Monsoon Cafe

Monsoon is one of my favorite places to eat on the Westside. Whether you are in the mood for sushi or asian fusion or thai, they have it all. It's good, fresh food and satisfies most appetites. The large dining room has a great ambiance with rich woods and asian style chandeliers. The booths have great privacy, but a table out in the center can be a little loud and exposed. Pros: good food, amazing dessert, nice ambiance Cons: large dining room, sometimes loud more

Hospital sushi. Period. By the end of the evening, my husband and I concluded that former Taco Bell cooks had been trained to prepare sushi, and came to Monsoon with the same sensibilities. No artistry, no deftness of execution. No flavor. We started with eel, something I love and can always count on. It was presented with a thick, opaque, and gelatinous sauce that raised my eyebrows, but I decided to not make rash judgments. We ordered the Monsoon roll, expecting it to be their piece de resistance of flavor and their ultimate sushi dish, being their namesake. Sigh. It was bland. Lifeless. Its appearance and taste was washed out, needing the soy sauce or their ill-conceived spicy mayo [better suited for a sandwich] to provide interest. Wonder Bread sushi. But we forged on, determined to have one delicious memory of Monsoon. We ordered a Spider Roll, looking forward to the warm crispness and flavor of the soft shell crab. Alas, there was an icy cold component to the dish [the crab meat?], which completely cancelled out the sparse presence of the tempura-battered crab. We didn't finish it; we gave up. At $14 and $15 per roll, we expected to at least enjoy our food. It was such a sad experience. We have eaten at small, hole-in-the-wall sushi restaurants and elegant establishments. And all were superior to Monsoon. You want sushi? Better to go to Trader Joe's instead of Monsoon. Pros: Great Decor Cons: Food more

this place is awesome more

I recently discovered Monsoon and I am now a regular customer. Their happy hour is fabulous - everything on their set menu is $4 during happy hour (they have 2 happy hours - one early and one late). The sushi is great! It's always exceeded my expectations. The service is ok, but not great. Sometimes you kind of have to grab the wait staff as they zip by, but for $4 rolls and $4 wine, I'm not complaining. Pros: food and drinks during happy hour more

The food and atmosphere are great I would've rated 5 stars if the restrooms were clean! more

i was there on a sturday night for the salsa dancing. Which was great . I had so much fun. Although It is A small place Pros: atmosphere Cons: price, small dance area more

Friends and I went for a birthday meal. As a celiac I cannot have gluten. When I politely asked the waitress to help me determine which items I might eat she came back with the answer "nothing really." I had to ask several times to even get her to speak to the chef. When I got no real answer about the sauces I asked if the chef might grill a piece of fish or chicken with a little diced mango (mango was all over the menu as well as fish and chicken) and put it on some brown rice - NOTHING fancy, out of the ordinary or time consuming. It should have been quite easy to do. What came was a dry bowl of rice and a salad sized plate of bone dry chicken. It was as tough as jerky, no mango, butter, oil, nothing on the dry chicken. When asked about the mango she brought some slices of dry hard mango but seemed angry that we had asked. We spoke to the manager (with the chef present) and both looked at us blankly like we were a nuisance, not a customer. The restaurant wasn't even busy with over half the tables empty on a Saturday night (now I see why). I have never been so appalled by treatment in a restaurant by the waiters, managers and chef. I would never eat there and recommend that no one support an establishment that treats people so poorly. Cons: Rude management and service more

I went there on a date with my girlfriend and the service was terrible. I eat out a lot and have a lot of patience but the waitress was MIA. We ordered sushi, which was really good but the drinks were terrible. Horrible service, good atmosphere... too bad I won't be back Pros: atmosphere Cons: service! service! more

Best Sushi I have had! They offer the typical but it was their unique creations/dishes that were wonderful. The atmosphere was great and the staff was friendly and helpful. I recommend it to anyone in the Santa Monica area. Pros: ambience,food, service more

Although it is against normal standards, I felt compelled to at least bring to light the two previous reviewers without attempting to "pad" Monsoon Cafe's ratings. I do welcome people to visit the three lettered business bureau referred to in the previous review, as the issue was responded to properly. As for the situation the previous two reviewers are speaking, it was a matter of a customers over intoxication & unacceptable conduct, that led to apologetic friends that financially took care of the services rendered. more

i came here w/a bunch of friends for a late night dinner, and it was bustling w/a young 30ish crowd of people. the inside felt like a movie set, w... more

