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"I would say this spot is by far the best Indian in Hillcrest and possibly in SD in general. They have great Chai tea too. The wait staff is…" read more »
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I thought the food was pretty tasty but they missed the mark in some other areas.
My bf and I were seated promptly by the hostess at a 4-person table while we waited for our friends. I immediately found the chairs a bit too upright, but that's a personal preference issue. No one came around to serve us for quite sometime so my bf went to the bar to order us drinks. When the bartender found out, he was extremely apologetic and comped us a martini. He was our waiter from that point forward. He was very sweet and offered us good suggestions when we asked for recommendations. Unfortunately, a bus boy decided the neighboring bar surface would be the best place to dry silverware. The cacophonous clanking of silverware was really off-putting - shouldn't that be done in the back? The neighboring table of tourists flashing photos every few minutes didn't help either.
I'm used to family-style Indian food (i.e. bigger portions served with naan and rice), so I was surprised at the small dish sizes and high prices for a la carte naan and rice. The food was tasty though and it was a special night out with friends - so I'm not detracting too much for that. My favorite dish was probably the saag paneer with sesame naan.
I thought it was incredibly tacky that the waiters have been instructed to plop down contact information postcards and pens at the end of the meal. This screams college bar to me, not upscale dining experience.
Our bill for 4 with drinks (2-4 each) was around $200.
After not visiting Monsoon for over year or so, I found myself downtown on a Friday night in need of a place to eat, and decided Monsoon would fit the bill just right.
First thing I noticed is the ambiance has changed a little with the removal of the center waterfall. That's ok, as the center waterfall was always a little ghetto-looking. And, they still have a waterfall right in the main dining area, which we snagged a seat next to. This makes for a nice ambiance, and the seats are very comfortable to sit in.
Upon perusing the menu for beverages, it became apparent that they have a pretty limited selection of beers, although they have several Indian beers like King Fisher, Himalayan Blue, and Taj Mahal... at least in theory. In reality, they were out of Himalayan Blue and Taj Mahal. They only had King Fisher, which they have both in bottles and on draft. (And they are apparently the only restaurant/bar in SD that has it on draft.) So we ordered a bottle of Cab, which was pretty good for the price we paid.
The menu is pretty standard Indian fare. Curry dishes, lots of vegetarian options. We got some mint na'an, which came out warm and soft. I approve. Both the entrees we ordered were quite good, too. Before arriving, I had already eaten a bunch of surprise free food at a happy hour, so I was stuffed by the time I was done. But, that didn't slow me down. The food was so good I nearly ate myself to death.
Our server was very attentive as well. She didn't seem to mind the fact that we made her come back repeatedly because we weren't ready for her yet. And, our waters were always full.
Great service, good food, great ambiance... Still a favorite.
This place has pretty standard Indian fare; good quality food. What sets Monsoon above the rest is… Read more »
In town for a conference, we accidentally came here rather than another more highly rated place up the street. While the hostess was friendly and sat us quickly, the server was often MIA. We ordered samosas which he forgot, and waited a very long time for our food. So long i contemplated walking away.
The food was ok, though we were really hungry. I ordered the tandoori chicken breast, but this definitely didn't look like tandoori. To be fair, the chicken was somewhat moist, but a lot of lacked flavor. It came on a bed of nearly raw white onion with cold tomato. bleh. I've definitely had better. On the plus side, my dish wasn't greasy.
The rice wasn't well cooked, either. The garlic naan was very so-so. I didn't know naan could be bad until now.
My husband ordered lamb curry, and that was the better choice of the two. I ended up spooning some of his sauce onto my chicken for flavor. That dish was the highlight.
We also found the prices rather high for what you get.
First of love I love love LOVE indian food so I was pretty excited to come to this place. I took my boyfriend here for his birthday because we wanted to try some nice Indian food. The atmosphere was night, romantic even for the hustle and bustle of the Gaslamp. It was pretty dim inside and they had these gigantic chairs. The one bad thing was that every wine we ordered that they had on their menu they didn't have. The food was good. Over all the food was decent but the prices are pretty high. I'm more of a hole in a wall restaurant person...i think thats where the food tastes best because it has more of a home made quality to it. If you're looking for some decent indian food with a fancy setting, then I would recommend this restaurant to you.
