Mon Jin Lau Restaurant

my girlfriend and i asked the hostess to seat us in the lounge, and even though it was a busy night, she was still able to accommodate us! ordered a few drinks, and i absolutely loved the chocolate cherry buddha martini! my friend ordered the pomegranate, which she also really liked! loved our waitress may, who helped us with everything we needed! she's one of the best!! ocean confetti salad is delicious! mon jin lau fried rice is great. great wall roll, salmon on the beach, and spicy tuna roll is to die for! loved everything, except it was a bit crowded. other than that, everything was great! Pros: had a fun experience. Cons: a little bit crowded more

My boyfriend took me on a date to Mon Jin Lau for the first time and the romantic atmosphere and ambiance of it all took me by surprise. We were given an option to sit outside on the patio, so we took advantage of it! It was absolutely beautiful outside, and we were given a nice table by the windows where the heater kept us warm later on in the night during our dinner. Our waitress, Liz, was GREAT! She is such an attentive waitress and hard worker. She really made the dinner ten times more fabulous! Liz gave us great suggestions on the drinks and dinner. We ended up ordering the MJL Special, which was awesome since it was flaming! It added to our romantic evening with the drink sharing ;) Since my boyfriend is vegetarian, Liz helped suggest appetizers we both would enjoy. We ended up ordering the Scallion Pancake appetizer, as well as the Ginger Garlic Eggplant. My boyfriend and I LOVED it! For dinner, I ordered a Moo Shu Chicken, which came with hot, soft, pancakes, hoi sin sauce, and the moo shu chicken filling!! I wasn't too sure on how to eat it, but Liz taught me, which helped a lot! My boyfriend ordered the Buddha's Delight, which had an assortment of mixed vegetables! We both enjoyed our dinners outside on the patio. We were full by dessert, but Liz showed us the dessert tray and we decided to share one since we were both so stuffed!! We ordered the chocolate mousse which really hit the spot after our whole dinner. I must say Mon Jin Lau is a great restaurant with GREAT food, a perfect ambiance, and staff that is so helpful, professional, and attentive! I can't wait to come and try the other dishes!! Pros: heated patio, take out, specialty drinks, sushi, EVERYTHING! Cons: can't think of one! love this place too much more

The location is convenient at 15 mile and Stephenson Hwy in Troy, Michigan. The restaurant is large with... more

The location is convenient at 15 mile and Stephenson Hwy in Troy, Michigan. The restaurant is large with the entrance boasting of artifacts from l... more

June 20, 2009 - Just returned from the most horrible dinner at Mon Jin Lau. Not even worth the 1 star I rated. My husband and I are so angry. Wanted to leave without paying but wouldn't do that. I will not return. We had reservations for an outside table that were not honored. Staff was rude an unaccomodating. So sorry we stayed and waited it out. Please don't go to this restaurant. The should not be in business. Pros: Nice patio Cons: Rude service, do not accomodate reservations more

all my evening was spolied....\r service is to bad.....\r quality of food is also not that good....\r Pros: not satisfied Cons: poor service more

Checked out Mon Jin Lau for the first time with my girlfriends on a Saturday night. Been told to go on Wednesdays, but we were in the mood for Sushi, so we decided to check it out anyway. The place doesn't look like much from the outside, but when we got inside, I loved it! Very intimate. Our waitress, can't remember her name, was outstanding. Helped us order and everything. Everybody loved their food. The sushi was amazing. I concur with similar report below, very hot owners! Will try and come on Wednesdays to see what all the action is about. Pros: Great Food, Fun Atmosphere Cons: None that I saw! more

