Monsoon Restaurant

[M65]

Has anyone eaten at this Chicago restaurant, was seeking your reviews please.

Monsoon's Website

Edited November 12, 2003 by M65 (log)

[jw46]

all I got was the title Monsoon...not much else...

maybe they are reworking the page or something..

was raised in Chicago, visits family there occasionaly...always interested in new places to eat when I go there, even though they are waaaay over on the other side of town....

[M65]

Hey guys its surprising no posts yet, someone has got to eaten there I am planning a trip there soon, the restaurant was featured in Esquire Magazine as one of the best new restaurants in USA in 2002 by John Mariani.

[jglazer75]

Has anyone eaten at this Chicago restaurant, was seeking your reviews please.

It's odd, I don't live too far from this place and I haven't been there once, though I've contemplated it numerous times. The key problem for me, is that I'm a little afraid it won't be worth it. I haven't heard many reviews of the place and it kind of falls in a weird middle ground as far as price and ambiance goes. I'm a student, so when I go to a 'pricier' restaurant (read: anywhere I have to spend more than $20 or $25 for two people), I have to be fairly picky and so far Monsoon has not won the coin toss.

Hopefully someone will know about this place. It's been there for a few months now and it looks nice enough; but is it worth it? Anyway, this post is probably pretty useless since you wanted a review, but I though I'd my throw my wood on the fire.

[tcizma]

I've eaten there twice and had a very good experience both times. The chef is young and talented, but maybe a little too ambitious. Some of the items were a little over the top.

Overall though, definitely worth it, prices were reasonable and the wine list had some thoughtful choices, given the style of the food.

Funny side note, the first night I was there, a well known critic was eating nearby. ( I pretended I didn't recognize him ) He later gave it 3 stars, I believe.

[M65]

Tcizma

I love your quote.

Can you please give me a little more info on what you had when you were there and stuff, whats are they known for and anything else that you may wanna share.

Thanks.

Edited November 26, 2003 by M65 (log)

[M65]

wow just learnt that this place was featured as one of the new best restaurants in USA 2002 in the Nov edition of Esquire, by John Mariani.

Am dying to eat there soon. Cant wait.

[JimInLoganSquare]

Here's a review I posted on Citysearch in February. I liked the place at the time, although I have not returned and, looking at many of the reviews posted by others since then, the place seems to have hit the skids:

"Our large group skidded in during last Tuesday's mini-blizzard and were treated to an inspiring display of both caring, attentive and professional service and a fantastic meal. What you take away from Monsoon is the kitchen's facility with contrasts and balance. Because we ate a special tasting meal I won't comment on specifics -- suffice it to say we were very pleased (and a local infotainment show was filming that night to preserve the evidence.)"

I think what I may not have connected on at the time is -- hey, yeah -- the TV cameras are rolling and focusing on our big table for 20 -- maybe we're getting SPECIAL TREATMENT from the restaurant. It would look awfully bad to have 20 scowling men on the TV show, wouldn't it? So I think I'll reserve judgment, but it does look like, at best, Monsoon is getting mixed reviews.

Edited November 27, 2003 by JimInLoganSquare (log)

[M65]

is that it, no more posts people, cmmon i need some help with deciding this place or not. :)

[ronnie_suburban]

is that it, no more posts people, cmmon i need some help with deciding this place or not. :)

You may just have to go there and decide for yourself. And when you do, please be sure to report back

=R=

[Hobbes]

I went to Monsoon Restaurant a couple of months ago and it was a good experience and the food and service was of a quality and consistency that I would return. The only true complaint I have about Monsoon is that it is kind of pricey.

For my first course I had:

Scallops

Cardamom and fennel-crusted scallops seared and served on a bed of truffle sooji

The scallops were seared so that the center of the shellfish was still translucent, just the way to prepare scollops so they do not turn into rubber balls. The crust was on one side which was aromatic with a spicy kick. Other spices must have been used besides the cardamom; otherwise the dish would have been too sweet with cardamon but there was balance throughout this superb dish. The sooji (which has been described to me as just plain semolina flour) was prepared in a creamy and acidic sauce not much unlike the flavor and consistency of mayonnaise. The amount of truffle used in the sooji was just right and did not overpower the dish. The sweet succulent flesh of the plump scallops was in balance with the aromatic crust which combined well with the woodsy (read truffle) and acidic tartness of the sooji. One word: Tasty.

For my main course:

Pork Chop

Grilled bone-in pork chop seasoned with cumin, black mustard seeds and chili paste, served with potato and daikon radish dauphine, lemongrass cream, and limequat chutney

The flavors in this dish were spot on. The crust on the pork chop was very spicy with bold aromatic flavors that typify Indian cuisine's larder. I would have to say this crust was very pungent but at the same time did not overpower the flavor of the pork, I could sill taste the meat. The garniture on the dish served as a foil to open the pallet back up once again after eating the pork. The cream of the dauphine helped balance the pungency of the dish. The chutney was very acidic with citrus flavor and helped the pallet much like a dry white wine with citrus and pithy notes would. But this dish was not perfect. The pork was a little over done, not as juicy as it could have been. The dauphine was a little under-seasoned and needed a little more salt to wake up the raw cream taste and the flavors of lemongrass. (I do not remember tasting lemongrass in this dish).

I had a Honig sauvignon blanc which I thought went well with both the fist corse and the second one as well.

The food is pricey but a good experience none the less and is worth having.

Hope this helps.

Hobbes

[M65]

The food is pricey but a good experience none the less and is worth having.

Thanks Hobbes. Much Appreciated

[jglazer75]

Has anyone eaten at this Chicago restaurant, was seeking your reviews please.

