The Weekly Eater
MAYBE it takes a sluggish economy for restaurateurs to begin thinking about what customers want. I've offered up my wish list frequently for 10 years, only to continue waiting for Brazilian and Caribbean fare and tapa-style dining. Cafe Monsarrat takes
a big step forwardWith Cafe Monsarrat's opening, at last there is hope that copycats will warm to the idea of "tapas," of serving only appetizers, hors d'oeurvres, mezze, whatever you want to call the small plates we call pupu. One does not need ESP to see from the crowd that fills the cafe that there are people fueled by variety, rather than the desire to pig out on huge plates.
There are other restaurants that serve extensive lists of appetizers -- Indigo and A Pacific Cafe come to mind -- but Cafe Monsarrat comes closest to doing away with the entree, offering only three "Big Plates."
Key to the cafe's success is its comfort quotient. The sunny yellow dining room is cozy and conducive to conviviality. While chatting, diners are entertained by the parade of dishes that arrive. Choose carefully. There are equal parts hits and misses.
Food CAFE MONSARRAT
Atmosphere1/2
Service
Value
Address: 3106 Monsarrat Ave.
I passed on some can't-go-wrong stuff, like the Panang Curry Chicken Brochettes ($7.50) sitting on almost every table, and Calamari Frite ($7.25).
I had a hunch the Bahamian Conch Chowder would be a miss, but on the chance that it could be awesome, I had to try it. It was overdone, starting as a Manhattan-style chowder with an abundance of cumin, chili and curry spices added to the pot. Conch doesn't deserve this pummeling. In the Bahamas, its deep-fried like calamari, or is simply cut and tossed fresh in salads. When fresh, the sweet meat is better than abalone.
After this, I was afraid to try the Oysters on the Half Shell ($9.25), but I was pleasantly surprised. Small British Columbian Miyagi were topped with a peppery granita. The hot-cold sensation was an eye-opener, and executed far better than at some high-end restaurants.
Then it was back to disappointment. Jerk Chicken Sausage ($5.75) was tamer than expected, and a Ceviche ($7.25) with bay scallops, rock shrimp and fish, was drowned in a coconut gazpacho that gave all a flabby, greasy coating. Plantains ($5.50) also got the heavy treatment, dusted with Indian spices and stinging ground pepper. I kept asking, "Why?"
No chef can go wrong with steak and garlic, and the rule holds with the Spice-Splattered Steak ($7.75), strips of pulehu-grilled beef topped by an Argentine chimmichurri, a kind of pesto with plenty of garlic.
On the big plates are Paella ($22.75), Filet Mignon ($24.50) and Grilled Swordfish ($18.50). The latter was up there with the oysters and pulehu steak. The fish was served with a roasted poblano cream sauce atop a cake of polenta strewn with corn kernels and diced green bell pepper. Other sides were baby bok choy, asparagus and mango-rock shrimp salsa, which made this one "big plate" worth three little ones.
Cafe Monsarrat takes a brave stab at bringing hints of world cuisines and tapas to wider consciousness. Even so, the future's open for anyone else who can take this idea and either 1) push it further, or 2) create something more authentic than re-fashioned fusion.
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Nadine Kam's restaurant reviews run on Thursdays. Reviews are conducted anonymously and paid for by the Star-Bulletin. Star ratings are based on comparisons of similar restaurants:
-- excellent;
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