The food was good, and the waiters were polite, quick, and attentive. The furniture is pretty huge, and there's a pleasant ambiance (down-tempo from the stereo and a waterfall on the back wall).
Unfortunately there was also a giant flat screen TV next to the bar, showing very bright and fast-cutting music videos. It was horribly distracting. I asked the waiter to turn it off, and he did. Then someone turned it back on. He flipped it off again, as it shatters the otherwise pleasant atmosphere. Apparently the management feels it should be on all the time.
Unless I'm in a place specifically to watch TV, I don't want it on. In a mellow spot on a Sunday night, I'm not sure why the managers feel that obnoxious neon images help, but I won't eat there again. I saw at least 4 other India restaurants within a block and a half of Monsoon. If you decide to go anyway, maybe keep your back to the bar.
I really, really, really wanted to give this place a chance. However, the word 'disappointment' would be an understatement. We were craving Indian food on our last night in San Diego, and I had remembered seeing Monsoon when we were walking the town earlier that day. I thought the restaurant looked SO beautiful, so surely the food would be awesome as well, right?
So we stopped by that evening at 7ish (starving), but didn't leave the restaurant till about 11. The service was horrible. No one came up to ask if we wanted to order drinks/food for about 15 mins. When the waitress finally showed up, she was nice, but just seemed stressed and rushed. Mind you the restaurant was busy, but not THAT busy.
Food took about a whole hour to come out. An HOUR. We were starving. They could've given us something to munch on while we waited, but nothing. Our waitress didn't even come out to give us an update. We were thirsty - no water refills. I had to go up to the bar to ask for more water because our waitress was nowhere to be found. Needless to say, I was grumpy.
When the food came out, we were pretty shocked to see the portion sizes. I expected bigger portions for the price paid, but they were pretty small. We thought we had ordered too much (there were 5 of us, so we ordered 5 entrees + an appetizer), but it actually turned out to be not enough, and we didn't want to order more with the crazy wait. We also asked the waitress for more rice, but it took so long, we were pretty much done with all the food by the time she took it out.
We were so unhappy with the service that we asked to speak to the manager. We told him the food was tasty (which it was), but that we were disappointed with the customer service and the long wait. He apologized saying it was a busy night (seriously? This place was only half full) and that he would see what he could do with the check. In the end, he took 15% off and gave us $10 gift cards for our next visit. Somehow, I don't think I'll be using those cards.
Good a la carte
So so buffet
proly wont head back out there in a while
I love the décor with the serene waterfall in the middle and comfortable booths. Nice relaxing music, like ambient/electronica with an Indian influence similar to this:
Thievery Corporation & Anoushka Shankar "Beloved":
http://www.youtube.com...
As my good friend would say, it made me want to travel to curry lands and have a picnic along the Ganges river :o)
Mango lassi was delicious, but the chicken tikka was average. Also, they no longer offer the lamb sliders even though it's still on the menu.
However, they do play Bollywood music videos in the restrooms, which is always a fun time, and I'm pretty sure they offer complimentary naan...doesn't hurt to ask.
The Quality of food at Monsoon and the other restaurants owned by the same owner has decreased significantly in the last 4-5 years. I was really disappointed in my recent trip that the food has not changed and there is no creativity anymore. I am tired of eating the same food made from the same curries. I hope they can reinvent themselves soon.
It has been several years since I came to Monsoon. When it opened I truly thought the atmosphere, food, and service was great. Now I feel different and I am writing this as my wife and are waiting for our rice. So, the service started with us calling to someone to please take out order...there was no one waiting on us or anyone else in our row of tables. After 30 mins a waiter came. We ordered and the order cam late, the rice too little (hence waiting now) and the waiter either lazy or just plain indifferent. 4 years ago I gave it 5 stars, now I give them 1 star for expensive minute portions and for godawful service. Sorry but no pass for monsoon today.
