Saw this in the Riversider magazine and had to try it out. The restaurant is so beautiful inside , the food was excellent!! We ordered the Mongolian beef and xiao long bao dumplings and they were fantastic. The Thai tea was also really good ! The waiter was also super sweet . This is definitely a hidden gem and can't wait to come back and try more off their menu! read more

This place has been on my list, it looked good, it sounded good but it was unfortunately not good! To be fair, the Egg Rolls were on point,and the waitress was courteous. Here is what my daughter and I ordered: * Monark Steak w Rice - We returned it, it tasted like fish, it was chewy.The picture is deceiving, trust me. I returned it, told them whatever was cooked prior to my steak was what my plate tasted like. * Kung Pao w Rice - Who could mess this plate up, well they did. The chicken was funky, old or maybe "Gamey", whatever it was, it wasnt good. We left have the plate and decided it was time to leave. I thanked the waitress gave her a nice cash tip, partly because I felt bad for her, she didn't look surprised. It must happen alot. Safe to say, I will never come back. Until next time, be safe yall, and never visit the Monark! read more

Monark Asian Bistro - Monark Steak - Chinese Near Me - Riverside, California

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When you walk in, it feels fancy with dim lights and classical music. The service was friendly, but there was only one person working during a busy time. I ordered the soup of the day, egg flower soup, and it was so delicious! The shrimp rolls for an appetizer were good, nothing amazing but tasty. The chicken curry wasn't spicy enough and the flavors were mild, so I wouldn't order it again. But, the portion size was big enough to share. Lastly, I had the orange chicken, which was really good with zesty flavors and spicy. All the main dishes came with a bowl of rice. Overall, I'd give this place another shot. read more

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Definitely a nice quiet place to have dinner! Food was delicious, a bit overpriced but I guess you're paying the location. Orange chicken has great flavor, Lo Mein was very good. Looks like this place is loved by locals, overall great place to eat. read more

Monark Asian Bistro - Orange chicken - Chinese Near Me - Riverside, California

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Very nice atmosphere, short wait and food was very good. The hostess & waitress were very friendly.

Best Wonton soup anywhere in the Inland Empire! My husband loves the Wonton soup. We go for a bowl of the soup and then a lunch special and it is amazing! The service is delightful and we can't wait to be back! The inside is so beautifully decorated and all the fixings inside are just gorgeous! We love you guys and we will be back soon! read more

We tried this place and have to say it's really delicious Monark Steak, (very tasty and tender), Vegetable rice (Full of flavor), Emperor chows (that to was Full of Flavor), orange tofu ( My wife really enjoyed it ) all 4 dishes had there own special taste. Would highly recommend this place. Didn't eat there because want to beat the traffic we drove from lake Elsinore The lady that took our order I believe she was the owner very sweet read more

Monark Asian Bistro - Chinese Near Me - Riverside, California

First time here and will come back! We came on a Saturday night and had no problem getting sat immediately. It felt upscale with the fancy date night music in the background. Our server was great and attentive with a great attitude! He made great recommendations. I ordered the combination pad see yew so I could try each of the proteins. All were very tender but the beef was the best! The coconut soup was also very flavorful. The only comment is that prices are a bit high. read more

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Always great food and service, a favorite "go to spot" I recommend this restaurant frequently. I Would list my favorite dishes , however I like all of them! read more

Not too bad of a place. place is real spacious, has lots of table to choose from. They keep the lighting at a dim, it's pretty nice. Service was nice as well. Just a little slow. Food was good. Had lots of flavor but portioning is on the small side. For 20 bucks a plate, I'd like to be full. read more

Service was great! Portions were good but though the portions big the food was flavorless and not appetizing. I want to love because of the service but the lack of fulfillment I got from eating there wasn't worth it. read more

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I don't understand several of the low-rated food reviews, except to say that they may not be aware of the higher-than-average quality of the food. My family and I frequent Monark on the regular, about every 2 months. It's my elderly in-laws, my wife, and I. Now, typically with the elderly, is that they lose their genuine taste of foods, but with my in-laws, they rave about how good-tasting the food is, and my wife and I concur. Aside from the 1 or 2 occasions where I found the serving size to be a little on the small side, again, it was only a time or two. Now, unless the food was prepared by the janitor on those visits by "out-of-towners" attacking the food quality or taste, maybe it's just your taste buds on that day. As for our experiences, which have been many, food quality and taste, well, we're still returning to enjoy. As for the low food reviews, not everyone has a palate for higher quality, well-prepared foods, and that's okay, no offense, which is why there is a vast variety of alternatives and choices available for you (i.e., KFC, Applebee's, and Little Caesars, for example). As for our experiences and opinion, I would strongly recommend Monark next time you're in the mood for a little Asian Fusion. read more

