Monica, an East Asian bistro and cocktail bar by the owners of Makan, is bringing a taste of Hong Kong’s old school nightlife to the East End, opening its doors in early February 2025.

Located in the former Nostru wine bar on East Terrace, Monica will serve up a range of intriguing East Asian inspired cocktails along with East Asian fusion inspired food.

Monica is the second project for Ben Liew and Karl Tang who met whilst working at neighbouring restaurant, Paper Tiger, and opened their first venue, Makan, a Southeast Asian food and wine bar in April earlier this year.

Taking inspiration from Hong Kong in the late 80s and 90s, the duo is excited to bring a taste of East Asia to the streets of the East End, with co-owner, Karl Tang, eager to showcase his unique spin on cocktails using Asian flavour profiles.

“Monica will become a place for people to settle in for a drink and snack after work, or a dinner destination, and a chilled yet vibey spot to settle in for a late night on the weekends.

“While we will have the classic cocktail options on offer, I’m excited to introduce some new flavour profiles to those who visit Monica, drawing inspiration from traditional East Asian ingredients such as duck fat, spices and a range of botanicals, ” said Karl.

Some of the unique cocktails that people can expect to see on the menu include mango sticky rice clarified milk punch, ginger Coca Cola flavoured old fashioned, grilled pineapple tequila cocktail with gochujang (Korean spicy sauce), and a pandan cream foam highball.

Monica will also offer a small and ongoing changing wine list consisting of 15 varieties.

To complement the unique cocktail list, co-owner Ben Liew, has designed a punchy yet simple menu intertwining the very best of Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Mongolian and Taiwanese cuisines.

Mainly consisting of small plates with a handful of mains, Monica will offer a selection of cold dishes as well as a range that will be cooked over a wood fire, providing quick and easy options for dinner or a late-night snack.

“I had lots of fun curating this menu…there are a lot of Southeast Asian focused venues around, and not many that showcase the flavours of eastern Asia, so that’s a point of difference that I’m excited to bring to the East End,” said Ben.

Small plates on the menu include Wagyu beef tartare with nashi pear, kimchi mayo and pringles, Hong Kong style typhoon shelter king oyster mushroom with fermented bean paste, black vinegar and sesame, and Korean rice cake skewers with a sweet and spicy glaze, gochugaru (chilli Korean flakes) and American cheese

While mains will consist of chargrilled king oyster mushroom with a fermented bean paste and black vinegar, 14 day dry-aged roasted duck breast with a umeshu plum dressing and pickled radish, with sides of smashed cucumber, bamboo salad and Taiwanese golden kimchi.

The name “Monica” comes from a famous 80s Hong Kong song, which is the inspiration for the 40-seat venue.

Expect hues of red, orange and green throughout the interior, with the bar decked out in red neon lights, dim and moody lighting, and a vinyl record sound system that will play on the weekends, and overall good vibes.

“We can’t wait to welcome people to Monica and immerse them in East Asian culture, where they will enjoy good cocktails, good food and an overall good vibe,” Karl concluded.

Find Monica at 14 East Terrace, Adelaide.