Something that I've never done before is writing a bad review as I'm still sitting in the resturant. Poor poor custmer service, over priced food. After wating for 10 min after our arrival in there with my husband buss boy came and brought water, 15 min later our waiter came and got our order for appitizer, another 15 min wait for the appetizer, then another wait for the food, when the food arrived there was not enough rice, we asked for more and we waited and waited our food was already cold.worst customer servcie ever, I don not recommand the place.
I came with a lot of expectations, as I used to be a frequent customer of Bombay, a sister restaurant. I tried Monsoon with a friend of mine on a sleepy Tuesday night. The large restaurant only had about three or four parties, and most of the evening, the staff was cleaning the restaurant. Upon being seated, the waiter came to us to ask us to order several times before we had even opened the menu...he was actually very polite and I don't think he realized that it was annoying, but once he realized that we were chatting, he lightened up and gave us some time. I started by ordering a glass of Shiraz and my friend, a Chardonnay. Strangely enough, the Chardonnay came in a normal-looking wineglass, and my wine came in some short old-school looking piece of stemware that looked like it was from the 99 cent store or a grandparent's cupboard. I looked around and realized that no one else had this glass...and it was really strange as the restaurant was almost empty and they couldn't have possibly used all of their glasses. I looked in my wineglass and saw some cork floating around. Oh well, I do that sometimes when I open a bottle of wine, so I took it out and took a sip....absolutely putrid...maybe it was old, or just plain bad. I told the waiter and he offered the next level up of Shiraz, at the same price...which was very nice. Oddly, he brought it back in the same strange glass. Well, at least this wine was good. Next, we were ready for an appetizer and we glanced at the menu. Everything was good, but we were indecisive so I asked the waiter for recommendations and he recommended the chili chicken, stating that it was the least authentic of the dishes, but his favorite...I thought that was weird, but he was honest. We actually ordered the samosa. The samosa were delicious....large and flavorful with three dipping sauces. For our entree, we ordered the tiki masala with chicken and saag paneer....they were ok, but something was missing...I guess they were a bit bland. We also ordered the garlic naan, which came piping hot and had a lot of flavor, really my favorite part of the meal.
All in all, it was a decent experience, but I don't imagine I'll be going back anytime soon.
Do not go here for lunch! I just got back from there and it was terrible. We walked in a no one greeted us until we wandered around aimlessly. Then a guy greeted us in Spanish, which was shocking. they let us know that they have a lunch buffet which would probably be our best bet cause then we could try everything. we were seated and we ordered our drinks and they took forever to arrive. They offered Na-an but then forgot to bring it to us. the food in the buffet was cold and it looked like slop. the desert was a mango mousse and it taste like mango flavored cool whip. They must have all the lame waiters work during the day and the professional ones working at night. Service was terrible and they were working on the waterfall during working hours, they paid more attention to that than they did to us.
I was in between 3-4 stars, but overall, I'd probably give it a 3.75.
The restaurant is very dark, sultry, and romantic. We were a group of 5 seated in a large round table with emperor sized chairs. Couldn't help but to admire the decor as this was probably one of the nicest Indian restaurants I have been to. A great fit for the downtown scene and a perfect fit for couples. Plus you don't come out smelling like Indian food which is important since we were planning on going out afterwards.
I love their specialty drink options, with names like Maharani, and Mumbai Mohito. I tried the mumbai mohito that had mango pulp which was very refreshing and even gave me a slight buzz.
As far as the food, we were all initially disappointed at the small portions that were brought out. I had a fish masala which only had 3 pieces of fish for the price of $18.95. But in the end, it got us all full and we even had leftovers. But they did not skimp out on flavor. Delicious curries and endless basmati rice helped fuel our hunger. We also ordered plain naan, garlic naan, and chicken kulcha. The chicken kulcha had pieced of tandoori chicken cooked into the middle of the naan. Sounds good; unfortunately the tandoori chicken came out really dry. Everything else was solid to good.