Good sushi, most people complain about the service though. Great atmosphere. Bamboo everywhere! more

i came here w/a bunch of friends for a late night dinner, and it was bustling w/a young 30ish crowd of people. what i liked most was the inside, w... more

I looked up reviews from others regarding Monsoon Cafe 1212 3rd St., in Santa Monica, CA and found the reviews were 50 percent negative. How could this earn a 4 + rating on city search? I can only say my vote would break the 50/50 tie and Monsoon Cafe would receive a thumbs down. I reported my experience to a bureau that is better than this business site will allow me to say (July 2008). The Monsoon Cafe response to my better or worse business complaint further proves the management and help are liars here. And honestly try typing in the name of the agency I eluded to. It comes up as three dirty words here! more

I was a guest in the "Lounge" area where they have live bands and dancing on a Friday evening. I made previous arrangements with the manager to celebrate my birthday there. The promoter and bouncer, who apparently are very dishonest, created problems for my guests throughout the course of the evening and accused me of owing $150 for guests who had never arrived; and rather than admit fault, they prevaricated their story. The location is beautiful and the food was very delicious but I would not visit again because of those problems with the staff and management nor would I recommend this location to anybody else. Cons: Staff and Management are Dishonest more

By entering the joint I was astonished how big it really is. The cuisine was a mix of Chinese and Japanese fare, though the whole decoration had an Indian touch (for instance the elaborate and huge chandelier dangling in the middle of the main dining hall and the pictures on the walls). On top of all that, the restroom's interior reminded me on African art and culture and at the top floor a live band was playing Cuban salsa tunes. Apart from the blend of various styles and design the eatery was arranged with, I really enjoyed the sushi and sashimi. It came fresh and tender. The tempura roll was crispy --spicy outside, hot and succulent inside--and the sashimi was juicy and fresh. The exposed kitchen in the main hall, with plates piling up to the ceiling, totally messed up the ambiance. Service was attentive and kind, rushing around the spacious dining room amid a vibrant crowd. Pros: Food more

When you first see Monsoon it doesn't look like much, maybe a little Sushi bar with ESPN playing overhead, but when you walk past the first bar and into the restaurant proper it's hard to believe you were just on 3rd street. One of the coolest interiors of any restaurant in Santa monica. Two levels, great design, and live music on the 2nd level. The sushi is on par, and they have some pretty interesting creations of their own as well as a great selection of other pan-asian foods. Full bar with a great wine selection. It's hard not to like this place. more

As soon you as you see the mask outside this restaurant on the Promenade, you know you?re in for a good time. The interior of this multi-floored venue makes you feel like you?re in the tropics, and the menu offers enough varieties of South Asian dishes to satisfy even the most diverse group of diners. The restaurant also offers salsa dancing sometimes on weekends. If you?re looking for a restaurant in the Promenade area with a fun, relaxed atmosphere and great food, this is a good choice in my book. Pros: food, ambiance, menu variety, dancing Cons: loud dining room more

I've been going to Monsoon every Wednesday night for the last 3 months. Now that I've discovered them, I can't stay away. The upstairs bar has salsa lessons on Thursday starting at 7:30pm and a live band/DJ that goes from 9:30pm-2am. All of the staff is very friendly, especially Doc, Jo, "Salsa", and Beth. This place has high energy, fun people, and great dancers. Even if you are a beginner dancer, like me, people are willing to show you some moves. This place is so much fun that I've met some people who drive all the way from OC and the IE (Be aware: there's a $10 (cash) cover charge, but it's well worth it!) The food downstairs is also great, reasonably priced, but the service is SLOW, so allow for some extra time. I've heard that Thursday and Friday nights are also fun, if you aren't into salsa.... Enjoy!!!! Pros: Best Salsa Dancing in LA Wednesday & Saturday Nights. Great food. Cons: Slow service downstairs more

Went there on Feb.2 for a friend's birthday. Service was great. And the Sushi was delicioso. I would recommend the trio appetizer sampler, the lobster roll, Monsoon roll, and Godzilla Roll. The rolls were loaded with filling. One of my friends ordered the scallops with greenbeans and man that was delectable. Our server was efficient. She knew we were on a time schedule because we wanted to make the salsa classes upstairs, so she quickly brought out the birthday cake, cut it, and helped us move things along. So we did not have to travel far to go to a club because it is conveniently located on the second level of the restaurant. My husband and I are defintely coming back. It was not only tasty, but also affordable. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS PLACE.... Pros: The food, price, and upstairs entertainment Cons: NONE more