The opportunity to try Mon Jin Lau finally happened last night when friends from California and I (a local) were doing a surprise bday for another amiga. Two weeks prior, I had read about their restaurant in a passed issue of Hour Detroit magazine while waiting in my dentist?s office. I found the family story very interesting; and reading some of the negatives comments below really shows how much some Chinese restaurant owners are. Coming from a Thai food establishment here, there?s nothing but appreciation and excitement for MJL. Complimentary valet parking was nice, The owner?s son were very good-looking and professional, staff was cool and so was the decor. But hands down, the best part was when the conga drummer and saxophone player came around to heighten things up?I beat the heck of that drum and I hope I get to do it again next time! I ordered the salmon on the beach just because other comments on here suggested it and wanted to check it out. It was delicious! Also, had the sashimi with slices of jalapenos on top, along with yellowtail/cream cheese sushi and soft crab sushi. The only downside was out in the patio where bartender couldn?t make me a mojito and the crowd is more from Miami and Malibu. more

Mon Jin Lau has been a dining hot spot for decades. Local and national celebrities pictures are seen on the... more

Mon Jin Lau has been a dining hot spot for decades. Local and national celebrities pictures are seen on the walls as you enter this romantically li... more

Mon Jin Lau is and has been one of my top 5 restaurants in the world. I have no clue what these other posts were talking about. If eating at a chain restaurant like PF cHangs is good to you than i guess you wouldnt like mon jin lau either. But there is something about independently owned businesses that suits me. There service is great especially the waitress Nancy, I think shes worked there for over 25 years. The Sushi is fabolous. Always fresh and creative. If your a first timer, I would pay no attention to the negative posts considering this place has been open for over 40 years and has won many culinary awards including this years Hour Magazines Restaurant of The Year. So if you do come, which i highly recomend, you have to try the salmon on the beach sushi roll and the chili pepper squid. more

i had looked at the website for Mon Jin Lau prior to going there. I also looked on here and read the reviews. Most of which were good and said that it was a really nice place with GREAT food. I have never been so disappointed. Im a frequent diner at PF Changs Bistro. The prices at Mon Jin Lau are basically the same price and the environment and food are nowhere near the caliber of PF Changs. This place can not even touch it. We walked in and were sat immediately at this awkardly placed table right by the kitchen doors. It took our server 8-10 minutes to greet us and take our drink order. We immediatly ordered soup and chicken lettuce wraps. We then requested to move tables due to the gross smell coming out of the kitchen. The environment was loud and everything is so crammed together. I was expecting this beautiful asian restaurant. It was way less than mediocre. So 25 minutes later we still do not have our appetizers and the waitress has not returned to take our order. As our appetizers arrive, she quickly set them on the table and walked away. Not asking if we needed anything. The lettuce wraps had NO flavor to them and there was no soy sauce on our table. Soup was okay, nothing great. At this point I was soooo turned off by the food, service and environment I flagged down our waitress and asked for the bill and boxes. I didn't even want to order dinners there. We left and got carry out from PF Changs. PF Changs was awesome of course. I was just really disappointed in Mon Jin Lau. I had really looked forward to trying it and i love chinese/asian food. I do not recommend this to anyone. It is not anywhere near worth the money!!!!!! more

When I first went to Mon Jin Lau, my reaction was that this had to be a joke. Although the cocktail I ordered was yummy, the food was substandard at best. My partner and I ordered a few sushi rolls and a few Chinese dishes. The sushi wasn't bad, but it wasn't good, either. The Chinese dishes were bad. Really, really bad. We ordered a Szuechuan chicken dish that is supposed to be spicy, but was a glopping syrupy sweet mess. It tasted oddly like a barbecue chicken dish that you can get at Royal Oak Brewery. I think people confuse Asian-owned and Asian decor as a sign of authenticity, but there was nothing authentic about these dishes. If you're looking for authenticity, pay more attention to the clientele. I think the owners of Mon Jin Lau have altered the flavors of their foods to appeal to the tastebuds of the Michigan locals, not to Asian customers who are there to get real Asian flavored foods. Also, while you read the reviews for this restaurant, check to see what other reviews someone has written if they give Mon Jin Lau 5 stars. If someone gives this place 5 stars and it's the only review they've written, you have to ask yourself if they're a real person honestly reviewing restaurants, or if they work at the alleged 5-star establishment and are promoting it instead. Pros: martini was good, service was good, decor was nice Cons: food is really bad and not worth the pros. more

