Monsoon Thai Bistro

05/23/08

Delicious noodles and excellant service

by Downrightscuba at Citysearch

The staff was friendly despite my arriving after closing. The atmosphere was nice with a unique layout and view. The food was excellant particularly the lobster/mango spring roll and spicy mint noodle. The spring roll was well balanced with sauce and flavor, with lots of extra points for originality. The spicy mint noodle was suprising with tender noodles and well balanced sauce and good portion sizing. The wine list was extensive and perfectly chosen for the food available. I really enjoyed my experience.

03/01/08

Good Food, Poor Service

by paullymorph at Citysearch

A group of coworkers and I recently met here for lunch.

The good: We were all in agreement that the food (taste and presentation) was quite good. I ordered the Bento Box with The Grilled Salmon in Prik Khing Curry which I would highly recommend. We found the atmosphere of the ?sun room? for lunch quite pleasing as well.

The bad: The service, unfortunately, was poor. Upon first walking in the door we could not even see an employee in the restaurant to seat us for a good five to ten minutes?we resorted to wandering aimlessly around the restaurant looking for ANYONE and were on the verge of walking into the kitchen as a last resort before leaving. When a waiter finally materialized he zipped right past us twice without even acknowledging us?it was so blatantly rude that it caused us to erupt in laughter. We finally just seated ourselves at a table in the main dining room. During his next ?zip? by us, without breaking stride or looking at us, he barked out at us, ?You won?t be sitting there, you?ll be in the other room?. In an attempt at fairness, the service did get better after that point, and he was the only waiter staffed for an entire room of tables (restaurant should remedy this), but come on?

There are several other Thai restaurants in the SLC valley that have food equally good or better combined with great service? it?s hard to give Monsoon Thai much more than an average rating when taking this into consideration.

• Pros: Good Food (both taste and presentation) and Pleasant Ambience
• Cons: Poor Service

11/20/06

Delicious and Utah's Best Wine List

by wendora at Citysearch

Monsoon Thai Bistro is a lovely place. Full of dark woods with a beautful fireplace and an impressive wine cooler. In the summer, there is a cute patio with water misters and a fun atmosphere. In the winter, this place is VERY romantic with candlelight, a glowing fire, and a warm and welcoming vibe. The current wait staff is excellent (particularly Ryan, who knows both the wine list and menu exceptionally well). We are always greeted in a friendly and welcoming manner, sat promptly, and provided with menus and a wine list. And, what a wine list it is! It's more like a wine bible (and nearly as big). The selection of wines by the glass is good, and the overall selection is amazing, including a large number of "cellar selections" for those who are celebrating or looking for something special. If you're unsure which wine to order, the waiters can be very helpful. They demonstrate a good knowledge of wine and wine pairings, which can sometimes be challenging with spicy Thai food. However, the true wine guru at Monsoon is Keith Chan, the owner/operator. His wine knowledge is unsurpassed in Salt Lake City (and probably in Park City too). If Keith is available, he won't steer you wrong. I can honestly say that I have tried nearly every dish on the Monsoon menu, and I have never been dissapointed. For starters, one can't go wrong with the crispy spring rolls, a delicious classic. The thai dumplings are very good, and the mango spring rolls are refreshing and delicious. My favorite entree is the salmon in yellow curry. It somehow manages to be delicate, yet rich and spicy at the same time. It is a shining example of how complex Thai cuisine can be when done well. I would also opt for the green curry, the spicy mint noodles, or the pad thai, all are delightful and offer a choice of chicken, prawn, or vegetarian serving options. I would high recommend Monsoon to anyone looking for a special dining experience.

• Pros: Comprehensive wine list. Excellent service. Romantic.