Monsoon

I had a delightful experience at this restaurant! From the moment I stepped in, the ambiance was warm and inviting. The service was impeccable, with attentive staff ensuring every detail was perfect. The menu offered many mouthwatering options, each dish bursting with flavor. The attention to detail and the fresh and high-quality ingredients made this dining experience exceptional. I wholeheartedly give this restaurant a well-deserved five stars and can't wait to return for another culinary adventure!

the area is lovely. their vietnamese coffee was great. the ambience, though, was a bit off. the place was kind of empty, Saturday brunch time, and a kid was banging the bench were people from three different tables were sitting down on (including me). Uncomfortable. Service was good, though. Friendly server.

Came in for dinner before a show. This is our second time here - the first time being our wedding dinner with some friends. The food is just as I remember it - the deconstructed vegetarian crispy rolls are by far the best thing here. I would honestly come here just to get multiple orders of these rolls and go back happy. We also ordered the cauliflower and vegetable friend rice - both are alright, nothing special. Overall the vegetarian items on the menu are average at best but their meat dishes are quite good.

The grilled pork belly (pictured) was one of the stand out dish at Monsoon, which used to be one of our favourite local restaurants when we lived in Seattle about 20 years ago. Amazingly they still have on the menu my three favourite items from back then: drunken chicken, spicy eggplant, and banana bread. Sadly I can no longer eat any of these dishes, the first two don't contain gluten but are fried in a contaminated frier, the banana bread contains wheat. Still, plenty of other great dishes to enjoy, and the company was wonderful. I wonder how difficult it would be for them to adjust what flour they use such that the frier is no longer contaminated, which would then greatly increase the enjoyment of celiac sufferers like myself.

You can smell this place down the street. In fact, you’ll smell it before you see it. A gentle waft of simmering broth and spices that meanders down the block. Get the tofu spring rolls. They come with the kind of sauce that makes you forget about your caffeine withdrawal headache and how your wisdom tooth is playing up again. Hot, thick and salty. Plenty of peanuts. Then order the catfish clay pot. It bubbles. All the comfort of an old sweatshirt you thought you lost and the warmth of someone you’ve missed for a long time.