I went to Monark to celebrate a colleagues birthday at lunch time. I ordered the orange chicken lunch special. To my surprise I had a huge fly in my salad. I had already taken one bite from the salad and when I went for the next bite I saw the fly. Our server was very apologetic and took my plate away. The manager came back to our table with my plate in hand discussing the fly and how it was still moving in the salad. There was no need to bring the plate back as my colleagues were still eating. She took my meal off the bill, but did not offer to replace my meal for free, so I left hungry. read more

The food is enjoyable, but the prices are a bit higher than expected. The interior feels somewhat old, and the service is decent but nothing special. read more

Not a bad spot for some Asian food but I'd say it's moreso on the average and expensive side. Ordered the jungle curry and pad thai and both were too sweet for my taste instead of authentic thai flavor. The curry was too thick and the pad thai was drenched in too much sauce as well. The dishes were decent but nothing more. Some good things are that the restaurant is very nice and has a more upscale feel and that service was pretty good. Not sure if I will be back though given the quality of the food and the price point of around $20 per dish. read more

Monark Asian Bistro - Jungle Curry - Chinese Near Me - Riverside, California

Food fantastic and fresh! Service was fantastic. Our server was great and the owner was sweet and helped as well. Atmosphere was cozy but yet the big windows were nice for lunch. We've added this to our list of favorite restaurants :) read more

I love this place- have been a customer for nearly 30 ! Years. The owner is a sweetheart and food wonderful. Don't understand mediocre reviews. I love this restaurant and it's employees always so courteous, Food is great. read more

I wouldn't call it anything more than average. Not any better than you would get at a fast food Chinese place at twice the price. The portions again, average. Fried rice with no flavor. There's much better options in town. read more

Monark Asian Bistro - Orange peal chicken - Chinese Near Me - Riverside, California

This place is a slice of heaven. The service was excellent, Diana took great care of me. Karen, the owner is so sweet and accommodating. The food is authentic and beyond delicious. Highly recommend the Emperor's choice dish! read more

Monark Asian Bistro - Fried rice - Chinese Near Me - Riverside, California

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It's hard to find a luxurious restaurant specializing in Asian cuisine in Riverside. Monarch has taken the relaxing and upscale ambiance and offered high-quality food with fresh ingredients. The waiters are tentative and focused on make the experience pleasant. read more

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When you walk into this place, instead of entering into flavor town you enter into flavorless town. The "sweet and sour chicken" was fried okay, but the sauce was terrible. It had no flavor, and was bright red, like it was bought from store. The server was very nice I dont blame him, but it was just so disappointing. There was just no flavor! Not in the sauce, in the mini egg flower soup, and the diet coke tasted weird and was watered down. The place is nice though, cute interior and cozy seating. I just wouldn't recommend going if you want a tasty meal read more

Great location. This quaint restaurant in the Canyon Crest area was truly a nice find. The good was pretty good (from the walnut prawns, fried rice, steak, crab Rangoon, hot and sour soup and pot stickers). The pad see ew was a bit sweet, the sweetness took me by surprise but wasn't a complete deal breaker. They offer a fair amount of indoor seating and the noise level was great considering they were at about 30% capacity. The service was pretty good; However, I did see some of what I read here on scolding the new trainee in front of patrons. This the reason for the one star deduction. Food came out rather quickly and we were seated fairly fast. The place is well maintained (both indoor and outdoor), and will likely return on my next visit to the area. Other than that, I would recommend the place. read more

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The pictures looked great till i actually ordered the food and tried it plus it's a small portion and way overpriced

I ordered take out recently (pad see ew) and it was so delicious. It was fresh and yummy I'll definitely be going back :)

Food had absolutely no flavor, most disappointing meal I ever paid for. I do not recommend eating here if you have taste buds!

Great for a quiet meal on a Sunday afternoon! Service is great. Great for take-out. Beer is always super cold. read more

All around just... alright. Definitely not the best most authentic. Location is what you're actually paying for (canyon crest village convenient for errands and a sweet tooth). Service not delivered with the biggest smile or enthusiasm but that's not a deal breaker. Ambiance again is defined by well...convenience. That's all... Don't come for me haha. read more

I enjoy the weekday lunch specials because the portions are smaller so I'm not in a food coma, but adequately full. The service is always pleasant & fast. If you order of the normal menu the portions are plenty to take home for a snack later or next day. I especially appreciate that they cook the meals without over cooking the protein, like the shrimp. It's always incredibly delicious and a favorite spot when I'm hankering for Asian cuisine If you haven't tried them...you're missing out! read more

We had a wonderful evening at Monark Asian Fusion last Monday! The sweet and pungent chicken was absolutely delicious, perfectly cooked with fresh ingredients, and the Miso Salmon was a great surprise. Great menu choices. Our server Em was very attentive and made excellent suggestions. The overall ambiance is warm and inviting, making it a great choice for an any occasion. We have been patrons here for well over 15 years. Hands down the best Asian Fusion restaurant in Riverside. read more

Our goto restaurant for celebrations! Beautiful, delicious dishes, relaxing ambiance, and excellent service!