Mon Jin Lau was just awarded the 2008 Hour Detroit Restaurant of the Year. It's about time. I've been going to Mon Jin Lau for years. The food is amazing and consistent. The service is impeccable. Their waitstaff are all hard working and very attentive. The ambiance is incredible. Great music. I couldn't think of a better restaurant to win this award. Congrats!! Pros: Amazing Food, Great Service, Consistently Great Cons: Parking. When Busy, It's Hard to Find. more

I've been going to Mon Jin Lau for years. My parents used to take us when we were kids. Can you believe this place is still around? It's as hip and cool as ever. Went there on a Wednesday night with my girlfriends. Wow. What a fun time. Great Music, great atmosphere. I heard that Friday nights that have a DJ, can't wait to check that out. Absolutely great music. Asked the waitress where the music came from, told me the owner doesn't give out that secret. Amazing food. Try the Salmon on the Beach. Also, the Kimchee Crab Cakes were out of this world. Pros: Great food, atmosphere, service Cons: Crowded more

This is one of those unexpected gems that dot the metro Detroit area -- you know, those truly good spots found in the middle of nowhere that look like nothing more than just another joe-schmo kinda place until you actually stop in and are totally wowed. Like Hong Hua or Cafe Cortina, this place is great yet you would never guess judging from its boring suburban surroundings. The appetizers really are the best -- and the signature drink is absolutely fantastic! (I forgot what it's called but it's this huge, oversized fruity cocktail with a flame in the middle that comes with straws for you and all your friends). The outdoor seating area is perfect on a warm day, so take advantage during the summer when there's also a DJ throughout the week. The place is usually packed on weekends with well-suited men, flesh-baring women and loud groups adding to the lively atmosphere. Pros: Appetizers; cool scene; flaming cocktail Cons: Can get really busy more

I love sushi. I could eat sushi everyday if I had to. I went to the Plum Market in Bloomfield the other day, and tried the sushi. Amazing. Best sushi I've ever had from a grocery store. I wondered if the grocery store made it, but they told me it was a restaurant in Troy called Mon Jin Lau. I went there with my girlfriends the other day, and I can't believe I've never been before. The food is to die for. Not only is their sushi arguably the best I've ever had, but we also tried the Peanut Chicken and the Asian Filet. I actually ordered takeout so I could also have some more the next day! Pros: Great Sushi, Atmosphere, Service Cons: None!!!! more

I'm originally from New York, but moved here about 5 years ago. My girlfriends and I love Mon Jin Lau. I'm a consultant, so I travel and eat out frequently. Who would know that the best Asian restaurant is in little old Troy, Michigan! The ambiance is like none other. The service is impeccable, and the food is to die for. Newbies, try the Mandarin Crispy Duck, or the Asian Filet. The sushi is amazing....I just tried the Salmon on the Beach the other day. I couldn't stop eating it. If any owners every read this board.....open other Mon Jin Lau's in other states!!!!! Pros: Food, Food, Food, Ambiance, Service Cons: They Need More Mon Jin Lau's Everywhere Else more

food was bad.portion was small and service was ok. we're\r not sure we'll be back.it's a shame we live so close.\r more

We ordered Lettuce Wrap which was good but PF Chang's lettuce wrap is better. We ordered the Crispy Duck and Hunan Spicy Shrimp. The Hunan Spicy Shrimp was not spicy but sweet instead. Crispy duck was no duck at all but more like crispy bone with no meat. Overall the entrees were bland. Service and ambiance are good. But I would not go back due to tasteless food. I think at the price of the dishes, the food should be excellent. If you are going for sushi, I would eat at a real sushi restaurant. Not some restaurant that tries to be Chinese, Thai, and Japanese in one. So thumb down for Mon Jin Lau. Pros: Service and Ambience Cons: Food more