@monaldining is located on Skyring Terrace that looks, from the outside, like a place you could easily walk past. You shouldn't.
The kitchen is Yogesh Budhathoki's. A Nepalese chef with serious Brisbane pedigree, having come through Honto, Yoko and Greca. And that background matters, because it shows up in the food in ways that are genuinely interesting.
We started with the Hokkaido scallops, apple, pickled chilli and cod's roe. A nice kick to open with. The acidity and heat was fantastic. Then the yellowfin tuna tartare on fried potato. Very good.
The wagyu tartare was a step up. Exceptional, actually. But the real talking point was the bread served alongside it. Do not ignore the bread.
Then the pork dumplings with hemp-seed sauce and chilli oil arrived, and something shifted. I know how this sounds, but hear me out: they tasted like naan and butter chicken. Not literally, but in that deep, comforting, familiar way that good food sometimes reaches back into your memory and pulls something out. The Nepalese influence stepped up a notch here, and it was genuinely arresting. O.M.G. is not a phrase I deploy lightly.
The duck breast with smoked onion soubise and orange teriyaki was a beautifully put-together dish. The orange and smoke combination was excellent.
Now. The grilled cabbage. It is listed as a side. It should not be listed as a side. It was one of the highlights of the entire meal, and if you skip it because it sounds unremarkable, that is your loss entirely. The potato mash was also exceptional.
Inside, it's compact and considered. It feels and is a beautiful neighbourhood restaurant. Service was warm and attentive.