wasn't bold and powerful at all. I thought it was quite mellow, subtle and easy to drink. We had a glass or two after dinner, on its own and it was again, easy to drink, even without food. Price is a bit high - if you've got a Dan Murphy near you, you could easily get something far better in that price range.

Mariner Pinot Noir - Marlborough, NZ

Pinot Noir is a tricky wine. Everyone wants to grow this grape. Recently, I came across a winemaker from the Pemberton area, WA and he told me that they grow this grape and make pretty good Pinot Noir. I tasted the wine he so graciously gave me. I told him it wasn't good. He probably doesn't like me that much any more but the reason I told him that was simple - I told him the truth. He came back with "this is not the top range, mind you" and I told him that's good because I would've been worried about his winery if it was.

Mariner Pinot Noir is a wine that has a feel-good wholesomeness to it. It is something that you'd want to take for a nice sunny lunch in the winters. Share it with friends and family. This is the wine that'll make you a star if you take it to a dinner party. It's not easily available and that's the downside. It's extremely likeable. Easy to drink and goes very well with food. Try it with whatever you like. Personally, I think you need to drink a good wine with something that you like. Lamb, Chicken, Steak, Pork - vegetarian stuff. Anything. Even fish, if you're a seafood person. Mariner uses this new thing called a zork. It's a rubber cork-screw cap combination. I quite like this idea - no cork (which is always good) and it's better than a screw cap as it fits back in quite nicely.

Maglieri Shiraz - SA

I don't know what it really is about these Shiraz' coming out of South Australia that makes them good. People cite the weather - climatic conditions etc. Whatever it is, it is good for us. We get to taste these beautiful wines. Maglieri Shiraz 2008 is a fine example of another good, honest wine that came out SA. It comes with a cork though...

Open it up, have a glass and then leave it sitting for an hour. Have another glass. You feel the life in the wine. You'll notice it has grown. And this is it. This is what keeps us wine lovers attached to this beautiful world of wine.

Taste - nice, subtle and easy to drink, it is not a strong, full-on Australian Shiraz

Angove Family Vineyards - Cab Sav 2008

This is a steal. Cabernet factor is very obvious, those who love cabernet will like it very much. Here's an idea, get a dozen of these and chuck them in the cellar - not to age but to drink when you feel like a good wine - this way your other stuff in the cellar (not ready to drink) is saved. Use this as an alternative to that expensive Coonawara cabernet that you've got in the cellar. Or just grab one before a dinner at the local Thai restaurant!

Clonakilla Hilltops Shiraz

What a beauty! This is the kind of wine that you could take to a dinner and instantly become a star. I'm not entirely sure but this could have come from the vineyard planted by Dr. John Kirk of the CSIRO in the Hilltops region. 
Amazing wine. Subtle, yet full of flavour. Slightly spicy, holds beautifully and goes great with food. I tried it with roast chicken and it was a great experience. I had a glass of it before food, on its own and it was a treat. All in all, a great wine. Get as many as you can, it'll only go up in price like its sister wines - the shiraz viognier 2008.

Bad food addiction

Just like most nations in the west, Australians are addicted to bad food. Every night I see fast food joints, pizzerias and other take-away businesses getting flooded by people. More is good. The more you get, the better you feel. Years down the line, just when you're starting to wind down, relax and enjoy life, you get diagnosed with ..... 
I keep repeating to all my friends, eat healthy. That kebab you had last night - do you know what was in it? Was it chemical-free? The body is not supposed to handle all that crap that is being put in our food products. It ends up reacting to it in ways that lead to a very uncomfortable life and a sad end.
Not trying to scare you! Just trying to emphasise the need to eat good food. Try to eat fresh or organic whenever possible.
TRY THIS:
Pick one thing that you eat on a daily basis. For most people (and myself), it is ice cream after dinner. Try not eating it for a week. I promise you, you'll struggle the first couple of days. Just like smokers do when they try to quit. Try it.

Importance of Low-carb diets

Low-carb diets are important for us to live a happy and prosperous life. This is the probably the simplest way of describing the hype around the low-carb, low GI push in recent times. What we eat affects and in some ways, controls the way we feel, act and in most cases, look. It's real simple. The more junk food we eat, the more unwanted fats/carbs we inject into our bodies. It is possible to lose/control weight just by eating the right foods. In simple words, we need to eat more low-carb foods such as vegetables (Broccoli, Pumpkin, Cauliflower, Cabbage, Asparagus, Brussel Sprouts etc) and less high-carb, high-fat foods such as white bread, pizza, fizzy drinks, sweet cordials, deep fried meats and deep fried anything.
Nothing comes close to home-cooked fresh food. At Monal we make sure all meals are cooked from fresh produce wherever possible. It's important, we want you to look, feel and live better.

