monsoon poon

bestasianrestaurant and one of the best overall restaurants in wellington.! good food, great ambience. go early since they don't take bookings especially on the weekends. vegetarian options are limited but still tasty.

definitely one of the best restaurant in the wellington area that i've been to, highly enjoyed the kung pao chicken wings the were fantastic and the coating was spectacular,i had the butter chicken as well it was pretty mediocre but not the worst i've had. definitely recommend this restaurant if you are looking for some deliciousasianfood, but i also have to mention the price it was a little bit on the expensive side but it's definitely worth it.

considering how long i've lived in wellington it was about time i got to monsoon poon. we had a great experience - service was a little slow although the place was packed. there is a good selection ofasiandishes - not the best i've ever had but well cooked and nicely presented. great to see a kids menu in line with the cuisine theme instead of resorting to nuggets and chips.

yum yum yum this food is delicious.

we shared the malay hawker fried fish with prawns an with a yummy sauce.

also had he shaking beef which fr us was the stand-out meal with lovely tasty sauce; and quite a lot of beef for anasianmeal.

all complemented with coconut rice and roti bread. it was a quiet monday, and the service was excellent. worth a visit!

it had been a long time since my last meal at monsoon poon. it's good to see that nothing much has changed: excellentasianfusion food in a dark, mystical environment - so dark that phone torches make an appearance as diners peruse the menu. there's an extensive cocktail list with comedic descriptions that will keep you entertained at the bar while you wait to be seated. we began by sharing peppered squid with panko crumbs and chili flakes. the squid was very tender and the flavour set off beautifully with lemon juice and seasoned mayo. our main course of 25 herb and spice indian lamb curry with naan was good with a slight kick to the spices, although the lamb was bordering on tough. rice and bread is ordered separately. i really enjoyed the fresh flavours of the bangkok street noodles dish. sharing an entree and two mains left us with no room for dessert but the dessert menu and cocktails looked appealing. efficient service topped off a great meal for our group.

monsoon poon was a great experience, the wait staff were extremely helpful and friendly, the menu offers a wide variety ofasiancuisine and is a very reasonable price. meals came out fast and were very good! be warned the firecracker chicken is very hot! but the staff will warn you as well.

i had heard a lot about this place and finally got a chance to go here today.....
let me start with the highlight of this place... the ambience! it is a fusion of indian and south eastasiandecor. the open kitchen is the highlight for sure! beautifully designed place. i would give the ambience a 5/5.
coming to the entrées, we ordered the money bag wontons(loved it!), the firecracker sliders( too spicy for my taste), malai chicken( one of the best i have ever had!).
for the mains, we had the naan roti, chicken firecrackers( a little less spicy than the entrée), bangkok street noodles (pretty good), curry fish ( very nice), butter chicken ( nice!). i had ordered the colonial mocktail which was fantastic!
i would give the food a 4/5.
service was quick, hassle free and friendly. a 4.5/5.

i've wanted to try monsoon poon for a loooong time! i’d heard great things.i 'd just picked my partner up from the airport and we couldn't be bothered shopping then cooking, so a meal out at monsoon it was!

great decor and ambience. i like the open kitchen and all the fresh ingredients on show.

attentive, friendly staff.

the menu surprised me as it didn't have what i expected. not that it was bad, it was varied, but i expected something else, maybe more curry based options.

however, the mix ofasiancuisine was broad. many nice choices.

i wasn't quite in the mood for a curry, neither was my partner. we decided on a selection of starters and a side of bok choi. we ordered:

* deutz bubbles: $12.00
* chang: $8.00
* wontons: $14.00
* pakhoras: $11.00
* squid: $14.00
* malai chicken: $15.00
* bok choy: $9.00
total: $83.00

food was ready in 8 minutes.

presentation and portion sizes were good. the meal itself was a mixed bag. three of the dishes were superb, two were average.

the wontons were nice but i found the pork a bit dense. i wasn't a fan of the dip. the pakhoras were not what i expected. they were a bit of a let-down as they were dense fried lumps. again, not a fan.

however, the squid was soft and light and the dip was sharp and fresh, a lovely dish. the bok choi was flavoursome with the black beans and the oyster sauce. and finally the chicken was tender and juicy with great flavour. these were very enjoyable.

on this visit i wasn't blown away, but i would love to go back and try one of their curries.

