My first attempt to have a dinner at The Mon wasn’t a pleasant experience. Granted, we didn’t think ahead to book a table earlier. Walk-ins were told there was a two-hour wait for a table, which means we won’t get to be seated until at least 9 p.m. It wasn’t a palatable option, so my friend and I went to Hainan Shaoye instead.
Fast forward a year. This time round we booked ahead, within the same day, and was told that we will get two seats at the bar at 9 p.m. Granted, it was a Friday, but really, what is it about Japanese restaurants and its hordes of fans? Was The Mon really that popular that we had to wait until that ungodly hour just for a dinner?
We were about to find out.
Octopus in vinegar looked like a riot of summer in a bowl. The octopus was sweet and succulent, which paired off pretty well with a dash of greens and a base of seaweed. The vinegar added on to the contrasting flavour, which made this a refreshing start to the meal.
One of the signature dish of The Mon was the omelette dishes, and for the night we opted for the omelette with cheese. The omelette was cooked by building layer upon silky layer of egg into a rectangle, with the melting cheese right in within. Eventhough the egg was a tad bland, I recognise the immense work that went into the dish, and I literally swooned as I took my fourth bite into the egg to be met with the melted cheese. Pure heaven.
Assorted sushi was a selection of six pieces of sushi at a pretty steep price. Okay, so the seafood – fatty tuna, salmon, cod fish and what-have-yous – was fresh, and I could tell the Japanese rice was superior to much of the sushi I am used to, but still, to be paying some $20+ for a piece of sushi was quite extravagant. But the other half thought the prawn head was delightful, so I reckon it was worth it ;)
The grilled skewers were a delightful bunch. We had quail eggs, beef with mini tomatoes and chicken soft bone… all standard fare with comes to Japanese yakitorei, and The Mon has done these in spade.
But what stole the (skewer) show was the grilled wagyu beef – of which my other half has recommended highly. Four pieces of succulent cubes of thick, juicy beef, grilled to… almost perfection. I would have liked mine to be slightly more charred, but still this was a delight to devour.
The sea urchin fried rice was a rather standard fare, save for the luxurious seafood ingredients used, like (of course) sea urchin and scallops. The portion was just right for dinner, but not being a big fan of sea urchin, I couldn’t say I enjoyed this as much I would have, say, with a plate of yong chow fried rice. Plus this maxed out my carbs quota for the night, a point I was fully aware of towards the end of dinner as my jeans threatened to suffocate my waist.
Verdict? Probably didn’t live up to the hype of the restaurant, but I could see why The Mon remains a favorite to Hong Kong-ers and gweilos alike when it comes to good Japanese fare at this part of the down. The atmosphere was cosy, just a notch below rowdy, but as we were seated comfortably at a table we had the pleasure of private conversation served by some rather attentive wait staff.
The Mon
4/F, The Goldmark
502 Hennessy Road, Causeway Bay
Tel: +852 2504 3313