Service was ok. It wasn't horrible, but I do wish our server was available a bit more than he was. But when he was around, he did his job to make us comfortable. And initially we were given lamb kulcha instead of chicken. I noticed the gamey taste and my friend had him replace it. It took quite some time for the replacement, but all in all, we had a good evening.
Dizzy Noo Shak- remember this. It's delicious.
My friends and I wandered in on a late Tuesday night. They were just about to close, but said they would accommodate us if we could place our orders quickly. No prob. It's a beautifully decorated restaurant- very dark, ethnic, opulent, yet chic.
We sat down and looked over an extensive menu, featuring lots and lots of goodies, and plenty of vegetarian options. There were curries galore to choose from. Our servers (yep, there was more than one) were extremely gracious. They took our orders, and brought out cocktails with reasonable efficiency. My martini was a little sugary, but it wasn't too bad. So far, my first impression is pretty great.
The Food:
The prices were slightly steep ($11.00 for a basket of slightly rubbery naan). My friend had a chicken salad- the chicken was a little dry. Her sister had a chicken curry dish that was pretty tasty. I have to say, though, that my Dizzy Noo Shak was A-mazing. Bananas served in a coconut-milk curry sauce. Wow, I mean, wow. What an unexpected and delicious flavor profile. I mean it was ridiculously good. All three of us killed my plate. I just wish all the other 2 meals were on par with mine, given the prices.
Overall, the service was impeccable, drinks were OK, food was pretty good to amazing depending on the dish. I'd definitely go back.
My friend Marin thinks this place is the best Indian food in San Diego so we decided to give this place a try. I've never really had Indian food before so this was really my first experience.
It was a cooler (dare I say almost cold?) San Diego evening and I felt like ordering curry would be warm and hearty. I ordered the Tikka Masala with lamb and my friend ordered the Nariyar with chicken, we also ordered the garlic Naan. Everything was really delicious. My curry was warm with a good amount of spiciness to it, I really enjoyed it. The Tikka Masala is a tomatoe based curry while the Nariyar is creamier, I personally enjoyed mine better :)
Service was good, location is cool (if you enjoy pedestrians and their "OH THAT LOOKS GOOD" or "YOU HAVE GOOD TASTE, SHE HAS BEAUTIFUL EYES" comments).
Overall, I had a good dining experience and would love to come back and try some more Indian cruisine .
Yum - Indian lunch buffet - mmm...
The ambiance definitely did not disappoint. Great, high-backed leather chairs, linen tablecloths, waterfall that falls down the center of the room, classy decorations, and a nice bar.
A friend in town and I went here for lunch - it was right across the street from Horton Plaza where I thought it would be easiest for someone out of town to find parking midday; very convenient. The Monday lunch crowd was a bit sparse, but we were there to eat and chat amongst ourselves, so that didn't bother us one bit. Our waiter was very helpful, always there to clear empty plates and fill up our water glasses.
The buffet offerings were numerous and tasty:
Great
-salad with cucumber, tomato, and serrano peppers
-malagatwany soup
-onion pakoras
-samosas
-mango mousse
-fresh fruit
-chicken (can't remember the name, but something with a "ilwa" at the end? it was fabulous! like tandoori chicken in curry-esque)
-tandoori chicken (a bit dry, but I'd prefer this to too oily)
Not so great
-chicken masala (chicken was too dry and not fresh)
-pasta masala (that was different and a bit odd)
-spinach (boring)
-garlic naan (not steaming fresh when brought to the table, but it was ok)
-veggies (watery, no flavour)
Buffet is $13.99, which is even better when you have a 2-fer from the Uptown Magazine. The Mango Lassi ($3.95, which I thought was a decent price) I ordered was refreshing and perfectly sweet.
For a relaxing, filling and enjoyable lunch in the Gaslamp, I'd definitely make a return trip :-)
Mmmm........................................
