La Mono in Braddon offers a variety of Lebanese cuisine and charcoal chicken. My first thought was that it was great to see the eatery had thought about ventilation with the kitchen’s smoky BBQ pit sealed off from the rest of the restaurant so we didn’t leave with a smoky smell on our clothes.
The dining area was spacious with a long banquette down the side and a few other tables in front, and stools along the windows for solo diners or those that want to people-watch. Our friendly waiter promptly provided us with menus, and took drink orders. I just stuck to tap water. He told us that the Mono BBQ Mix platter was the most popular dish. For the price of $29.50, I thought it could be shared between two but turns out it was meant for one person. He did tell us that we could share it and buy a few sides if we wanted. I bit the bullet and hoped this expensive lunch would be worth it.
The Mono BBQ platter consisted of shish kafta (minced lamb), shish tawook (chicken breast), shish kebab (skewered lamb) with tabouli, hommus, garlic dip and pickles. The plate was seriously massive. The assortment of meats were piled high in a fried Lebanese bread basket. The shish kafta was my favourite. All of the meats were juicy, though I did find the shish tawook slightly dry. The ‘side’ of house made tabouli could have served a whole family. The equally generous serving of hommus was delicious! I wasn’t a huge fan of the garlic dip (though I was impressed with its creaminess) as it was too sour for my taste buds, but I really enjoyed everything else. I couldn’t finish off the plate on my own so it helped to share with a friend, and then I took 3/4 of the tabouli home with me.
Our dishes came with two serves of both fried and regular Lebanese bread. I must admit I’d never had fried Lebanese bread before this day. I loved the crunchiness and being able to crack off a bit and use it as a spoon to dig into the hommus. I could do it all day really! Mmm hommus.
My friend ordered the 1/2 charcoal chicken (free range) with chips that also came served with garlic dip, pickles and the above Lebanese bread ($19). The chicken was succulent and he seemed to enjoy it.
Service was friendly and I liked that our waiter was knowledgeable about the menu and serving sizes. It wasn’t too busy the day we dined so I found the place was relatively quiet. Vegetarian options are available and there is a $10 kids menu. Banquets start at $39 per person. Next time I might grab a kafta roll ($10) and add in some chips ($1.50) to make a chip butty/roll for a more affordable lunch.
La Mono is located on 10-12 Lonsdale Street in Braddon (closer to the city). I’m unsure of opening hours but definitely lunch and dinner throughout the week.
Foodgasm 7.5/10
Value for money 6.5/10
Service 7/10
FPJ score 21/30
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