New Zealand Herald

Reviews for Monsoon Poon Restaurant

by jenni
3rd March 2012

This business is a MenuMania SponsorOne of the Business' Favourite Reviews

Fantastic food awesome atmosphere, fab staff, would recommend to anyone wanting a nice relaxing night out with friends, you can’t go wrong. the best thai food in town, lovely people work there, always smiling.
i will go there AGAIN

by Nick M.
1st June 2013

GREAT PLACE TO DINE IN.
I love the Fusion Menu. Food is absolutely amazing.
Drinks list is good too.
Overall a great restaurant. fantastic ambience, good service & value for money, specially when its in the main city centre.
Highy recommended.
See you guys soon Cheers

by Karin L.
29th May 2013

I love this place, the decor is exciting and different to any place in Auckland, the service is good. But most importantly, the food is amazing. The food here is so full of flavour and delicious. My favourite dish is the Malay Hawker fish and prawn curry which is no longer on the menu – please bring it back!!
When we went the other night, we had the shaking beef, Bengali prawn curry and the soft shell crab Indonesian style curry (which was one of the specials that night).
If you love food that has a kick and is full of flavour, then this is a must try!

by jack
9th May 2013

We went there few months ago. One of my favourite restaurants, but there is some major issue as well I need to mention.

Restaurant is rather crowded and badly set-out and music is very noisy!!!!!! We need to literally yell to each other for normal talking. I don’t know why they put music so loud!

The wooden seats are uncomfortable if you are there for bit long time.

Cost is on the average side for Auckland and the food is value for money considering the quality and presentation.

by Karen R.
3rd April 2013

Monsoon Poon made a great spot for our business lunch – we could hear each other talk easily, and we’d picked an excellent comfy spot in a semi-circular booth.
The décor was great and mood-lighting nice, it’s a really interesting venue – plenty to look at.

Our waiter was excellent – just the right mix of helpful chat, and he was very attentive whilst in no way intrusive. Excellent. He also suggested a fabulous Spy Valley pinot gris.

As for the food – we all loved it. Stand-out dishes for me included the fat little rice-paper Vietnamese rolls on the combo platter, the moistly-done squid, and the ‘shaking beef’ which was truly outstanding. The dish ‘Shaking Beef’ was SO light and juicy and tender to the bite (made with eye-fillet steak, they said).
Plus I loved the roti… and the flavoursome leafy goodness of the duck salad.

Stuffed ourselves silly, and yet had left-overs to take-out.
Have been wanting to come here to dine for years, glad we picked it today, and turned ourselves into a bunch of Monsoon Poon converts.

by Tony M.
12th March 2013

Was here with a group of friends and a birthday party also, not 5 star quality food, but certainly fit for most occasions.

Lovely interesting atmosphere where you can continuously keep gazing at the scenery while you drink your Tiger beer

by Joanne B.
3rd March 2013

There is something about the decor and the style of the restaurant that fascinates all. I have been here several times, and it has always been a great experience. I love the variety of the dishes and the coconut rice on the side makes all the difference!!

by Sandy R.
7th February 2013

Lovely decor, attentive friendly staff, wish I could rate the food higher felt it was average and lacked spice, but having to pay extra for rice! Come on, this is a staple of all the countries whose cuisine they represent and you get rice automatically.

Drinks were great and the menu for these inventive and well priced.

Had a problem with one of the dishes having something extra in the food which was not discovered until the final mouthful, we were offered another drink as compensation however felt seeing this was not taken up that it would have been a nice gesture to see this reflected in the account. Possibly forget the charge on the rice!

by Rosie
29th January 2013

Decor is cool but then you again, you´re not there to eat the decor. Vietnamese summer rolls – you´re better off going to a Vietnamese cafe where they know what they are. and charge a reasonable price. As someone else at our table commented: jack of all dishes, but master of none. For really tasty ethnic food, you will have better luck at a food hall like Food Alley where the prices are also more on point.

