Monsoon

615 19th Avenue East
Seattle WA 98112

206-325-2111

Reviewed: 21 July 2009

Monsoon is a charming little restaurant in the Capital Hill neighborhood, just on the border of the really expensive houses towards Volunteer Park and the slightly less expensive ones a bit farther away. The space is simple, and on fair days the entire front of the restaurant vanishes and one can dine indoors or al fresco. The food is Asian fusion with borrowings from Vietnamese and Thai cuisine and an emphasis on fresh local ingredients. The cooking is clean, with each ingredient enunciated, and the fusion works perfectly.

One of the great things about Monsoon is that one can dine family style, sampling from small plates and large, and a meal doesn't have to be just an appetizer and an entree. They have a variety of rolls, not just spring rolls, but fresh rolls wrapped in lettuce, some deep fried, some pan fried.

shrimp and kurobuta pork fresh rolls with mustard greens and pork two ways sauce 7.5
vegetarian fresh roll with roasted shiitake mushrooms, tofu, mint and peanut sauce 6.5
crispy vegetarian roll with taro root, tofu, carrots and woodear mushrooms 8.5
crispy imperial rolls with kurobuta pork, shrimp and glass noodles and nuoc cham 8.5

grilled monterey squid stuffed with duck meat, basil and jicama 9
barbecued carlton farm pork spareribs with ginger, hoisin and five spice 11
bo la lot (la lot leaves wrapped around flank steak and grilled) 7

wild gulf prawns with lemongrass, spicy yellow curry, roasted peanuts and ngo om 19
crispy mangalitsa shire pork belly with bean sprouts, lotus stems, and pork jus 14
fulton valley farm crispy drunken chicken with yu choy 17
wokked chinese mustard greens with roasted shiitake mushrooms and fresh ginger 9.5
green beans with roasted chili, fermented soy beans and hon shimeji mushrooms 9.5
asian eggplant with green onions in spicy coconut sauce 10


wokked soft noodles with oyster mushrooms, duck egg and green onions 11