Gramp's Shiraz by Orlando Wines

As we all know, 2006 was the best vintage in the Barossa in recent years. Most of the wine to have come out of that region in 06 was stunning in all aspects. Red wine vintage was particularly good. 2006 Gramp's shiraz is one of the best wines to have come out of that vintage.
Perfect from start to finish. Open a bottle and see it grow from an infant to full-bodied Barossan beauty. It takes a life of its own. Perfect with a lamb dish or on its own.


Alcohol: 14%

Croque Monsieur

Classic French Bistro dish. We add a couple of poached eggs to it which, in France would qualify for a Croque Madame but we decided to keep it simple. We're doing it with Brie, slightly more expensive but worth it! Bread done with a bit of mustard and butter, loaded with Béchamel. Bliss.

Grilled chicken with Béchamel & caramelised apples

Béchamel sauce is rightly known as the Mother of all sauces in France. The French are right!
Lightly grilled chicken breast, coated in extra-virgin olive oil and herbs is one of the healthiest and tastiest grills you can get your hands on. Dollops of freshly made Béchamel on the top and a side of caramelised apples seals the deal. 

Experimental Cuisine

In more recent years, best restaurant awards have been going to places that do cuisine that can be described as experimental. Heston Blumenthol has pioneered this. This year's winner, Noma, a Danish restaurant, seems to be  taking it to the next level. Edible dirt is one thing that stands out from the menu. Using science to come up with stunning food. Heston has come up with, using a laboratory-style kitchen, perfect (according to him) everyday dishes like bangers and mash etc. I think it being 'perfect' requires it to be done in an everyday style. Using an everyday kitchen. What he has come up with, can be described as a scientifically created, controlled version of everyday food. Without the errors, limitedness and non-perfectness of an everyday kitchen. 
How does it taste? Well, I haven't tasted any of it so I can only imagine. It would taste great. But not the same. I've had Thai food at very expensive restaurants with kick-ass commercial kitchens. Street food in Thailand, cooked using minimal equipment, usually no the side of a busy highway, tastes better.
I rest my case.

Healthiest food - souvlaki!

Trying to lose weight? Here's a simple, yet delicious way of doing that. Switch to having Souvlaki for lunch. Start the day by having a small breakfast - fresh juice with some toast. For lunch have souvlaki - chicken or lamb, on a Turkish roll, with salad if you want. No cheese. No Mayonnaise. For dinner (this is the hard one) - salad, no later than 7 pm.

Try this for a couple of weeks and see the results. This is one of the best ways of losing weight fast while making sure you eat enough healthy food. 

Danish feta or Greek Feta?

The base is same for both of these styles of feta cheese. As far as the actual taste goes, they should both taste more or less the same. The biggest and most obvious difference between these two cheeses is the texture. Greek feta is more solid than it's Danish sidekick. Consequently, Greek feta cheese is more suited to salads where as Danish is more suited to burgers and sausages. Greek feta is very good for crumbling over salad, or to be used as whole cubes. On the other hand, Danish feta is good for forming a paste or just melting over hot burger patties or sausages. Both taste great!

Organic Lamb sausages

There has been a lot of talk about organic stuff in the last decade or so. We've tried a few different things and to be honest, you can't tell the difference just by tasting (at least we couldn't). But, the health-related benefits are supposed to be great. There has been a debate out there for and against organic food for as long as the stuff has been around itself and it'll never be settled.
One of the things that we tried and really stood out were the Greek-style lamb sausages. With mixed herbs and mild spices (mint, rosemary, lemon myrtle and chilli), these sausages are tasty, juicy and full of flavour. We've come up with an interesting way to cook these sausages - boil them in water until they are done (read us out before you go "that's criminal!"). Dry them and then lightly sear them in olive oil, slice them in small chunks and drizzle some more olive oil on top. These sausages need to be accompanied with feta cheese and some garden salad. The end result is amazing. We serve this breakfast with tzatziki. So much better than bacon and eggs (NOW you go "that's criminal!"). 

