The Boathouse Group’s latest venue, The Mona Social, has opened above Mona Vale Golf Club, serving steamed mussels, ox tongue skewer and charred octopus.
A golf course on Sydney’s northern beaches isn’t the usual hunting ground for a former Tetsuya’s chef and his colleague, a former executive chef at Bathers’ Pavilion. Mark LaBrooy and Cameron Johnston have teamed up in the kitchen at The Mona Social, which opened on Friday, May 31.
Mona Social is the latest venue from The Boathouse Group, whose venues populate Sydney’s waterfront. Mona Social, which is set back from the ocean but still has great water views, represents a new moniker and direction for the group.
Boathouse Group chief executive Antony Jones describes Mona Social as “Boathouse meets country club”, a description that extends to the fit-out, which takes more country than coastal cues.
Its position above the Mona Vale Golf Club clubhouse lends a community vibe, says LaBrooy, co-founder at Three Blue Ducks, who cut his teeth professionally in the Tetsuya’s kitchen. “It’s a public golf course, there are people around all the time.”
LaBrooy was first employed to launch a Boathouse venue later this year at North Wollongong Surf Life Saving Club before taking on a wider group role as head of culinary.
He worked with Mona Social head chef Cameron Johnston on the opening menu, which has a few surprises beyond steamed mussels and grilled rainbow trout, with an ox tongue skewer and another dish that pairs charred octopus with duck fat confit kipfler potatoes and a roasted carrot purée. The bar menu includes a Mona Social club sandwich.
“Cameron was head chef at [Josh Niland’s] Petermen restaurant and at Bathers’ Pavilion. He’s a great chef and a fantastic person,” LaBrooy says.
Open daily 11.30am-late
Level 1/3 Golf Avenue, Mona Vale, themonasocial.com.au
Scott Bolles writes the weekly Short Black column in Good Food.