Always having a soft spot for Nepalese food due to having our first date at a Nepalese restaurant in Burwood, finding out that The Muglan was just down the road from us, we were there!
No surprise why we haven’t noticed it before, as the totality of the shop’s frontage was their front sliding door and peering from outside it did look a little dark and uninviting (as the front of shop is a narrow corridor painted in dark shades). But as soon as we entered we were warmly welcomed and ushered to one of the 3 tables for two in the corridor section, before the restaurant widened out where larger groups could be seated. The traditional music, paintings and tapestries made for an authentic Nepalese vibe (I’m making assumptions here).
Although there was a lunch special menu, we opted for dishes from the ‘Traditional’, ‘Street food’, and ‘Something small to share’ sections of the main menu. Choosing the steamed goat momo with tomato chutney and soup; lamb shish kebab with naan; and deep fried bread with chickpea curry (Chole Bhature) I was pretty pleased about our selections and was expecting a meal straight from New Road (busiest high street in Kathmandu).
As we waited for the food, I assessed their table settings (2 stars for the napkin test, while the cutlery was some solid hardware) while my wife took in the bookshelf opposite us, supporting a collection of books about Nepal.
When our food arrived, it wasn’t what I had expected. I have to admit, I used my ‘western’ expectations and had extended it to the fried bread, somehow I pictured chunks of blistered bread perhaps what you’d use for a fondue, but instead what we received was regular old naan bread which had been deep fried till it was blistered. On the other hand, I had extended my ‘Middle-eastern’ experiences to the shish-kebab, picturing chunks of lamb on a skewer which I’d pull off with some naan.
In-fact the deep fried naan with chickpea curry was really nice, great flavours with the right amount of heat, and the blistered naan was crispy and flaky. But the shish-kebab was already off the skewer and it ended up being minced meat which was a little disappointing, and there was some pickled veg which went into your hand-made naan wrap, but this dish was still our least favourite, but still okay. While the goat momo was great! If you’ve never tried a momo before, picture a Chinese dumpling, but add in herbs and spices from Indian food, and you’ll end up with tasty mouthfuls of chewy (good kind of chewy) flavoursome meat. Dip it into the chutney for a spicier kick, and cool your mouth down with a spoonful of the soup. NICE!
All in all a solid meal, it wasn’t too expensive (compared to other city restaurants, although you weren’t getting too much for what you paid for); the service was polite and friendly; but most importantly it took me back to our first date all those years ago, nothing like a meal bringing back fond memories. Our overall rating…..3.5 stars.
The Muglan – Sunday 26 August
PH: (02) 8068 2759
116 Liverpool Street, Sydney NSW
Mon-Sun 11am – 11pm
Four Senses: Touch Smell Taste Sound
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