We ordered Channa Masala, Tikki Masala, and Garlic Naan.
Everything was cooked perfectly and the service was amazing.
I love how even in August you can eat outside on the patio with a nice breeze to keep you cool. Little did I know on the decor on the inside is spectacular. When you want to come somewhere different and a little bit special.
This is Indian food done right and there is no other place to go.
Plus this is the restaurants has the nicest bathroom I've seen and it has a flat screen playing Bollywood.
Curry Dreams
Monsoon is the best Indian buffet in San Diego. The curry, chicken, and garlic naan (thin bread) are amazing. The interior decoration is inviting with traditional Indian murals on the walls. The lunch buffet is only $14 and is truly worth trying. A great dessert dish would complete this restaurant.
This place sucked! I ate at Monsoon a couple years ago and really liked it. I don't know if I hit it on a bad night but the meal totally SUCKED! Naan? This is naan Naan! Cold pita bread with some garlic dumped on it? WTF! The wine as warmer than my food. I have a theory here.... There was a big wedding that day, the owner and chef were in attendance, they got totally ripped and decided not to work that night. They did have a bunch of leftover food from the wedding and sent it back to the restaurant to be served that night. Leaving the kitchen in the hands of some guy named Gary or Doug (sans dot). This totally explains my dry cold chicken kabob, past prim lamb, and flavorless veggies. THAT'S IT! I now know - I used to work weddings and at the end of the night after all the guests had left, all the tables were cleared, all the dishes were cleaned and cigarette butts dumped the kitchen staff let us have at whatever wasn't consumed by the guests. It was always cold, dry and only slightly resembled what it was hours ago which wasn't that great to begin with. This is what was feed to me.....
If you like this place: don't try anyplace I gave more than 3 stars
Went there for the first time for dinner last week, I have to say both the food and the service was so-so. I had the mixed grill, which included chicken tandoori (my usual favorite), lamb sausage, and a piece of mahi mahi tuna. The chicken was disappointing, too much use of food coloring, and not enough real flavoring and grilling. The best tandoori dishes that I've had would have the meats come out sizzling on a cast iron plate, but here the food just sat motionlessly on the plate, so nothing exciting going on here.
Another thing that I found irritating was the bottle of red wine that they purposely set out on every table, conspicuously suggesting your consumption. To me this is both ineffective as a selling tool, since those who do not drink wine will probably not all of sudden change their mind just because someone presented them with a bottle of it at the table, also to those of us who do drink wine, and may know a thing or two about it, it's a bit insulting, like saying I don't know which wine to pick.
About the only high marks I could give are the generous portions, and the decor and ambience, which like many other restaurants in the Gaslamp quarter is fancy and upscale looking.
We used to live in San Diego and enjoyed going to Monsoon. We are back for a visit after a few years and I have to say it wasn't what we remembered. The Mulligatawny soup was one of the best we ever had, this time around we were disappointed. The main course was delicious! We had Sag Paneer and Chicken Tikka Masala...both were excellent plain Naan was a bit too thick for me and lacked butter.
Overall we were happy, just not how we remembered it.
I really wanted to give this a 3.5...so I rounded down. Yelp...can we work on this please? I'm too indecisive for whole star ratings.
Prices? High. Food? Tasty, but not overwhelmingly so.
Went with a group and ordered everything to share.
Jalapeno Naan? Awesome.
Lamb Biryani - DELISH! Except...um...where was the actual lamb in that dish? For $20, maybe you could hook a girl up.
Tandoori - Okay. The chicken was a bit overdone, but the flavor was still good.
Lemon Chicken - Pretty small portion, but tasty nonetheless.
Raita - EH. And I mean...really...raita should be the cherry on top of the cake people. Work on that please.
Service? Good, bordering on great. I almost threw in an extra star for the guy wearing the fez at the front door. Should've gotten a picture.
3 stars is my final call. It was really good - I wouldn't mind coming back here. But there was no wow factor. Sorry Monsoon, had to round that 3.5 down instead of up. Take it up with Yelp.