Well, I finally made my way to this fine establishment on Friday night, after first seeing "Big Fish" at the Century Landmark. (as a short diversion, first let me say that "Big Fish" was unbelievably good; the story was heart-warming and a fantastic example of storytelling at its finest.)

First, we went to the restaurant at 9:00pm; it wasn't particularly busy, but apparently the hostess had to do a 10 minute lap around the restaurant to find a table then spend another few minutes entering data into her little computer before finally taking time out of her very busy day to seat us. While waiting to be seated I had some time to look around at the decor and 'ambiance.' The decor was nuevo-India; they were playing various forms of Punjabi MC on the loudspeaker at a pleasantly low level. The lights were a little dark, but I wasn't stumbling into things, so I suppose it wasn't too bad. Lots of red-velvet and black and abstract-looking paintings on the wall that had catchy little yuppie sayings. They obviously know their market which tolerates pretension probably a little more than me. Anyway, we were finally seated. On the table was the wine menu and the water person brought water and bread (naan and 3 types of sauces - a green spicy sauce, a red savory sauce and a white creamy sauce of some sort with red and green peppers - which were all decent, though not spectular).

I looked through the wine menu and ran into my first snag of the evening. As I think I've mentioned before, I'm a student, I don't often have money for expensive meals and from all I had read and my impressions of the restaurant based on restaurants near that area, I was in for a slightly higher than average priced meal. Those thoughts were shattered upon one glance at the wine list. There were very few choices (maybe 3 total) of bottles less than $40 and most were between $60 and $90. I like reds and I don't really believe the 'order wine based on the meal' (usually because I don't know what I'm eating before I choose a wine) so I picked a red wine from Argentina that was $45. One more quick comment about the wine list before moving on - while it was expensive, it was pleasantly original - not a Rosemont or Yellow Tail to be seen. The wine service by the waiter was sub-par. When he first came to the table he said something unintelligible, which I took to be "Would you like something to drink?" because that's usually the first question someone asks. I found out later that he actually said "Have you been here before?" Then, when he brought the wine, he struggled with removing the foil (cutting below the lip rather than above it) and removing the cork.

Anyway, moving on, we wanted an appetizer but I couldn't decide between the duck on slices of potato or the vegetable wraps, so I asked the server which was better. He acted like this was the first time someone had ever asked him such a question and that he had never given it serious thought. So he hemmed and hawed and chose the more expensive of the two - the duck. It was fine, not spectacular and probably not worth the $9 I paid for it.

Between the appetizer and the main course, we were brought a lemon sorbet-ish thing to cleanse the pallet. Very nice and tasty and did the job. Though - as my girlfriend pointed out - it didn't necessarily mix well with the wine.

For dinner, I ordered pheasant in a spicy curry sauce with potato slices and vegetables ($23). My girlfriend ordered the stuffed green pepper; a vegetarian meal ($13). The vegetarian portion of the menu is quite extensive and is quite frankly more interesting than the meat portion of the menu; however, I - like Denis Leary - belive that vegetables are side dishes and not a main course, so I ordered from the meat menu. When the food came, surprisingly quickly (surprising, not in the "they couldn't have made this in 10 minutes" surprise, but in the "I was expecting them to take forever to make a 10 minute meal and it only took 15 minutes" surprise), it looked fantastic. My entree was excellent though the meat seemed a little over-cooked. It was spicier than I had expected, but the textures were great. I think at point, I had compared it to techno music, where the bass is really low and the melodies are really high, and there's not much in the middle; but the separation is very pronounced and works to emphasize each of the components. A stretch I know, but it made sense in my head. Anyway, the green pepper also looked fantastic and tasted quite good with a good mix of traditional indian flavors.

When we finished we were offered coffee or tea and dessert, but we declined. By this time it was already 10:30pm or so and we were about the only ones left there and were getting tired. The final bill came to $92 without tip. To summarize, the entree was good and not terribly over-priced (though about 4 or 5 dollars more than I would like to have paid), the appetizer was disappointing and the wine, while good, was also terribly overpriced. The restaurant is in an odd location for its type because the neighboring bars and restaurants (such as Cousin's just a few doors down or The Casbah a few blocks away) offer similar food for a fraction of the price and are just as good. I can commend the desire to offer more 'respectable' and 'fancy' fair, but the neighborhood isn't fancy enough to support it. It appears, in fact, that the neighborhood has spoken and I would be surprised if Monsoon lasts another year in that location.

My apologies for the length of this review, but I think I was thorough.

[ronnie_suburban]

Thanks for the thorough review jglazer. I'm sorry to hear that it wasn't all it could have been.

BTW, are you the same jglazer who was interviewed on 190 North this weekend (during the French Pastry School segment)?

=R=

[JimInLoganSquare]

BTW, are you the same jglazer who was interviewed on 190 North this weekend (during the French Pastry School segment)?

Regarding 190 North, that show was taping in Monsoon the one and only time I ate there, February '03. Now THAT'S how you get good service -- be seated at a big, central table with 15 guys (it was a business dinner) while the tape is rolling! We had a fantastic meal, nothing at all like what it sounds like jglazer had to put up with. (I've also had two really good meals at Big Bowl while commercials were being taped; guess I'm just lucky that way.)

[jglazer75]

BTW, are you the same jglazer who was interviewed on 190 North this weekend (during the French Pastry School segment)?

=R=

No, I am not the same jglazer. Maybe some day; but not today.

[raych77]

I had drinks at this place once - we checked out Metromix, which said they have a late night menu. They don't.

Cool decor. Aloof waitresses. Interesting martinis. I recommend the Golden Goddess. It was quite tasty!