Himalayan goat curry

In the Himalayan communities of northern ranges of India, goat meat is consumed on a regular basis and is considered (deservedly) far superior to lamb meat. The taste and texture are both, better and leaner, resulting in super goat curries. 
Recipes are handed down from one generation to the next and every community has a champion goat curry cook. These guys don't use any secret ingredients or mysterious techniques, they just happen to have that 'touch'. Though nowhere near as good as them, I follow what I learnt from these people and try to bring it to your plate. Dishing up a killer goat/lamb curry involves slow-cooking the meat in vacuum conditions for 3 hours. Then, it's combined with fresh herbs and spices. Some ground spices need to be lightly toasted before they're combined. Then the whole thing is allowed to sit on very low heat for another hour. Need I explain more? All this slow-cooking with fresh herbs and toasted spices brings out the best in this dish. And then I've got that 'touch', y'see...
:)

Scary stuff!

Anyone watched Food Inc. yet? 

Vegan food needed

Friends of Monal have spoken and we've listened (sounds sooo Dominos!). Vegan/vegetarian food is still appreciated in our (mostly) carnivore country and that's good news. Thanks a lot guys.


Here're two of chef's special vegan/vegetarian dishes:


1. Sautéed Mushrooms and Broccoli in chef's red wine sauce with rice


2. Chickpeas, mushrooms and carrots stir-fry with lemon dressing served with toasted Turkish rolls. 


Enjoy!

Sad but true

It's soooo sad. Most people are addicted to sauces out of the jar, full of preservative, tasting nothing like what they traditionally should. This morning, a lady complained about our Hollandaise sauce. As she was leaving. Now, when her breakfast was taken out to her, she didn't recognise the Hollandaise sauce on her plate! She thought it was egg yolk that had burst and flown out... Funny for those few of us who still make their own sauces. Sad when you think about what has become of us. Most cafes just open a jar and serve that. Sadly, that's what people have come to think of as real!!! Fresh is out. No wonder our health figures nation-wide are  pathetic. We're used to eating crap.

Its not where its from. It's WHAT it's from.

When it comes to wine, many of us less educated, tend to think it's all in the label. Now how do I know if this wine, that I've never heard of, is good or bad. Dining out, do want to risk $40 on a bottle that I might not like? Simple answer to that would - NO. Having said that, what makes a wine good? This all very basic stuff, mind you. Every now and then, we come across an ad on TV, see a great picture of a glorious-looking bottle on the side of a bus or someone comes along with "Oh, you need to try that wine!". I, personally, tend to disagree with all of these.
It's not where it comes from. I've had bad Shiraz from the Barossa. Bad Semillon from the Hunter and categorically bad wine from Bordeaux. It's WHAT it comes from. the soil, the climate, the grapes, the people. Small unknown wineries come up with ground-shattering wines every now and then. How? Better soil. Better climate. Fantastic people, who love what they're doing, make their own rules and not report into managers sitting in a high-rise sending emails to justify their existence in the million-dollar companies. 
BUT. Again, how do you know? You'll need to get hold of a good wine-book. There are many, you'll get to know which one is good for you, in time. Campbell Mattinson - most red wines in Australia. James Halliday - most wines in Australia. Robert Parker - most wines in the US and rest of the world. Or you can join an online forum. Or just do your research on the net. If you like something, get in touch with the wineries. Trust me, they are the nicest people out there and would answer most of your question to the best of their abilities.
Dining out? This is tricky. Most places do not tell you anything about their wines other than WHERE they come from and how much they cost. Not good enough. Ask for a tasting. Or just ask the staff what they think of it - again, risky. The best thing is to have your research done and have an idea of what might work for you. If a place has a wine-list that tells you a bit more about the wine, like tasting notes, that'll help a great deal.
Bio-dyanamic wine is always a better way to go if you're lost. Because its a perfect example of 'WHAT it comes from'. 
Enjoy.

small time roaster down the road or a quality bean from people who know what they're doing?

unlike common belief that small guys who roast their coffee down the road are super, it all actually depends on the quality of the beans. if you're getting good beans (roasted anywhere in the world), and grinding it fresh, your coffee will end up tasting good. its all in the bean. cant get good wine in a bad vintage.

Bookings or no bookings?