i'm not a fan of fusion cuisine and that's because i'm the kind of person who likes to separate everything into its proper place. needless to say, i prefer myasianfood wholly and completelyasianand my european food likewise. also, i've been put off in the past with fusion type places for their exorbitant prices for a plate of ersatz dumplings and spring rolls.

anyway, it was sunday night we were entertaining a friend of ours from christchurch and laid it upon our guest to pick a type of food. i inwardly groaned a little when he said he wanted fusion. so i suggested monsoon poon and i'm not going to lie - it was simply because their prices were the most reasonable. there was no finesse involved in the decision making.

so we arrived and were seated by the friendly maitre d'. the first thing that catches your eye when you arrive at monsoon poon are the bright, almost garish looking decorations, but it actually kind of works. it was like i had sort of stepped into a place that some crazyasiangrandma of mine had decorated - which i guess is the whole point. 

we were handed the menu - drinks completely and utterly filling up one side, with food on the other side. their cocktail selection is extensive and mouthwatering. i had trouble deciding which ones to select and in the end, we went with the salted caramel hard shake and rosebud. they arrived fairly fast and i was impressed with the salted caramel hard shake. imagine salted caramel rum (from cgr in wellington) in a milkshake, topped with cookie crumb. is your mouth watering? it should be.

between the three of us, we chose:
- shaking beef: this was probably my favourite. tender beef pieces with the most delightful sauce - it was like someone had decided to make steak and then added some soy sauce based dressing. beef was slightly crispy on the outside and this contrasted beautifully with the slightly undercooked interior.
- 25 herb and spice indian lamb curry: most indian curries have a really awful fatty aftertaste due to the massive cream content and it makes you feel quite ill. this one had all the flavour and none of the oiliness coating the inside of the mouth. the lamb had been slow cooked and pretty much dissolved in my mouth. fantastic.
- sticky pork belly: served with slaw, this one was actually quite spicy. while i prefer my pork belly made the cantonese style (i.e. with super crispy crackling), this one was still pretty good. 

so, while monsoon poon is moreasianthan fusion, you have to admit that it's not your traditionalasiancuisine. the slight twist on the classics makes the food exciting with that hint of freshness that sometimes is lacking in traditionalasianfood.

there aren't many places i give a five star to.. 4 star sometimes, 4.5 occasionally. but monsoon poon is certainly deserving of the five star i give it.

from the moment i entered the building i was greeted by smiles and friendly staff. the decorations are superb, with curtains, chinese lanterns and oriental statues and the like really set the scene for the type of food you are about to eat.

to start i had the fried squid, a particular favourite of mine and was seasoned perfectly. all other entrées looked delicious as well and the main courses did not fail to impress, the bali prawns in a coconut sauce went fantastically with the coconut rice.

i was also able to discover one of my new favourite sauces, a sweet soy sauce called kecap manis. and has worked its way into my own cooking adventures.

if top qualityasianfood is what you want with the possibility of trying and finding new tastes and smells then monsoon poon is the location for you :)

yummy food, interesting drinks, friendly service and funky decor.
highly recommend the firecracker chicken sliders. not my favouriteasianrestaurant in wellington, seeing that there are so many, however they never disappoint. the open kitchen has mirrors for customers to watch plating and garnishing which is intriguing! will definitely recommend to others.

the bestasianrestaurant i experienced in wellington. costly but worth. excellent decor, outstanding courtesy and so nicely spoken chef! they mainly concentrate on dishes from thailand, india, singapore and malaysia. supreme quality od ingredients and awesome flavours. in 2010, it used to take around 45 nzd to fill my tummy in lunch. i was a frequent customer. miss them.

been here about 5 times in the last 6 months! bestasianplace yet, and cocktails are divine! we have tried something different on all visits and without fail delish! the staff are super friendly and helpful.

a long time favourite...
monsooon poon is always exciting!
theasiandecor makes you feel as though you are deep in thailand or vietnam & the food is just as authentic. noisy banter & music add to the ambiance.
a huge selection ofasiandishes - thai, indian, vietnamese...
try the firecracker chicken sliders if you get a chance & the 25 spice curry is delicious!
bring a big appetite, plenty of friends and make sure you choose a large selection to share!

enjoyed a lovely meal at this character filled restaurant. the food came out fresh and spicy...just the way i like it, and our waitress willow was delightful and accommodating. the only criticism was the music....loud!!! i would have preferred somethingasianto match the superb food. i will definitely be back.