First off, I love downtown San Diego's Gaslamp district. Anyways, on to the review. The hostess and waiter were very friendly. My girlfriend and I had found a deal on Yelp (of course) about this place. The owner couldn't oblige because of some technical issue, but after I found another better deal online, the waiter somehow got the owner to accomodate so I thank that waiter very much.
The food came in these small round metal dishes that you can see at other Indian restaurants. The dishes were all prepared very well, and tasted like how I would expect a nice restaurant to be. (It was good, just in case you didn't understand.) The service was great, the ambience felt cozy, and the prices were adequate. The quanity of food wasn't as big as I thought it would be, but it hit the spot. I'll be sure to remember this place if I want Indian downtown.
We heard some good things about this place and decided to check it out. What a mistake!! Very overpriced and bland food. If I had known the owners were the same as Masala downtown I wouldn't have bothered. I was extremely surprised that the place was packed - this restaurant wouldn't surivive outside of San Diego.
If you are Indian and enjoy good Indian food - do NOT go here - not worth the $$$
We typically do not eat in the Gaslamp area but we were going out downtown and wanted to give a new place a try. Unfortunately, we will not be back. I left feeling very underwhelmed.
The decor and our server? Spot on... but that was it.
First of all... their naan was not good! How is that even possible? We knew we were in for some crappy Indian food at that point, and the meal had barely started. The Himalayan Blue beer I ordered was skunked. The Tandoori Chicken was bland and overcooked. The Jahl Frezi had a weird consistency and was lacking the pungent flavor that it typically has.
The prices here do not match the quality of the cooking.
India Princess, I am sorry we strayed!
The food is tremendous! The dishes take the standard Indian fare to a new level of tastes and textures. Very high quality and a lovely atmosphere.
Having said that, I was at a company function and it was very expensive so would likely not go there if I had to pay the bill.
Great atmosphere and good service. I've never ordered from the menu, because the lunch buffett is the way to go!! Always a good selection including soup, salad, rice, curries, tandori, naan, and dessert.
The food is quality and well prepared.
Tanya in a coma, I know
I know - it's serious
Tanya in a coma, I know
I know - it's really serious
Lunch buffet is a good deal at $11.95.
Fresh samosa was so good when it hit my lips.
Curries were flavorful, rice was fluffly, and the mango pudding was addicting.
Service was ok.
Interior was nice, cushy and comfortable.
But now I have food coma like something fierce AND I can't get the smell of Indian food off my hands!
WOW. Atmosphere - food - I'm still swooning over Monsoon. The lamb tikka masala was the perfect choice - impecably seasoned, creamy, delicious, meat was moist and flavorful. Raita sauce was delicious, and the light Basmati rice was served in an adorable metal serving bowl with little handles. We had plain naan which was hot, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. My friend had some pureed eggplant thing that had a savory, nutty flavor, but not my thing, because it's eggplant and mushy. Mango souffle was delicious.
The water feature (ceiling to floor sheet of continuous rain) was AMAZING - simple, beautiful and relaxing, nearly inducing a state of hypnotic trance; I lusted after it like I have over few men. Which is rather sad. Next time I want the table directly behind the waterfall (because now it has cult like power over me.)
Service was adequate; not exceptionally attentive and no one said goodbye when we were leaving. Gorgeous tangy apple martini was cold and perfect. Prices are decent but annoyed at paying for every little thing. Please, paying for rice?!? The art on the walls is fantastic, the ambiance chic; the low-lighting was inviting and calming.
When I started coming here years ago it was better. Food more flavorful and lunch buffet seemed to have a little more variety. Seems to have lost some of that, and my last few stops have been decreasingly tasty. 2 stars for food and tack on another for the ambiance which at this point, is almost as good if not better than the food. I'm not as well-versed in Indian cuisine as other Asian foods but I know this isn't extraordinary.
When in the Gaslamp area and need a reasonably-priced reliable lunch in a comfortable setting, this will suffice. Parking's about as fun as a root canal so do yourself a favor and park at the Horton Westfield Shopping Center, walk on over for lunch, and get free validation in the mall just before you leave.
