Dundee brothers Jamie and Daniel Garland have opened Kombo in Monifieth, serving up a range of dishes on the quirky side.
Jamie, 37, is in charge of the food, and Daniel, 34, front of house.
Together, they make a witty double act.
Kombo is situated inside The Crown Inn on the High Street, as the brothers have taken over the pub’s kitchen.
So you can now grab a pint from The Crown Inn while you chow down on their huge portions of loaded fries or their burgers piled high with tasty fillings.
Jamie tells me: “We wanted to do something better than typical pub grub.
“You always see things like pie or fish and chips. But we wanted to give people something different.”
It’s not the first time the brothers have worked together. They have worked alongside each other in various hospitality gigs for the last 12 years.
Now though, they’re running the show. While this is a daunting task, the success of Kombo so far in Monifieth has been exciting too.
“The best part is getting good feedback,” Jamie adds with a grin.
“Hearing that people like the food I make is still a surprise.
“But it’s a great feeling. And people keep on coming back.”
What is the food like at Kombo in Monifieth?
At Kombo, you can sit in the pub – or their suntrap beer garden – and enjoy their grub, or get it to takeaway.
So what is the food like?
The menu consists of a range of burgers, loaded fries and chicken tenders, as well as a decent amount of vegan options.
There is also a cheaper value menu offering up burgers, wraps, filled rolls and light bites for less.
I tried a few of their main menu options on my visit, cooked up by chef Jamie who works solo in the kitchen.
The beef chilli cheese loaded fries (£9) is topped with homemade chilli, cheese sauce, and crumbled tortilla chips over the top.
This portion is absolutely huge, smothered in chilli with plenty of cheese sauce lurking underneath.
The chilli isn’t at all bland as can often be the case when it’s found on a pub menu.
The addition of tortilla chips crumbled over the top added a fun variety in texture.
£9 seems a little pricy for loaded fries but you are most certainly getting bang for your buck with this portion.
There really was a mountain of beef there, but when you dug down there was sufficient cheese on top of the chips too.
Next, I tried the curry chicken tenders (£7.50).
The vibrant colours in this dish helped to make it even more appetising.
The curry sauce – homemade of course – was creamy and full of flavour.
This was another huge portion. Not only were there plenty of tenders, they were also chunky, with plenty of eating to them.
There was a nice spicy aftertaste to these too, though not much of a kick when you’re eating them.
The quirkiest item on the menu at Kombo is by far the namesake burger.
The Kombo burger (£14) is a huge tower with a number of surprising filings – including beef kebab meat and coleslaw.
This was oozing and perfectly messy, just as a burger should be. That’s what the Garland brothers say and I absolutely agree.
So, let’s talk about it – the kebab meat in the burger.
I have never tried kebab meat accompanied by cheese, but it surprisingly goes so well.
However, if you aren’t looking for something greasy, don’t order this. Things will get messy!
I would recommend getting this to share as it is the biggest burger I have ever laid eyes on – with two beef patties and a heaped handful of kebab meat.
The inclusion of coleslaw was a surprising choice to say the least, but the creamy flavour worked well with the sharpness of the cheese.
There was a really nice sweet balsamic blaze on the salad too which made it very moreish.
The brothers’ menu is certainly more interesting than most pub menus, and you will definitely feel satisfied after your visit.
Address: Kombo (inside The Crown Inn), 49-51 High St, Monifieth, Dundee DD5 4AA
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