Many of our friends in Hospitality have moved away from taking bookings - you get there on time, get in. Seems like a fair deal. Also, lets us have random people in, whenever there's a seat available. Last-minute cancellations, absurd expectations, all these are killers in a financial sense. We're seriously thinking of moving away from all that.

Avocado = Guacamole

Avocados are coming back into the markets! And we'll be buying boxes of them! It'll be Guacamole with breakfast, lunch and dinner, made fresh, to order.
Avocados on toast - in burgers and as dips. It's that time of the year.

You can take home unfinished bottles of wine.

Any wine that is left in the bottle after you've consumed part of it, can be taken home. 
Here's the update from the OLGR:
Patrons of licensed  restaurants  and public entertainment venues that provide meals can take home unfinished bottles of wine, but they must be resealed. Bottles can be resealed with, for example, a cap or stopper.

Mother's Day - let's celebrate!

Mother's day is a special day - we celebrate motherhood as a collective, not just in an individual sense. 
At Monal, we'll come up with a great menu - seafood, meat grills as well as vegetarian dishes. It's a very special day after all!

Shakshuka!

This kick-ass dish from Israel will be on the menu this weekend! This, to me, is a real breakfast - something that makes an event out of a weekend breakfast ritual.Love the way I can add my favourite ingredient to this breakfast - red wine!! mmm... yum! Completely cooked, the wine gives it a depth that can only be achieved by infusing the flavours of a red wine with tomatoes. Poached eggs and diced capsicum complete the dish. 

New Seasonal Menu kicks in this week!

Yes! We have done away with the traditional menu format. We are going fresh. Everyday, we'll go out and get the best produce available in the markets and cook it for you. You'll see more and more fresh food, meat and seafood from now on and yes, the signature dishes still feature in the new menu. 

Orlando Gramps - THE Australian Shiraz

This post is from my wine blog, thought I'd share it with you. 
Here's the writing on your screen: grab a dozen bottles of Orlando Gramps Shiraz, Vintage 2006 and put them away!

Don't say you didn't see it. The writing that is.

This is a wine that many have tasted, many have liked. Many have already put away. Join that club.

Tastes like a good wine should. Without digging deep into my literary closet for fancier words, I'd put it simply: it makes you feel good, it makes the meal taste better and the feeling of general well-being is suddenly uplifted to a new high after the first glass.

Try it before you decide to stock up.

Brussel Sprouts - in sesaon

I've been told that it has something to do with farmers in Adelaide Hills. The way they plan the Brussel Sprout yield makes it available pretty much throughout the year... So it really does come down to pricing.

We'll be adding more and more of this funny looking (midget-cabbage?) vegetable to the dishes on the menu. In all different forms - seared (!), poached, grilled, fried - everything. It is, paired with Asparagus, one of my favourite vegetables. Happy times.

Tin Soldier 2007 Chardonnay

94 points by James Halliday - means a lot.

One of the best thing to have come out of Hunter Valley in recent times.

Join us for an evening of good food and great wine!

Michael Park, Sommelier ex-Penfold's, will be conducting a free tasting on Saturday24/04/2010 7pm to 8pm






monal cafe|163 enmore rd|enmore nsw 2042|monalcafe.com

Set menu or seasonal fresh produce?

For a while now, we’ve been toying around with the idea of going with a seasonal fresh produce menu. It has been a very strong idea in itself but I think we’re convinced that it is the way to go. At Monal, we’re all for good, fresh food that will make you feel good. Add good wine to it and that becomes an experience. Everyone deserves to have a good meal when they step into a restaurant and spend their money. Anything less than a complete, fresh and tasty meal won’t do.

The decision has been made – we’re moving towards a seasonal menu. Everyday, a new menu will drawn up, based on whatever is available fresh in the markets. This allows us to bring variety and play around with a diverse pool of available fresh food. The deal-makers behind this decision were:

1. Whatever is in season is fresh – most important
2. Whatever is in season is cheap – helps a lot in passing the savings on to the customer. Do you really want an avocado that bad that you’re willing to pay $5 for it?
3. Signature dishes will always remain on the menu anyway.
4. This allows us to do flashy stuff like chardonnay-grilled snapper every now and then!
5. We’re at the markets, in touch with butchers and talking to suppliers everyday; we’re on top of things (!)
6. The customers get new and exciting stuff every time they come in.

After operating the kitchen in Monal for over a year and half, this seems to be the next step, the only way to go. We’ll bring the best to the table. We’ll change the way things work, for the better. We’re on it.