Does anyone know Monsoon (New Tapas) bar/restuarant

[TimSe]

Hi all,

I've heard of a bar/restuarant called Monsoon. Can anyone recommend/tell me anything about it.

Is it worth a visit?

Thanks

Tim

[Randy Cornhole]

I have eaten in Monsoon on several occasions and found it to be very pleasant. Its a quite well laid out resturant aiming towards the high end of eating establishments. Therefore it isn't the cheapest. Its on the Naresdamn road heading towards the fishing pier.

The ambiance is very pleasant and makes a good place to take someone for a romantic meal.

There is a little balcony upstairs with a few seats. This was my favourite place to sit. It over looks Naresdamn road.

For about 450bht each (not including drinks) they do a very nice steak in black pepper sauce...

[BaaBaa.]

For about 450bht (not including drinks) they do a very nice steak in black pepper sauce...

Soi 88 here I come!

[hhfarang]

I've never eaten there as it seems to me to be primarily a tourist spot, but I have walked by many times and been tempted to have a drink as the ambiance is that of colonial times in this part of the world... lots of wood and comfortable looking furniture and a very pleasant "feel" about it.

The place makes me think of old Bogart movies shot in the early 20th century.

Maybe I will go there for that drink one day soon and wear my white sweat-stained suit and white fedora!

[sargeant]

I think you have met the chef HH he is my brother in law stays with me and his sister Mrs Sarge

[STEVE G]

I've passed by many times and thought the same thing about the colonial look.
They must be doing something right as it seems to have been there quite a few years now.

[madjbs]

I ate here today, very overpriced at 250 bht per dish for the quality and quantity received. Will not be going back.

[madjbs]

Also, seems strange that it is recommended on several hua hin guide websites? Do businesses have to pay to get put on such sites, even though they try to put themselves across as a "guide"?

[Jim]

Just a sense of perspective and contrast to madjbs' comments. We've eaten at Monsoon a lot of times and have found it always to be excellent. Yes its a bit pricey, but if you want something cheap go somewhere cheap. The food has always been very good (Thai and Vietnamese) and the "colonial" atmosphere is very different.

[johnnyk]

Always loved the look of Monsoon!

[Korkenzieher]

Along with one or two others, I also tend to feel the food is somewhat overpriced. It is good, but there is better for cheaper available especially if one is having something relatively routine, like Tom Kha gai for example. It does seem to be pitched at the more upmarket tourist sector, along with the Brasserie, along the road a little. The 'feel', as people repeatedly say, is excellent - something of the 'French Colonial' about it. When I go, it tends to be for a stiff sundowner cocktail with pleasant company; dinner may follow. On that level I find it to be excellent value, but I would be unlikey to eat there regularly purely on cost.

[margaretcarnes]

I ate here today, very overpriced at 250 bht per dish for the quality and quantity received. Will not be going back.

I'd be interested to hear what their 250 baht dish consisted of madjbs. I do understand all the stuff about expats/meal prices in HH - and it's very true that when living there you tend to be on a budget and eat at home/noodle stalls etc. But for it's location and style I'd expect to pay a little more there?
Let's face it - 250 baht is about a fiver UK. About the price of a starter these days in a pub here - and probably not much more than a couple of Cappos at Admirals.

[Korkenzieher]

I'm not sure that comparison between local prices in Thailand and the UK are that significant - otherwise why not compare to Brasil, The Philippines, Australia. It is a pretty arbitrary standard. What is important is the value it represents in local comparisons. There are plenty of fine dining establishments in LOS which would make your average high-street eatery in the UK look refreshingly cheap. I'd certainly pay (and have) something of a premium to eat at Monsoon and relax in the bar.

Is that premium based on the quality of the food or the portion size? No, because there are so many places doing largely the same menu. Some are transparently better value.

So, that means the premium must be based on location, service standards and that most arbitrary quality 'ambiance'.

There's no doubt it is a step up in comfort and professionalism from the majority of eateries in the area, and I would be sad to see it close, but the 'tale of the tape' is whether it does enough trade on its business model to survive. So far, it looks as though it does - at least has done with more normal tourism numbers - though in harder times it will, almost by definition, be one of the easier places to miss out.

I genuinely hope it survives. But I do feel that, with the price premium, it probably has to set itself aside from the others with a more distinctive menu to make itself worth going to for the food alone.

[margaretcarnes]

Well I'll certainly be trying the place Korky. Granted direct price comparisons are tricky - my point is though that for tourists 250 baht isn't seen as overpriced - even if they end up with a small portion or sometimes not quite so good quality maybe.
Most tourists are in HH for maybe 10 nights? Which doesn't allow for sampling a huge variety of the eateries which are there anyway. All the more reason for a place like Monsoon - which does seem to have the pullng 'em off the street factor - to perhaps give their menu a bit more oomph to match.
It's a balancing act though between attracting year round trade - which really needs to include repeat expat trade whenever possible as Buffs and Jailhouse do - and going to the other extreme of high end for a limited tourist period.
Looking forward to reporting back on it anyway

[Korkenzieher]

In that location, along with the Brasserie and the seafood places, they are clearly shooting at the upper end of the market. If you are in HH for 10 days, and you are eating from the Tom Kha side of the menu, the majority of people will find Poonsuk Road or the Night Market pretty quickly and realise that greater quantity and similar quality are had for half the price or so. Monsoon, from that point on has to sell itself on 'style'. The golf course restaurants will take care of an awful lot of the 'upper end' requirements. Sad though it is, survival in these tourist challenge times is more dependant on ever than getting repeat business - and that means expat locals - and not just the first couple of meals off a tourist every second week until they find their feet. Though as I said, I certainly hope they make it through these relatively tough times.