Our party of 4 last Saturday night was promptly greeted and seated (we had reservations). Our waiter, Konstantin, greeted us and informed us of what was not available that night, which I was appreciative of. There is nothing more annoying than spending time choosing a dish on the menu only to be told when you finally order that it is not available. So, everything good so far. But then when our waiter returned he seemed annoyed by us, as if we were keeping him from something he’d rather be doing. He was curt when we asked about a substitution. He seemed annoyed when we ordered rice individually and not planned out before-hand as a “group” rice order. Overall he seemed to have a bad attitude. One of our party described him as “snarky.” When I mentioned my experience to a friend, he said that the last time he was at Monsoon he got the same service. The food was good however. But the service will keep me away in the future.

Our meal at Monsoon was an unpleasant experience. The staff was unprofessional —laughing and talking depreciatingly and audibly about customers in the restaurant while in an open kitchen area that faces directly out into the dining room. Although the wine list was extensive and the menu looked interesting, we never made it to the food. We canceled our order (something we have never done before in over a decade of eating out) after listening to our waitress joke to several of her co-workers about our group, complete with eye rolling and derogatory comments. This, after ordering an approximately $200 meal for four. Thanks, but no thanks!

I really love the atmosphere of this restaurant. The inside is simple, yet relaxing and cozy. Most vietnamese restaurants are quite cheap. This is one of the more expensive ones around, but you wouldn’t order the normal dishes here. Go here if you want to try some quality, new dishes. They offer an variety of unique dishes, including venison, string beans with sweet potatoes, and snow pea vines. They also offer a variety of teas you can try. I like the Green Dragon Oolong. Warning – the portion sizes are not huge. They are going for quality over quantity so I dont’ recommend going here if you’re starving.