I left Cafe Monaka with two bags of imported green tea and a cute ceramic teapot that I selfishly use every day to make a cup of tea for myself and nobody else is allowed to even look at it. But my tea, brought to the table in a beautiful little pot with an hourglass to ensure I brewed it for the exact amount of time, was life-changing. In a cafe setting, he aims to replicate the serenity and tradition of the Japanese tea ceremony.Įach pour involves different temperatures and the addition of 'genmai' roasted brown rice so the customer can truly experience the extensive flavour profiles behind Japanese tea. "Japanese cuisine is commonly known in Australia, yet the tea aspect is almost completely disregarded – even though it is such big part of the food scene in Japan," Bun says, surrounded by a wall of green tea varieties that he's partnered with Japanese company The Ugly Caravan to bring to Australia.Īsagohan, or Japanese-style breakfast, at Cafe Monaka. The food is beautifully presented and extra tasty, but Monaka really hooks you with its tea selection and, more specifically, Bun's knowledge of it. Photo: James BrickwoodĪnd you have the less traditional: teriyaki burgers, a soba noodle omelette, Japanese-style "pizza toast" and yes, that poke bowl. You have the traditional – the Asagohan (Japanese-style breakfast) is an immaculately presented tray of furikake-seasoned rice, grilled salmon, rectangles of omelette and miso soup.įuminori Bun Fukuda has a wall of shelves devoted to green tea. Part cafe, part tea house, part retail shop, Cafe Monaka first lures you in with its menu. why not bring the two together to create my perfect cafe?" "At the point where I had decided to open a shop, I had experience in both traditional Japanese-style cooking as well as experience around food that people on the Northern Beaches love to eat. "I was always interested in starting a place I could call my own," Bun told me. Initially he put his sushi chef training to work at some of Sydney's high-end Japanese restaurants, but Bun eventually found his way to Pilu in Freshwater, where he started taking notes for opening his own restaurant. We were all smiles during this meal! You must make Caffé Mona your destination if you’re looking for quality food, exceptional service, reasonable prices and an unmatched atmosphere.Earlier this year my sister organised a family brunch at a Japanese cafe in Mona Vale to surprisingly little argument considering that 1) everyone lives at least 45 minutes away from Mona Vale and, 2) the Northern Beaches suburb isn't exactly known for its Japanese cuisine.Įxpecting yet another forgettable poke bowl joint, my meal at Cafe Monaka was anything but (although there is a poke bowl on the menu).įuminori Bun Fukuda (everyone calls him Bun) moved to Australia with his family from a coastal town in Japan's Shizuoka Prefecture in 2004.Ĭafe Monaka in Mona Vale is part cafe, part tea house and part retail shop. I’ll let that Nutella drizzle speak for itself. The special includes coffee and 3 courses: your choice of fruit or salad, any entree on the menu and a dessert crepe. We ordered the $20 weekend brunch special and ended up with more than our money’s worth. The menu features breakfast, brunch and lunch options ranging from sweet to savory. We passed through the cozy interior, opting to sit on the back patio shaded by whimsical umbrellas on an unseasonably warm autumn day. The storefront features a welcoming walk-up counter.
If you checked my Internet history, you’d find a bunch of Google searches for “Pittsburgh breakfast.” With all the research I’ve done on the subject, I cannot believe it took me this long to discover Caffé Mona.
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