Owners and chefs, Antony and Robi. Photo: Kazuri Photography.
Brand new Le Monsoon is one of those restaurants that once you go, you are just going to keep coming back to.
While it will become the favourite takeaway for locals, I recommend the experience of dining in. From the cute little robot that brings your food to the beautiful, themed plates your food is served on, this place is special.
Owners and chefs Antony and Robi first launched Le Monsoon as a catering company specialising in Kerala cuisine. The coastal region of Kerala, in southwestern India, produces dishes suffused with tastes of the tropics. Coconut, curry leaves, limes and mustard seeds are flavour staples.
The name Le Monsoon evokes images of the region’s monsoon season, where rain-drenched palm trees sway against verdant landscapes, creating a sense of natural beauty and tranquillity.
Kerala beef fry is tender, marinated beef chunks. Photo: Kazuri Photography.
I walk inside, inhaling the hint of spice blends.
Le Monsoon’s extensive menu is full of traditional dishes and many you rarely see on an Indian menu in Australia. I ask Antony for some guidance and begin with a chilled glass of freshly squeezed orange juice. Fresh watermelon juice is also on offer.
If you haven’t tried a dosa yet, put it on your foodie bucket list. A crisp, slightly sour, savoury pancake that is pleasurable to eat. Le Monsoon features eight types of dosa! I have a Masala dosa; it is the most enormous dosa I have ever seen: massive, gorgeous, buttery and incredible. Crisp on the outside, spongy and slightly sour, this dosa is perfect on its own. But it comes with sambar, a lentil stew tinged with the sweet-sour tang of tamarind and a range of superb chutneys.
Le Monsoon’s masala dosa is the biggest dosa I have ever seen. Photo: Kazuri Photography.
The steamed fish Pollichathu arrives, swathed in banana leaves and served on a fish-shaped plate. When I unwrap it, my senses are enveloped in a spice and coconut milk-laden headiness. It tastes every bit as good as it smells, and I am not usually a fish kind of person.
Our Kerala beef fry is tender, marinated beef chunks that have been first slow-cooked and then stir-fried. Unlike any Indian meal I have experienced, it seduces my tastebuds with its aromatic wiles and its delicate infusion of coconut and curry leaf. No wonder it is heralded as Kerala’s most famous dish. I think it is my favourite plate here.
Le Monsoon’s butter chicken is next level. The chefs have incorporated all the comforting notes of our favourite butter chicken and then elevated the heck out of it. A heady blend of herbs and spices perfume the tomato and cream base. This dish is a must-order!
The chicken biryani is tender rice, flavoursome succulent chicken pieces, crispy onion bits, plump raisins, strands of coriander, roasted cashews and fresh herbs. Lots of texture and harmonious flavours.
Thali is an iconic dish integral to Kerala cuisine. A miniature buffet on a tray centres around rice, with multiple metal bowls featuring sweet, salty, sour, and spicy dishes. Including the rice, Le Monsoon’s vegetarian thali platter includes raita, lentils, vegetable curry, and more of those delicious chutneys, as well as pickles, papadums and a delectable gulab jamun, spongy and soaked in fragrant syrup.
The Kerala paratha is just fabulous: flaky and layered, and well-seasoned. I also enjoy soft, warm triangles of fresh naan.
Soft, warm triangles of fresh naan. Photo: Kazuri Photography.
It has been an unforgettable dining experience and I cannot wait to visit again!
Le Monsoon is located at G02/45 Furzer St in Phillip. They are open for lunch from Tuesday to Sunday from 12 pm to 2:45 pm and for dinner from Tuesday to Saturday from 5:30 pm to 8:45 pm.
Contact Le Monsoon on their website, peruse their menu or book their catering services. They are happy to cater for any occasion. Follow them on Facebook and Instagram.
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