This month I’m dedicating my column to one particular favorite restaurant. When you go out to Monsoon, you really know you’ve been OUT. I’m sure it’s a fine place to pop by for lunch or a quick after-work cocktail and nosh – there’s a stylish bar and a fine sushi menu – but to me Monsoon says celebration. Of course it doesn’t hurt if you order a bottle of Veuve Cliqueu to accompany dinner. But whether you opt for a bit of privacy and curl up with that special someone in one of the enticing booths, or you favor the center of the action and settle in the midst of the dining room beneath the soaring space of its lofty ceilings, it still feels like a festive occasion.
The warmth and interest of the bamboo and twinkling lights, coupled with the openness overhead, give this place the exotic feel of being outdoors in the Far East. The ambiance lends itself to a gathering with friends and the buzz and bustle of a beehive of animated conversation. On both of our visits we witnessed various birthdays being celebrated. (Reservations are a good idea here.) People do seem to have a good time here, in fact one lovely, willowy birthday reveler was seen having SUCH a good time that she ended up sliding to the floor after one too many irresistible specialty rum cocktails, but thankfully she executed even that awkward move with grace, and her girlfriend was at the ready to step in as designated walker.
But I digress! I’m glad to report that I kept my spike heels firmly beneath me as I relished the enticing array of food and drink Monsoon has to offer. The cuisine here represents a number of Asian influences, Thai, Vietnamese, Indonesian, and Chinese, to name a few, with a definite California Cuisine slant. Dishes tend to be deftly prepared with a light and healthy touch. The food is on the pricier side, but for the most part you get what you pay for here.
You really can’t go wrong with any of their soups, especially on a chilly Santa Monica night. The Tuna Crab Eggroll is good, and so are the potstickers, but my favorite appetizer is the Wonton Tuna Decker, a bit of an architectural feat. Surprisingly, as good as the other layers are, the best part is the marinated Japanese cumumber and seaweed, which I would not have expected to be so taken by. We couldn’t get enough of it. Apparently you can order this as a salad and get a healthier portion, which we intend to do next time. We also had the Angus Beef Satay, which was quite delish, and the Vegetable Satay, which was okay but not particularly distinctive.
Lingering here over each new flavor is half the fun, and of course made that much better by ordering another carafe of hot sake. (Hmmm… Was that before or after the great Champagne? Oh well, not important. Like I said, I stayed on my feet!) Eventually we moved on to some entrees, about which our marvelously helpful, attentive and refreshingly unpretentious server Brandon gave us excellent advice. The Sizzling Black Pepper Sirloin, marinated delectably in sake and served (as the name would imply) sizzling, along with some lovely vegetables, was especially stand out, tender and flavorful. The Sizzling Garlic Shrimp and Scallops was also a succulent marriage of flavors and vegetables, including nice firm asparagus and string beans. We also favored the Black Pepper Prawn Udon – fine flavors, good chewy, pleasing noodles, and satisfying veggies such as mushrooms, asparagus, broccoli, and baby bok choy. The one bit of disappointment was the shrimp, which I felt were a bit lacking in both texture and flavor. I had honestly hoped to fit in some sushi, but we had to stop before we ran out of room for dessert. Ahhh, desert…
Thank God for the dessert closet. That’s that one little corner of my stomach that still has room no matter how stuffed I am. And Monsoon is definitely a place to save room in the desert closet. We followed our guide Brandon’s advice and went with a couple of Monsoon signature offerings: Chocolate Au Gateau and Monsoon Crème Zabajone. My soul - heaven on earth, or at least in a dish! As close as food comes to sex, and great choices both to share with your lover before you head home. The Chocolate Au Gateau is this impossibly delicate cakelike wedge that’s really more of a chocolate cloud that evaporates as it hits your tongue, a can’t-miss if you’re a chocolate fan, and great with good champagne (ah yes, the champagne did come later). And the Monsoon Crème was the kind of white creaminess that you could melt into, pure bliss, made provocative with a handful of plump tangy berries. This is the kind of dish that would be dangerous to eat out of the serving bowl in a private kitchen because there would be no reason to stop.
Before we left we slipped upstairs to check out the lounge. We never would have guessed that the dance floor up there was packed with writhing swishing undulating bodies tearing up the floor with the kind of Salsa action I have never seen. This must be the Salsa center of the Northern Hemisphere – wow! It was breath-taking to watch, and a real hot-spot for those who want to cut the rug (or the well-polished floor, in this case). We waltzed around a bit, quite out of our league but having fun anyway, then slipped out rosy-cheeked into the biting wet coastal night.
Monsoon - 1212 3rd St. Promenade, Santa Monica, (310) 576-9996
