© A. Hernández
Monkey's Brunch Phonics 2019 review
Mimosas, live music and Chamonix's best brunch menu
It was a very snowy Sunday morning and, after a long Saturday on the slopes, we were in dire need of some substantial nourishment to replenish our energy and prepare us for an afternoon of riding powder. So we decided to head to Monkey Bar & Restaurant and try out their new Brunch Phonics concept.
It was only the second installment of this event which fills up Chamonix's Sunday mornings with live music, comfort food, mimosas and good vibes, and we were keen to see what it was all about. So we sat down inside, right in front of DJ Willy White's decks, who was in charge of the music that morning. His selection of downtempo, lounge rhythms was spot on and made for the perfect accompaniment to our brunch feast.
We hadn't tried Monkey's new brunch menu for this winter so we were keen to test as many dishes as we could. As they brought us the menus, we ordered a couple of cappuccinos to savour while we decided what to have. They were deliciously foamy, with just the right amount of cocoa dusted on top. We were told that Monkey's already great coffee is about to improve even further as they start a collaboration with local coffee roasters Moody, well-known for their freshly roasted, small batch beans sourced from all over the world.
Their Brunch Club menu reflects Monkey's Mexican soul to perfection. This small restaurant in Cham Sud is famous for its tacos and mezcal cocktails and their morning offerings continue the trend. We opted to try one dish each and share a stack of sweet pancakes – I told you we needed to replenish our energy! I also went for a grapefruit mimosa and my partner ordered fresh orange juice to wash it all down.
My veggie breakfast burrito, 'El Hongos Libres' or 'The Free Mushrooms', was scrumptious. A soft tortilla enveloped fluffy scrambled eggs, crispy hash browns, sweet roasted peppers, fragrant mushrooms, rich cheddar, hearty refried beans, crunchy lettuce and fresh pico de gallo. Both flavours and textures were incredibly well-balanced and the burrito was full to the brim. So much so that I found myself unable to finish it – the stack of pancakes that we shared probably didn't help but more on that later – so they wrapped up what was left and I took it home for an après-ski snack.
Pablo went for the 'Huevos Rancheros', again a superbly balanced combination of tastes and textures which packed a bit more spiciness than my burrito. On a bed of tomato-chilli sauce which was just the right amount of hot, there was a couple of perfectly cooked sunny-side-up eggs, seasoned black beans, crumbly feta, crunchy fried tortilla triangles with paprika and salt and refreshing avocado. However, the highlight of the dish was the homemade chorizo – and I'm Spanish so, trust me, I'm a good judge of our national sausage. It was not greasy at all, really yummy and quite spicy – you could actually see that they had used whole chillies in it.
Although we were pretty full by now, we couldnt't resist the beautiful stack of pancakes that was presented before us. Topped with stewed apples, candied walnuts and vanilla ice cream, they were just mind-blowing. Again, the word is balanced. The crunchiness of the walnuts was perfectly combined with the aromatic apple and the sweet vanilla ice cream, all complementing the extremely light, buttery pancakes, golden and crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside. Kudos to chef Adam, he really is a virtuoso in the kitchen.
Sitting down having a leisurely brunch felt luxurious, even more so when washing it down with a Mimosa. The champagne and grapefruit concoction made by crafty barman Callum went extremely well with our hearty meal as did the freshly squeezed orange juice. Our super-friendly waiters Ivar and Rory kept coming to check in on us and offer us more drinks – I was particularly tempted by the Bloody Mary special but, unfortunately, I don't think my stomach could stretch any further.
The place started to fill up minutes after we sat down, people being drawn in by DJ Willy White's sounds. It was a very 'Chamoniard' crowd, comprised of locals, seasonnaires and visitors, plus several dogs and children, the kind of people that usually come to Monkey and make it such a cool but, at the same time, family-friendly place.
Monkey's Brunch Club menu is served from Friday to Sunday from 10:00 to 14:00. Brunch Phonics will take place on Sundays this season from 10:30 to 13:00 with a mixture of live jazz and DJs.