*phenomenal lunch buffet, a great value at under $15.
*delicious curries, samosas, pakora, salad,…
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C'mon in Mister Monsoon. Sit down. I want to discuss a private matter with you young lad. First, here's your report card.
I am frankly disappointed in you. You dress nice, and you have a good attitude, and I know you are considerate and mean well, but your dishes, I'm afraid, is below average. And your prices are relatively high.
Listen son, I know yer new in town, but with a name like Monsoon, people around here and especially your family expect flavorful, rich and spicy dishes. Don't you want your relatives to be proud? Don't you want your patrons to remember you and what you offer?
I asked for the most exotic, hardcore dish on your menu and you delivered something that was dull. It was like eating paste.
I think you should fix that. I know you can do better.
You're dismissed.
I fulfilled my civic duty by attending my jury summons today. While sitting through the painful process of the jury being chosen, all I had to look forward to was an hour and a half lunch break. After much deliberation about WHICH Indian buffet I should eat at downtown, I decided on Monsoon. My choice was mainly biased and unjust because I wanted to see what a Monsoon Group restaurant was like.
Sometimes when I decide to try a new restaurant, I'm glad I did, and it becomes one of my favorites. Other times, my experience gives me the satisfaction of knowing that as one of my LEAST-favorite restaurants, I won't have to consider it when I'm deciding where to eat. Monsoon was the latter of the experiences.
I'll spare ya'll the details of everything that's on the buffet, but let you in on what I didn't like:
-Soggy pakoras (The ultimate Indian street-food sin!)
-Daal (well spiced, but included blackeyed peas and kidney beans. Lentils were also not cooked enough)
-Soggy cucumbers
-Odd-tasting tamarind chutney
-Banana curry (WEIRD!)
-Mixed veggies (Seemed like a standard frozen bag with curry added)
-Tasteless naan
What was okay:
-Mango mousse was delicious!
-Mint chutney
-Saag curry
There are PLENTY of good Indian buffets to choose from downtown, Monsoon just isn't one of them.
The striking ambiance and the dimly lit interior will mesmerize you. The decor is great complete with a nice waterfall in the center. An up-scale restaurant for sure.
All of that went down the drain when the food arrived. I had pretty high expectations from this restaurants as many of my friends had suggested it. The entrees weren't to taste. We asked them to make the entree spicy but it was still quite watered down. The naan/rotis were dry.
Kind of expensive as well. You can create the best interior and ambiance in the world but you have to keep your food at par with the image you project. I was pretty let down with the food.
The staff was pretty friendly and made sure I got what I wanted.
But I'd rather explore other places. They need to get their spices right to get me back in there.
As a part of a large group of 'tourists' in town for a conference, this was not my first choice but was overall pretty satisfying. It probably doesn't hurt that the group let me and another girl order for everyone and so I got to have all my favorites.
The good : The tandoori chicken we got was perfectly done and incredibly moist - from other reviews it seems it may be hit or miss but our was excellent. Dishes were consistently decent (at minimum) and they hit the spice level we requested right on. We got mostly veg foods and they were filling and avoided the common mistake of being overly fatty/oily. Nice decor and friendly staff.
The bad: Really pricey. We ordered a decent amount and no one left hungry, but the serving sizes are pretty small and feel overpriced. Nothing wowed us - while all food was ok to good, nothing was outstanding. Feels like a place more into the atmosphere than the food.
It was good, and works well if you're in the area or part of a large group of Indian newbies, but I'm willing to be there are better places out there.
This place might be the worst indian next to taste of india in mira mesa ,except for there service ,which was by far better.Tandoori chicken is supposed to be soft not rubbery .Curry had way to much cream and were not flavorful at all . I spent $200 on garbage.