by Paula
14th January 2013

Good range of dishes from different regions. Ideal if you have varying tastes within your group. Loved that they had a selection of flavoured rice, coconut being my favourite. Was ushered to the bar on arrival to wait for our table, when there was no one else there and had to ask to be seated after seeing other parties arriving and seated before us. Besides that, table service made up for it, it was exceptional and on point, by a foreign waiter from the USA who was very bubbly and attentive to our needs. Am waiting anxiously for the day I can return.

by Ian
13th January 2013

Very good selection of food from a variety of Asian regions.. Fantastically prepared and nicely presented.
Size of dishes is more than adequate for most people, but having to order rice etc as an extra is unusual. There is a good selection of rices, this is likely the reason for ordering seperately and the coconut rice is my favourite.

Restaurant is rather crowded and badly set-out and very noisy. The wooden seats are a bit uncomfortable if you are there for a while.
Service is very dependant on who you get as one visit the waitress was fantastic and the next time not so flash

Cost is on the average side for Auckland and the food is value for money considering the quality and presentation.

by Monica C.
7th January 2013

Love coming here for dinner. The decour and atmosphere of the restaurant is lovely, though can get quite busy/noisy if you don’t mind that. Service is good, were accommodating when I went with a large group once, waiters are friendly though sometimes hard to attract their attention when it’s busy. The food is just delicious, entrees are yum and I love the mains, especially the shaking beef – recommended if you like beef. However some curries are really spicy so make sure you ask when you order. The cocktails are really good too, try out the drinks. Can get a bit pricey if you order entree, main, drink but well worth it in my opinion.

by Keith E.
8th November 2012

Seven of us visited here for lunch, between us we tried most of the menu for both Entree’s and Mains. Really enjoyed every dish, my stand out Entree was the Firecracker Chicken and I loved the Malabar Fish Curry. Dishes enjoyed included Beef Rendang, 25 Herb and Spice Lamb Curry, and Nasi Goreng.

The staff were very friendly, I enjoyed the decor too.

Looking forward to next visit

by Mwkyla
10th August 2012

A friend and I wandered in to Monsoon Poon yesterday afternoon to have a look around. The bartender was really friendly and informative (think his name was Tom). They have wine on tap which we just had to try and we got the happy hour platter which the waiter recommended. The food, wine, service and ambience were amazing and we will definitely be coming back!

by Michelle R.
29th July 2012

Very cool atmosphere. The range of food is limiting though. The main meals were quite expensive, and was surprised to find out they did not even include rice. The dishes were very small as well. It tasted quite nice, but probably wouldn’t go back as it was very expensive for the amount of food given. Staff were friendly at least.

by Asim P.
15th July 2012

Went in last weekend. Having heard and read so much about the restaurant. This restaurant was on my list for a very long time. The overall experience was good. Nice ambience and great location. A little bit too dark especially at the tables, an extra light at the table would have helped. Even the music was a too loud. Could not hear the waiters and our fellow companions.

The major issue, which put me off was the food. Being a chef myself, I reckon the food was not of that good quality. The Thai curries was very thin, could have been cooked a bit longer. The Indian spicy curry was extremly spicy, just heaps of chilly powder thrown in the end. Some of the chicken we ate was not even cooked thoroughly. Overall, very disappointed with the quality of the food. Myself being trained in Asian cuisine and also being an Asian, the food at the restaurant is making a bad impression.
Lots of room for improvement.

by Jess
19th June 2012

Came here on Saturday night for a work function – 20 of us and we had a great time! Food was yummy, staff and service were good, drinks were great. Would definitely come back again! Well priced for the amount of food we got – had the banquet menu and we were all super full by the end of it!

Thanks for a great night

by Helen
18th June 2012

Nice food and atmosphere but acoustics poor. Sitting accross the table shouting at eachother isnt great.

by Sam
17th June 2012

Food was nice, not amazing but good.
Service was below average, they kept the evening stalled by taking so long to get drinks and not checking on the table to see if we needed more – which we did.
I don’t understand why the music is so insanely loud – its like dining in a nightclub, some background music is fine but it was impossible to hear the waitress when she rarely stopped at our table.
We all had to dance around to get some attention at the end of dinner to get the cheque….even though the restaurant was almost empty.

by Phill D.
20th May 2012

Have been here many times over the past few years and thoroughly recommend it. Went again last week probably 6 months since my last visit with a group of old mates – this is the best way to enjoy it because you can order a wide range of dishes.

