Juan Montago, Woolloomooloo

By day, the venue is known as John Montagu which operates as a cafe and by night, it is known as Juan Montago. Opening in late 2020, Juan Montago is a South American restaurant with Colombian Latino inspiration. I have previously travelled to South America to Peru, Argentina and Brazil and tasted a range of food from street food to high end dishes so I was eager to see how Juan Montago would compare.

I decide to venture out to Juan Montago with one of my gal pals. Juan Montago is a short 10 minute walk from St James Station or if you decide to drive in, I was able to get a parking spot straight away (on a Thursday night)! Woot. As I enter, my eyes naturally gravitate to a rainbow at the door and these lamps hanging from the ceiling.

Juan Montago is quite an intimate venue and as I walk in, Ms Melle says she likes the Colombian music in the background.  We both look at the menu which fits on one page if you are looking to go a la cart. Tonight we will be feasting on the banquet menu. The banquet menu is $50pp and there are some optional extras.

Juan Montago has a few South American drinks which are unique. Ms Melle goes for a Pony Malta which to me looked like a cola but it's actually a really nice drink - it's a malted Colombian drink which is lightly carbonated. It's definitely worth a try! I go for a glass of wine (Malbec) since I've barely had any alcohol in recent times. Malbec is a full bodied wine which carries its own very well but I also enjoy with food.

To kick off the Juan Montago banquet, there are the empanadas (choose one per person). Empanadas are a really common street food (and restaurant food) across South America with lot of different fillings. On this occasion, you have the choice from three fillings:

• Yellow chilli, cheese and chicken
• Smoked beef
• Mushroom, corn and potato

Melle and I share the Yellow Chilli Cheese and Chicken Empanada and the smoked beef Empanada. To the side, there are two relishes to enjoy. Melle halves both and quickly exclaims "wow that beef empanada is sooo good". I quickly bite into my half and I nod, noting the really smokey, strong flavours coming through. The chicken empanada is also enjoyable to eat but hands down that beef empanada was delicious! This is a great start to the meal! 

On a separate note, on my instagram page weekendfoodescapes, a fellow instagrammer had commented on this picture below saying that the empanadas at Juan Montago were better than the ones in Colombia! I have to say these empanadas were better than any that I had in South America. Win!

Next up on the Juan Montago banquet is the Fried Plantain Fritters, with your choice of

• Roasted tomato and onion with mozzarella
• Snapper Ceviche with pineapple (+$2)

Melle and I choose the snapper ceviche. Ceviche is lightly cured fish in citrus. The pineapple is cut up into tiny cubes so the sweetness is very light and the taste of the snapper comes through. The ceviche is enjoyable to eat with the crispy plantain which contrasts well with the fresh uncooked snapper.

I am eager to try the next dish which is the Grilled Octopus with watermelon and smoked dressing. Grilled Smoked Octopus can be delicious to eat so I was looking forward to this dish.There's a beautiful larger piece of Octopus that is placed over this dish on top of the watermelon and potato in the dressing. I bite into the octopus and it's perfectly cooked so it's easy to chew and is very flavoursome. I enjoy the smoked dressing on the potatoes although Melle comments that the watermelon would have been nice without the dressing. The Octopus is delicious.

Melle comments that she had googled Juan Montago prior to coming and lots of people were commenting on the next dish - the beer braised beef flank. The description sounds mighty tasty so I was eager to eat this dish. The dish comes out smothered in a smooth rich sauce. I cut into the beef and it's very tender! I enjoy the rich sauce and the melt in your mouth beef. It's delicious.

 Next up is your choice of one main:

• There's the Crispy Pork Belly with slow cooked beans (signature)
• Sauteed Prawns, coconut tomato sauce, plantains

Unfortunately Melle is allergic to pork so we go for the sauteed prawns. This turned out to be our favourite dish of the night! The coconut tomato sauce is silky smooth and rich and perfectly adds to the flavours of the prawns and plantains. The dish also looks absolutely beautiful so it was fun to take photos of. I highly recommend!

 You also get the choice of two sides

• White rice or coconut rice
• Guac and tomato salsa
• Cassava chips
• Flat bread
• Quinoa, orange and wild rice salad
• Eggplant and plantain gratin

We end up with cassava chips and guac/tomato salsa however upon reflection, Melle thinks some rice to soak up the beef flank and sauteed prawn sauce would have been great. The cassava chips are nice and crispy like little potato gems and the guac provides fresh relief from the savoury dishes.

 If you have a sweet tooth then you will be in for a treat. For an additional dessert you add $5 per person to the bill. I am eager to get into this dessert which is the three milk soaked cake.

The cake looks absolutely amazing with the cream on top. I delicately put my spoon into the cake and put it to my lips. The cake is definitely soaked.. and with the cream it's a delight to eat. While I smack my lips and enjoy the cake, I try not to get too carried away as I'm trying to be healthy! Yummo. 

Summary: Overall, I'm very impressed and really enjoyed my experience at Juan Montago. The dishes are incredibly delicious and will be immersed into a tasty South American experience. The highlights for me were definitely the sauteed prawns and that beef empanada. Overall, Melle and I agreed that the banquet was worth it and would recommend to others. I recommend!

Price: Banquet is $50 per person

Location: 144 Cathedral St, Woolloomooloo (short walk from St James Station)

Opening Hours: 

Closed Sunday and Monday

Tuesday - Saturday 6pm to 10pm

 

Weekend Food Escapes was a guest of the venue.. All photos, opinions and words are my own.