I didn't have decent Indian cuisine in San Diego until I came to Monsoon. I saw it after some shopping at Horton and decided to give it a try. My girlfriends and I were planning our dinner date and I suggested trying it out. My friends are timid, plain eaters, and I assured them that Indian cuisine is similar to ours (Middle Eastern) except with a bit more PUNCH.
The restaurant is located in the Gaslamp district and parking can be a hassle, so come by around 5, before the dinner rush. The interior is elegantly decorated and the music makes you feel like you're in New Delhi. The distinct smell of curry filled the air. The chairs, the painting, the whole style is a perfect setting to take that special someone on a date.
Upon entrance, the server, dressed in cultural wear, handed our menus. She came back and had a sheet of bindis (the little oval-shaped sticker that Hindu's wear on their foreheads). I think it was a nice touch since my girlfriends and I were giggling at the sight of one another.
I asked for their bread, naan, and it came out hot and fresh. One bite and I felt at home. Now to the juicy part, I ordered the tandoori chicken. I did not have decent tandoori since I was on Devon Ave in Chicago, and was looking forward to trying theirs. I was anxoiusly awaiting my order to arrive, and I waited about 20 minuites. As soon as she plced the steaming plate in front of me, I took my knife and fork and cut a piece off. HEAVEN! The garlic and herb union was beautiful. My sister ordered the lamb, I had a bite, and it was so rich. The curry and ginger combination was equally savory and harmonious. I suggest a cabernet with this dish.
As for the other items on the menu, you can scale the level of spicyness you'd like for your food. All items are priced about $14 and up, but again, it's definitely worth it considerating the atmosphere and the fresh ingredients. Definitely a good place to go to before a night on the town.
I had a pretty memorable college "goodbye" dinner with one of my friends here.
The ambiance/decor here is pretty special. I love the exaggerated backs on the chairs, and dim lights provide a sort of privacy between the tables.
Sitting next to the fountain might seem like a good idea, but think long and hard before saying "yes" to the fountain tables. It is louder than you think, and you will be yelling at your dining companion for most of the night. Another downside is the occasional drops of water you get on you. Did someone just spit on me?
The food is sexcellent. I had the mock duck in the mango curry, and split an assorted naan basket (recommended) with my friend.
I think the splashing sound of the fountain disoriented me and had me order my curry "Indian spicy." I'm Chinese dammit! I can take Indian spicy. Turns out I can't. Well, not comfortably at least. I swear, if I had smeared the curry on the table, it would burn right through.
Though the mango curry sauce was pretty good (what I could taste of it), I wouldn't recommend it. It's a little too sweet (kinda like eating mango chutney), and lacks the complexity of spices.
The service was attentive, informative, and friendy. The only downside was that our waiter (who was also the bartender WTF?) kept pushing drinks on us.
There was supposed to be a henna lady there, but she never showed up. BOOOOO!
Ambiance=great
Food=delicious
Expect to spend about $17 for a dinner entree.
I like this place. I think it has a nice atmosphere for night dining. That's, essentially, what you pay for when you come here. Don't get me wrong, the curries aren't bad. I'm just not sure if its worth the money for dinner. With that said, its a great place to take friends who are here from out of town.
Now what the 4 star is really for is the lunch. For $12 per person (this was a weekend price, I've never been on a weekday), you have all you can eat Indian food. And they have raita. I tend to get upset if an Indian place do not serve raita. Its almost like no sour cream in your burrito.
Honestly, this restaurant's buffet leaves a bit to be desired. The price is high for the little selection that it has. The selections are very basic and it doesn't have the variety of many other Indian buffets that I've eaten at.
With that being said, what it does cook it cooks well. The chicken was just tender enough and very flavorful.
The Mango Lassi, however, left much to be desired. It was extremely thick. It was thick to the point of requiring a spoon to consume. It also wasn't so flavorful. It was very strange.
Neighborhood: Gaslamp
Category: Indian
Neighborhood: Hillcrest
Category: Indian
Neighborhood: Gaslamp
Category: Indian
Neighborhood: Gaslamp
Category: Restaurants
Neighborhood: Gaslamp
Category: Indian
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