The service is really assured – the staff seem to know exactly how to fit in with the mood of your group and they enhance the experience really well. Oh…and make sure you have a pitcher of Tiger beer for the table…sensational.

The way you can mix up your dishes from a range of regions is great – really recommend the firecracker chicken, beef rendang and the roti breads are just exceptional. Great fun for a night out with friends.

by Naisy
21st February 2012

Monsoon Poon is my ‘go to’ restaurant as I know that everytime I go there the food will be fantastic, the service friendly and the price reasonable. I especially LOVE their peking duck salad, butter chicken, shaking beef and…actually pretty much everything I’ve eaten there.

YUM!

by Jenny
16th November 2011

Recently dined here last week Tuesday. The staff are always friendly, cool atmosphere and they have a unique range of drinks on offer. But certain dishes lacks the kick of authentic asian foods. I would suggest staying away from the curries because I am a sucker for curry but those offered at Monsoon Poon does not hit any of the right spots.

by Sam D.
23rd October 2011

Love the decor in this restaurant, been here about half a dozen times and the food always delivers.
Recommend going with a group friends and sharing a few of the dishes.
Service is always good, keep it up guys and we’ll keep coming back!

by Marie H.
10th October 2011

The decoration is something you have to see, the food is amazing, the platters are a bit small but it totally worth it.

We were celebrating a friends’ pregnancy so we wanted a cake with candles but the kitchen was already closed, but suddenly we got a cake full of candles, good surprise, thank you!

by Sue C.
5th September 2011

I would give 3 1/2 stars if I could.
PROS: Food is great-a mix of all South East Asian cuisines. Not all authentic for an Asian palate but suited to the mainly European clientele.
Fabulous decor and atmosphere. We didn’t find the music intrusive at all and we are on the wrong side of 50. Service incredible – fast, friendly and helpful. Waitress was faultless. She also brought a candle so that we could see the menu (see Cons). Can see into the kitchen from some tables which we liked.
CONS: You can’t book after 5pm. A real pain if you have guests with you and have to wait. It’s very expensive for what you get. The Shaking Beef was fabulous, but only 8 small cubes of beef for $22!! Extra $ for rice and condiments. The bill for four was over $200 for 4 entrees and 3 mains, no dessert, and the males were still hungry. It’s VERY DARK! Hence the request for a candle. The twenty somethings may not have a problem but the over forty’s like to eat too! Ask for a table near one of the few decorative lights. Would frequent a lot if portions/or prices adjusted and we could book. Would also take a torch.

by Chris B.
25th August 2011

We eat here every week and I feel this really is the best all round dinning in town.

The food is always top quality and the service is the best in Auckland. The price is very reasonable. I also like the décor, the open kitchen and love the music as well.

Favourite dishes: Crab Cups, Duck Curry and the plain Nan – I am hungry just thinking about it!

by Jane M.
3rd August 2011

Excellent customer service. We were amazed at how quickly we were served considering the restaurant was fully booked. Food was delicious, and very reasonably priced. Would highly recommend!

by Adeline
19th July 2011

We only had drinks here, but wished we had come earlier to try the food as well! The ambience is really nice, staff super-friendly and judging by the crowd (always packed on weekends!) – we reckon the food must be absolutely fantastic too.
I love the selection of drinks, especially the cute names that come with them. Yummy cocktails!
Just make sure you make reservations on weekends!

by R K.
15th July 2011

My family and I love this place very much – Excellent Service Every Time! The food – Curry Laksa, Mee Goreng and the side order sambal is always good. Both my children love their salt & pepper squid rings, chicken dish and my son loves his kids menu (I personally think it needs a little improvisation). Wish we could afford to go more often but I guess once every two month visit to this wonderful restaurant is worth every penny. keep up the good work!

