Monsoon on 19th

Upon several recommendations, I decided to battle the walk uphill to 19th to try Monsoon.

Monsoon is hidden on 19h and is embedded in a bunch of houses and apartments, it is a true neighborhood restaurant. The menu is full of "Vietnamese cuisine with Pacific Northwest Innovation"...amazing sounding dishes, I didn't even know where to start.

We were greeted by Brian our server who was one of the nicest servers I have ever come across. He took the time to tell us about what we were eating and was all around a very chill guy. He saw me taking pics of the food so I had to drop it on him that I had a food blog. It also tipped him off to letting us know about their monthly family style seated dinners which come with paired wines and food creations off the regular menu. I gotta check that out for sure.

We started with pork ribs:
The ribs were tasty and were sticky with a really tangy 5 spice sauce. The first taste was a bit sweet but after a few more bites the ribs were solid and had some heat. I also enjoyed the pickled veggies on the side.

Then we shared the imperial rolls:
By far one of the best appetizers I have had in a while. I love vietnamese lettuce wraps and this was a great take on that dish. The rolls were filled with this sausage like meat, made up of shrimp and pork, then fried crispy. The combination of all of these flavors was so right on. I was even thinking about them this morning. word.

Then we shared the amazing catfish clay pot:

Anyone who has ever been to Monsoon tells me to try the catfish in a clay pot. Because I know the menu changes this variation was seasoned with thai peppers and a sweet glaze. I loved the fish it was so meaty, I was surprised it was fish. I tried that damn thai pepper to see if it was as hot as Brian claimed it was...and it had some serious heat. This is a great dish and it came piping hot, always a plus.

We also shared some mustard greens:
The greens we crispy and the natural taste of the mustard green really came through. I enjoyed the mushrooms which were also cooked to perfection as an addition to the dish. choice.

Remember when I said Brian our server was amazing? Well to top if off he showed up at the end with some complimentary banana cake.
Yeah, I am not a dessert person but I ate this up. The sauce which was like cream cheese infused with a bit of coconut was creamy and rich. The cake was still warm and was so soft and moist. I could eat this for breakfast every day. This may have changed my mind about dessert.

Hours of Operation

Dinner Every Night 5:00PM - 10:00PM

Dim Sum Brunch Saturday & Sunday 10:00AM - 2:30PM

Location

615 19th Avenue E - Seattle, Washington 98112

Directions Here

Phone

206.325.2111

Reservations

Yes, please inquire.