Monal Dining, a new neighbourhood haunt from a young-gun chef, has opened in Newstead
Yogesh Budathoki isn’t afraid of being a little bit uncomfortable, which is good, because much of his culinary career to date has involved adapting to new, unfamiliar and uncomfortable circumstances.
When the Nepalese chef moved to Australia in 2017, he first had to overcome language barriers and a hearty dose of culture shock – spending time on the Gold Coast before moving north to Brisbane, intent on navigating his way into the city’s heaving dining scene.
Talent talks, though. Since arriving in town, Yogesh’s prodigious cooking skills have earned him roles in some of the city’s best kitchens – including stints at The Calile Hotel, Greca, Yoko and as sous chef at Hôntô. With institutions like these on his resume, Yogesh could have easily maintained an upward trajectory through the rest of Brisbane’s big-time kitchens.
Instead, he’s elected to get uncomfortable once again with his next career move, stepping away from high-end restaurants to launch 55-seat bar and eatery, Monal Dining, which opened on corner of Skyring Terrace and Wyandra Street in Newstead in early January.
“I wanted to do something small where I can cook and just do my own thing,” says Yogesh, “Don’t get me wrong, it’s fun working with the big companies. But I felt like I needed to do something for myself where I can cook for a small group of people.”
That said, Yogesh isn’t alone in the venture. He co-owns Monal Dining with his cousin Roman Bhandari, who recently relocated from Sydney (where he worked in several top-notch hotels such as Crown Sydney and Four Points by Sheraton) to oversee the 55-seat venue’s dining floor.
Together, they’re helming a haunt that’s not quite a bar and not quite a restaurant – it’s a nifty midpoint between the two, where impromptu snacking is as acceptable as elongated blow-out dinners. Working with Clui Design and Lowry Group, Yogesh and Roman have transformed site (previously home to Pantry 360) into a sleek yet approachable place to drink and dine.
“I’m a big fan of small places that have a little bit of an old-school look and classic vibe,” says Yogesh, who admits he would have been happy serving food from a poky hole-in-the-wall joint. Instead, Monal Dining is comfortable and timeless, with red brick and timber offset by marble and army-green banquettes. Seating options include an alfresco patio, a strip of Bentwood stools at the bar and plenty of tables inside.
Joining Yogesh in the kitchen is fellow gun cuisiner Jake Smith, former Honto head chef who became mates with Yogesh during the latter’s time manning the Fortitude Valley restaurant’s raw bar. Although they helmed different parts of the kitchen, the duo formed a kinship that is now paying tasty dividends at Monal Dining. “We worked together, but we knew that if we worked closer together in the same space it would be really good,” says Yogesh, who informs us that the duo are likeminded in their appreciation for simple, well-executed dishes. “After working together for a couple of years, we figured out how the other preferred to work and the kind of food that we wanted to cook – it was very similar.”
The duo is taking a broad approach when it comes to Monal’s culinary direction, straying away from any particular cuisine in favour of a tight offering that draws from a number of inspirational avenues.
“We didn’t want to create barrier for ourselves by sticking to Japanese, Middle Eastern or a single cuisine,” Yogesh explains. “I’m a big fan of Asian cooking and Asian food, but I just wanted to do something very open minded – and I knew Jake was similar, but his background was a little bit more European. So [at Monal Dining] we just call it modern Australian.”
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Monal’s menu starts with snacks like Hokkaido scallops with apple, green chilli and cod’s roe, tuna tartare on fried potato and wagyu intercostal skewers on beds of labneh, before the offering progresses to a series of small plates – think momo-like pork dumplings with hemp-seed sauce, stuffed calamari with XO butter and mustard cress, and pulled lamb-filled fried pastry with chilli mayo for dipping.
A four-strong selection of mains features succulent lemon molasses-glazed chicken bathing in curry sauce, hearty braised lamb shoulder with house-made roast-tomato jus, grilled barramundi with spring onion and ginger relish, and Riverina black Angus sirloins. Don’t ignore the sides – the grilled cabbage with cashew and laver furikake, and fried kipfler potatoes with house seasoning are unskippable additions.
Yogesh and Jake have ensured that Monal’s offering can be explored at leisure, without pressure to follow a set path of small to big. “If you stick to the small plates and snacks, you don’t have to go to the mains,” says Yogesh. “You can come in and have a couple of snacks, some oysters and a couple of glasses of wine and still have a good time.”
Speaking of wine, Monal’s bar keeps things local. “About 90-percent of our wines are Australian, with the final 10-percent from New Zealand,” says Yogesh of the wine list, which boasts more than 20 options by the glass, including drops from Koerner, La Petite Mort and Head Wines. “We also wanted to do five or six really good cocktails matching the flavour profile of the food.”
Ask Yogesh, and he’ll tell you that staying uncomfortable is crucial to Monal’s ongoing success. Don’t expect the crew to remain static – the offering will be in constant flux as the crew indulge their inventive whims.
“Coming to Australia six years back, entering in the industry and not being able to speak English, it was a challenge to get used to this community, to get used to a different culture and to get used to people with a different mentality,” says Yogesh. “But I’m a big believer in not being comfortable all the time, because if you’re too comfortable it stops your progress.”
“The most exciting thing about this is we’re so confident that it’s only going to get better,” he adds. “We want to earn the trust first. As soon as we build that, then we can be a little bit more adventurous.”
Monal Dining is now open to the public. For operating hours, contact details and booking info, head to The Directory.