by Rachel W.
21st June 2011

Loved it will defnitely go back. Love you long time!!! :O) Menu choices different and interesting and yummy!!!!!

by stevie
18th April 2011

Monsoon Poon is one of my favourite places to dine out with family and friends. It can get pretty noisy but that’s part of the charm. The food’s great, perfect for sharing and passing around the table among friends.

by Aaron Y.
6th April 2011

I went for lunch today at Monsoon Poon Restaurant, ordered Fire Cracker Chicken and Laksa. Food was pretty average, $22 for the fire cracker chicken which only have 5 pieces of chicken. The portion is so small. Nothing great about the laksa. The waitress in particular was not consistent at all, when she was taking my order, didnt even bother to tell me the specials of the day where else the next table which sat down 5 minutes after me was told about the special of the day and she was way more pleasent and friendly to them. Maybe because the waitress favours european customers. The only thing that struck me was the deco. Other than that, nothing special.

by Marsha L.
10th March 2011

Presentation is awesome and food delicious! Not an intimate restaurant for quiet dining however, as many groups dining. Would highly recommend though as very tasty cuisine!

by Winston
28th January 2011

Food here is really delicious. It’s authentic asian with a twist. Auckland needs more great eating places like this. Would highly recommend.

by Donna B.
17th January 2011

We visit Auckland once every couple of months and always go to Monsoon Poon. Is the translation really “love you long time?” wereally have loved it for a long time. The food is always superb, they have a comprehensive wine list and the staff are awesome – friendly, warm and knowledgeable. This is our favorite restaurant in the country. (there is also one in Wellington but we have not found them to be amywhere near as consistent or welcoming) have the combo platter and if you like loads of chili you can brave the firecracker chicken. Yum yum yum

by Tracey
26th November 2010

Great place to meet a group for a fun night. Love the cocktails and can’t say no to the firecracker chicken!!

by David B.
21st November 2010

Great place to go with a small group. The food is fantastic and there are dishes that will suit all tastes.

There is an extensive selection of wine and the service we have received is top notch.

Not a place you want to go if you are in a rush, best to sit back and enjoy the evening.

by han
2nd November 2010

amazing food, amazing service, amainzg atmosphere. almost tempted to post nothing and keep this place secret.

by Louisa
11th August 2010

went with a couple of friends. had a really nice table- you can see right into the kitchen. nice and cozy. decor was alright… just a bit dark. price wise i think its on the expensive side

by PureGayNZ.com
9th July 2010

Best place to take your clients or friends.. My best asian place in Auckland

by Kate
27th April 2010

Great atmosphere and decor with a typically kiwi sense of humour. Food is delicious, if a little too sweet. The food is S-E Asian, rather than Thai, but the servings are generous and great to share with a few friends. The wine list is pretty good, with a good selection of Rieslings to match the food. I’ve been a couple of times to this restaurant for business and with friends and each time it was an enjoyable night out. And good location, close to local bars so you can kick on afterwards.

by Laura
25th April 2010

We had a great experience here last week, excellent service. Really enjoyed ourselves, food was to die for.. totally recommend.

by Al
18th April 2010

A funky fusion of all authentic styles and a good kiwi sense of humour.
We ordered an entre, 2 cocktails and 2 meals. It came to over $70.
The price’s average for a highly recommended restaurant near Viaduct. But we were very pleased with the quality, quantity of food and the service.

They’ve used what small space they had to their great advantage, and decorated the interior very nicely.
The waitress offered to take photos for us, and serviced with a smile and great attitude.

