Recommends

alwaysyours

Joined 6 years ago

Stuck up. I came in two weeks ago. I felt that the place did not have a warm welcome or I felt as if the service especially the men would snarl about you after waiting on you to the other waiters, it was very uncomfortable. The hostess girl with the black hair was very nice and sweet but the two waiters that are men weren't as friendly...Overall, the food was amazing, the cooks are very talented and would come back to taste some more of the great wine selection they have.

Recommends

seaken75

Joined 7 years ago

Great Vietnamese!. This is one of the best Vietnamese food i have ever had! I had the beef with asparagus and it couldn't be any better! The only drawback is that this is not really kid-friendly. Both of my daughters didn't finish their fried noodles. Overall, i recommend this place for those seeking elegant Vietnamese cuisine!

Recommends

sfever

Joined 9 years ago

great brunch, great dinner. i love their brunch; this place is great for out-of-town guests. they offer some french things, some asian things and some yummy dimsum. it's all great. the dinners are nicely portioned, great service. monsoon is a great little neighborhood gem.

Recommends

jpe

Joined 8 years ago

Poor service DOES matter. I'm not surprised to see other reviewers mention the poor service in recent months at Monsoon, and it does make a difference.

>"I don't care if you are a FOODIE, get over yourself and focus on the plate. Admittedly, the Monsoon staff can be aloof."

Superficial things can be ignored in the face of great food. But service is an integral part of the meal. When you want something else - more water, for instance, or another dish - and you can't get a waiter for 30 minutes, it matters. When your dirty plates stay in front of you for another 40, and you have to go up to the kitchen to ask for a check, it impacts your evening. This isn't self-service.

Frankly, I think it affects their food, too, which isn't as consistently good as it used to be. I'll admit the best dishes have always been great, but this year is the first time we've had some that were disappointing.

Still, even if you like the food, you have the right to expect good treatment by the staff. Dining out is an experience, and when customers are treated as unimportant, it leaves a bad taste in your mouth.

Recommends

greghomme

Joined 7 years ago

Great Food!. One of the best Vietnamese food i have ever had so far! My favorite spot for dim sum with my family!

Recommends

francoiscecile

Joined 6 years ago

WONDERFUL NEIGHBORHOOD RESTAURANT!. Monsoon has high quality ingredients and innovative, yet authentic cuisine. I just love the pan seared diver scallops with tumeric, dill and coconut sticky rice! I think it?s great that they have such a great wine selection, because there should be more than beer, sake and soju served at Asian restaurants. When he?s there, the owner, Eric Banh, is a delight and a warm, genuine person to be around. I look forward to trying the weekend dim sum!

Recommends

jboxer

Joined 6 years ago

Indugle and Savour. Just after noon, I popped in with a friend to have brunch. The ambience is something I can't quite explain. It was quiet but with just a murmur of people talking, staff bustling, chef cooking....the perfect atmosphere to relax and chat. The food was really unexpected..it was the best Vietnamese food I've ever tasted! Not too much in anything. The flavors were savored in every bite. Make sure to try the Vietnamese sausage and the deserts. Wow...You have to try this Vietnamese beauty of a restaurant~

Doesn't Recommend

hhny

Joined 6 years ago

Not worth it. It should not be classified under Vietnamese cuisine. It is heavy Americanised Chinese food. Drunken Chicken is a Chinese dish which was salty and dumped with sugar. There is no delicate touch that is involved in Vietnamese food. Braised Short Rib with Noodle was tasteless. Green Beans were seasoned with store bought chili condiment that all Vietnamese restaurant has on the table with their soysauce. That dish was so strong that I lost all my appetite.

As an Asian, I get better value and service dining at Internation District. It was also too stressful when you have to fight to get you waiter's attention. The room was noisey and I could not carry on a conversation. Why bother when the food doesn't even make up for what you have to put up with.

Recommends

thewinebee

Joined 6 years ago

Quality Vietnamese and I just returned from Hanoi. My two cents to the "bad service ruined my meal at Monsoon" people. I don't care if you are a FOODIE, get over yourself and focus on the plate. Admittedly, the Monsoon staff can be aloof. But I've never experienced rudeness or any unprofessional behavior. Besides, the food more than makes up for it.

Love the green beans, catfish claypot and the ribs (a completely different take on an American classic). Super wine list as well. Although pairing Vietnamese food with wine can be tricky. Try German Riesling, NZ Sauv. Blanc or a Gruner Veltliner from Austria. Finish with the Banana cake.

Recommends

winefoodluver

Joined 7 years ago

Drunk on Drunken Chicken. I crave the drunken chicken at monsoon. We had a lovely dinner at Monsoon, the salad with prawns is so clean, fresh and delightful. The catfish comes in a cute little claypot but isn't enough to share it's so good you will need an order per person. The noodles with mushrooms and the perfectly cooked egg is a must. Our server was great assisting us with a bottle of wine. I wish Monsoon was still open for lunch. It was my favorite lunch spot. Oh the drunken chicken.