It's not only that, sometimes ribs are all bone and no meat, you have to gnaw on them, like some ravenous rodent, trying to eek out every drop of flavour. Worse still, especially if you're trying to impress someone, it's highly likely all this nibbling will leave your teeth full of greying meaty bits right through the night; not a good look.

But at Monster the ribs are to die for. A small plate ($17), four ribs, spiced, but not spicy, braised for eight hours in chilli jam and lime, and then flash deep-fried before they are brought to the table.

I know this because they are so delicious that I asked the waiter to ask the chef how he cooks them and she finds out.

There's so much meat on them that it's not only polite to use a knife and fork, it's essential, full of tender meat and caramelised fat.

The next day I'm at my butchers, showing them photos, they're showing me how to french them, and yes I could do them in the slow cooker, my butcher leans towards Asian flavours too.

I can see a meal on my table in the weeks to come.

Indeed there are a few dishes on the Monster menu I would like to replicate. Is that the sign of a delicious meal? Not only would I eat here again, I want to learn to cook like this?

We start with a whipped feta, with pistachio, honey and rose, served with thin slices of sourdough ($20). It's a translucent colour, dotted with slivers of the nuts in hues of green and pink. Cool and refreshing it's a great accompaniment to the richer starters, the ribs, and little marylands of spatchcock with a soy glaze and roasted sesame ($8 a piece).

While we nibble on the bone, and the spatchcock is a little dry compared to the lamb, we go back again and again to the whipped feta for respite. Surely this surprising dish would be easy to whip up at home as well?

But maybe it's wrong to be thinking about home cooking when you're somewhere as elegant as Monster? From the moment you walk up the timber-slatted grand staircase - it's been five years since Hotel Hotel, now Ovolo Nishi, opened and it's still impressive - through the bar with its quirky mix of furniture and seating arrangements, even the idea that I sneak in a pre-dinner drink while I watch people get pampered at Roji hair salon, doesn't detract from the sense that this is no ordinary hotel restaurant.

The dining room is off to the left as you come in, the impressive circular fireplace at its centre, and we're seated right next to it. The fire never becomes oppressive, indeed on a couple of occasions we leave our table and perch on the bench with our backs to the warmth.

The restaurant fills during the night, it's busy and there's a mix of diners and hotel guests. I'm assuming this because I notice some people in their tracksuit pants and hoodies, have they just slipped down from the floors above? I envy them in a way.

Our "shared plates" come out next, although we've been sharing everything anyway.

A crispy barramundi ($32) with celeriac, pickled nashi pear, smoked almond and karkalla, which is a salty native succulent that surprises, is a hit.

Not so much the twice-cooked duck breast with carrot and figs ($32). It's a pretty dish, but duck can be hit and miss, and the carrots are the standout component here.

For dessert we go with a couple of scoops of sorbet, coconut and sesame, and blood orange (at $4 a scoop), alongside a mango parfait with caramelised pineapple, long sticks of meringue, tossed about in lychee and yuzu flavours ($20).

The mango dessert is a treat, with different textures and flavours, the pineapple has a depth of flavour that brings the dish together for a satisfying result.

The sorbets are a little disappointing as an accompaniment, the blood orange in particular is too tart, perhaps better suited to a rich chocolatey finish.

Seated by the fire, with a good friend across the table, our second glass of a local rose - a Mada Nebbiolo from the Hilltops region - to finish up, it's been a wonderful night.

Perhaps the sign of a good restaurant, indeed a good hotel, is that it makes you feel at home, regardless of how fancy it is.

Now if only I can get the recipe for the ribs.

Address: Ovolo Nishi, 25 Edinburgh Ave, New Acton

Phone: 6287 6287

Owners: Ovolo Group

Chef: Dan Flatt

Hours: Monday to Sunday, 6.30am till late, breakfast, lunch and dinner

Wheelchair access: Yes

Vegetarian: Great options

Noise: There's a vibe when the room is full, but conversation is easy