One thing that confused me about the place was how it was advertised as a Thai restaurant, and yet it’s a fusion of all Asian cuisine.
Nevertheless, the meals were delicious, and we had a wonderful time.

by Oscar
10th March 2010

Working late one night we ordered some takeaways from Monsoon Poon and what great value for money! Spicy curries, fresh naan breads and roast duck noodles were all enjoyed so much that I decided to try the place for lunch a few days later. Started with the steamed ‘Jumbo Prawns’ – healthy and delicious; followed with the Thai yellow chicken and some coconut rice which I really loved. My workmate had some crazy hot firecracker chicken dish which required numerous cold beers to wash it down! We really appreciated how fast the service was as a lunch hour is, unfortunately, just that! I am keen to go back with a group and try the banquet menu. The wine list was pretty impressive with some hard to find labels on it.
Great value, good quality, authentic asian food – I loved watching the Chefs in the open kitchen too.

by Darren
5th March 2010

A group of six of us went on a Thursday night. We waited about 30 minutes for a table, which is pretty standard for a place that doesn’t take bookings, but the maitre de kept us up to date with the status of our table and the smiling, friendly bar staff made the wait no problem at all. Our waitress was awesome, knowledgeable about the food, a good sense of humour and attentive without being intrusive. The mains we ordered ranged from prawns, to a duck curry, a fish curry and the Nasi Goreng, and all the food was superb. We were lucky to get a table in the side room next to the windows, so the usual noisy atmosphere was more muted. Highly recommended.

by Lillian K.
15th February 2010

this mash of indian/thai/other asian menu = an average taste of everything. Butter chicken was sickly sweet, my lamb curry (“classical monsoon poon 25 herbs & spices”) was boring. Decors & city-location are good but otherwise over-priced for undistinguable food.

by Mark G.
18th January 2010

Recently went to Monsoon Poon in Auckland for a cousins birthday. This was on the happy advice of a friend who’d immensely enjoyed the Wellington Monsoon Poon.

We were a group of about 8, laughing and enjoying Rebecca’s birthday quite loudly. Cant tell you what everyone had, as we ordered a lot of different dishes. Suffice to say, the food came surprisingly quickly for such a big table and after a mouthful or two, no-one stuck to their own plate but instead shared them around, such was the pleasure.

If you want great food, don’t want to spend the earth and have fun with friends, Monsoon Poon is a must do.

by Judy
22nd November 2009

Great food, but ruined by the fact that at 7:30pm, one does not expect to be dining with very loud ‘doof-doof ‘music. We had visitors from out of town and could not partake in conversation at all. The lighting is very dim making reading of the menu also very difficult. Can’t complain about the food, but suggest you take ear muffs, and a pen-light to read the menu. Won’t be going back unless they tone down the music appropriate to the hour of the day and provide candles or some source of light at the table.

by Tracey S.
15th October 2009

They don’t take reservations so if you want to go there get there early or you will have a long wait. We went mid-week and still had to wait 25 mins. The atmosphere is good, and the decor is nice. The service was excellent. The food is good but not great, but well priced, particularly for the down town location. They do a lot of different cuisines which aren’t done as well as you would get in a more specialist Indian or Thai restaurant.
Overall though It’s a good fun place to go with a group of friends, with something
for most people.

by Brian H.
2nd October 2009

Took my wife and the inlaws here recently with great expectations but were quite disappointed.We were surprised to have to wait a long time for our orders to be taken even though the restaurant was quiet and the chefs were standing around waiting for work. We were even more surprised to receive all our meals within a few minutes of ordering and this was due to the fact that the meals were premade and just needed pouring into a bowl. Our meals came in cereal type bowls and contained the meat in a large quantity of thick overly sweet sauces. Laksa, lemon chicken, the spicy one (i cant remember the name ) all were just too sweet and bland. As all the other customers were european I assume tastes are adjusted to suit. Overall not a place I would want to return to but it was a great venue and the non- alchoholic cocktails we ordered were delicious.

by R WINTER
24th September 2009

Excellent food great atmosphere.
quite noisy but we loved the activity going on therefore not ideal for a quiet date.
really enjoyed the place good location

by M Wright
2nd October 2008

I loved this place, awesome atmosphere although we were lucky to be sat in the side area as it got very noisey and hard to hear my partner. Service was friendly and food was delicious, meals were big enough to share so we ended up going home with a very full doggy bag. good prices. You’ve gotta try it

by Dan Wilson
26th April 2008

Fantastic place, very friendly staff. Great food, with very generous helpings. Got double charged once for a dish and they were happy to deduct that from our next visit. Would definately recommend to anyone who enjoys Thai food

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