(Click play on the video above to see the restaurant and all the food we ordered up close.)
I’ve been to Cafe Monaka just before Covid hit and discovered the place by a foodie friend. Fast forward 3 years and it’s my turn to introduce this ute cafe to a friend of mine.
We went to Turimetta Headland Reserve, where there’s a breathtakingly beautiful lookout.
Cafe Monaka
Cafe Monaka is a quaint cafe located on the corner of small commercial area in Mona Vale. They serve breakfast and lunch, opening from 8 am – 3 pm.
The cafe is the perfect balance of chill Australian beach vibes and calm Japanese tea house sophistication.
It’s relaxing, friendly and most importantly delicious.
We ordered:
- Hoji Cha
- Loose leaf sticky chai
- Ton-katsu sandwich with chips
- Grilled wagyu beef bowl

My Wagyu beef bowl was really nicely made. The beef wasn’t tough and the onsen egg had a perfect rich yolk. It was a great brunch that filled me up without being too heavy or too light that I was needing more afterwards.

My friend’s Ton-katsu sandwich had a thick slab of pork that was cooked beautifully. Still juicy and moist with a nice bread crumb crust.
I left with a large Soy cap to go and was the best way to finish the meal off before we drove up to the lookout point.