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Taco Tuesday at Monkey 2019 review
A night of tasty tacos, top-quality tequila and live music
"Why haven't we come here every Tuesday of the season?" my partner said when we finished our taco feast. "Fair point", I thought – not only was the food delicious but, with the three for two deal, they were also a bargain.
Monkey is well-known around Chamonix for their authentic Mexican fare. Their menu is full of tasty treats like burritos, enchiladas and, of course, their famous tacos. They also serve brunch during the weekends, accompanied by a side of live music on Sundays at their Brunch Phonics which I had the pleasure of trying at the beginning of winter.
However, this time it was the turn of their Tacos & Tequila Tuesdays, a celebration of two Mexican cuisine staples that Monkey knows how to do very well. With three for two on tacos and tequila shots for only €1.50, it's just the thing to cure those early-week blues.
As we went into the bar at around 20:00, we could see that only a couple of small tables weren't occupied by diners, which made us feel really glad we'd booked in advance. As we were handed the menu, we started having doubts... everything sounded delicious! However, we were there to try the tacos and, following the advice of our waiter Rory who said that we should order three or four filled tortillas per person, we ended up choosing one of each – six in total.
The drinks menu was equally tempting with long lists of beer, wine, cocktails and, of course, tequila and mezcal. We opted for a couple of pints of the Bluebird, an English Pale Ale that complemented the food really well.
Our tacos arrived soon after, arranged on two special trays that kept them upright. One had all the meat-based recipes while the other featured all the veggie ones. Monkey is one of the best places for vegetarians and vegans in Chamonix, their selection of plant-based menu items is extensive and very creative, including not only the aforementioned tacos but also veggie chili, nachos, enchiladas, vegetarian burgers and lots of sides.
Alongside the tacos, we ordered a couple of sides. The 'Los Mac 'n' Cheese' was a super smooth, extremely cheesy pasta bake, perfectly browned on top. It tasted like creamy cheddar and had a bit of a kick to it... Monkey's a Mexican restaurant after all!
Our other side dish has actually become my favourite item on the menu. The 'Chipotle Slaw' is a perfect combination of a traditional coleslaw salad in all its freshness, and the deliciously smokiness and hotness of chipotle chilies. Just perfect!
The vegetarian tacos included a very tender, quite spicy 'Roasted Cauliflower Al Pastor' with a sweet-pea mole inside a homemade, gluten-free, soft corn tortilla which was filled to the brim. The 'Baked Butternut Squash' was the hottest dish of the night, the squash cooked to perfection and the Pico de Gallo providing a welcome refreshing balance to the gourd's spiciness. Finally, the 'Maple Sriracha Halloumi' was my favourite of the bunch, also quite hot and accompanied by pickled red onion.
As for the meat-based tacos, they included a 'Chipotle Chicken' which was just the right amount of smoky and came with lime crema. The chef's favourite 'Carnitas de Pato' was a great combination of Mexican flavours and a very French ingredient, duck. Finally, another chef's choice, the 'Cochinita Pibil'. I had high hopes for this one as it's one of my preferred Mexican recipes and it didn't disappoint – the pork was super tender and full of flavour.
As we were quite full, instead of opting for one of their desserts – which include 'Churros & Chocolate Sauce', 'Caramel Crème Brûlée' and 'Chocolate Avo Mousse' – we decided to opt for a tequila shot. Quite unconventional but in keeping with the theme for the evening. Our waiter Rory accompanied us and brought three generous shots of the house tequila, Milagro, which we had with a slice of lime.
The evening also included a live DJ set with KiMBA, aka Katanas, behind the decks from 20:30 who created a special Oldskool Garage Mix. Buy two get one free tacos are offered every Tuesday from 18:00 to 22:00, while their normal menu is served every day from 12:00 to 22:00. Monkey also have other weekly deals such as Happy Hours every day from 16:00 to 18:00 (and two for one cocktails from 22:00 to 23:00), as well as half-price burgers on Mondays.