BEWARE!!! Horrible place. Don't let the decor and ambience fool you. This place will have you in the hospital. Years ago, this restaurant was under a different name and the Health Department had to shut it down due to various violations, food poisoning, rat droppings, hair in the food, you name it. They remodeled the restaurant and renamed it Monark Asian Bistro, but it's the same owner and staff, same bad habits and unsanitary. The cook does not wear a hair net and the food is inconsistent. Owner is not professional, very fake and race biased. More focused on money than service and quality of overpriced food. She's argumentative, aggressive and uncompromising. She will not honor refunds even when in the wrong. Always complaining about how much she pays for food. Customers are being overcharged and the food is not even good quality and worth the price. If you are not happy with the food, you will not get a credit, refund, nothing. This owner is such a fake person by pretending to be nice and is greedy thinking of profit only and does not value customer service. So sad! If you are a minority you will be treated that way by her and her staff. She really has no business in the food industry or any business dealing with the public. Even her brother that used to work there and probably still does had to apologize for bad behavior and didn't have any nice things to say about her. Run, don't walk to the nearest exit! read more

Monark Asian Bistro - Restaurant - Chinese Near Me - Riverside, California

I have been enjoying this place for years, but tonight I decided to say a few words about it. The food is consistently great. The staff is attentive and helpful. The ambience is friendly and cozy. And the owner has her heart and soul in it. So when I see any negative or foul comments, I think they should be taken with a grain of salt. read more

Food and ambiance are good. Had a bad experience when I came here with a party of seven for my Birthday on January 31. Servers were overwhelmed by the dinner rush. we were there at 5:30, and some parties that came in later got their dinners sooner. When our dinners finally came at 6:30, mine still wasn't ready and I left. read more

This place has become our family's celebration restaurant. They have great vegetarian options and friendly service. We often order multiple dishes and then eat family style. They do wine by the glass or bottle. You can get most dishes with tofu or chicken/beef/shrimp. We've brought in cupcakes from outside and they held them for us until dessert. Wonderful staff! read more

I would have given this restaurant 1 star, however the waitress was very nice and kind. I ordered the yellow curry and it was more like yellow gravy. This huge bowl of giggly gravy was $18. The bowl was bigger than a pho bowl with a tea cup size of rice on the side. The texture was so thick and there were barely any potatoes or other contents. Only 4 pieces of potato. I ate a few bites but could not stomach it. I am very sorry to not recommend. I will not return. read more

I ordered their lunch special of chicken and vegetables. The chicken was velveted and OK. The vegetables were fresh and they had been stirfried in a wok. Unfortunately, the sauce was very bland. The rice that came with the dish was also bland. I should have asked for soy sauce, but the server, never came back to my table after she delivered the plate. In other words, when you order your food, ask the server to bring a bottle of soy sauce with your meal. The other issue I had with the server was, I asked for sugar to put in my tea. She brought the sugar, but nothing to stir it into my tea. Since I did not want to use my finger I used, a fork Handle instead. The interior of the restaurant was quite lovely. Although there were only three other tables with occupants, the service was not very attentive. My feeling is the food is very Americanized Chinese. maybe some of the spicier dishes would have some flavor if you can take the heat. read more

The best martini ever! The food was great the flavors were melting on my tongue! I had the kung pao beef and the yellow curry so yummy read more

Monark Asian Bistro - Mangotini - Chinese Near Me - Riverside, California

This place is great for a birthday or taking out a friend from out of town. However, I would not come here often as it's pricey and the food is just ok. Based on other Thai food I've had at other places, this place has some flavor but some dishes were lacking flavor or overly seasoned. For instance, the pad see ew was a bit dry and so was the meat. The portions are smaller and the taste isn't as savory and sweet and other Thai places I've been to. I've been here on 2 occasions: once for my aunt's birthday and it was an enjoyable lunch and on this occasion, the food was good but not great. Second time I visited with my mom and it was nice and quiet, the dishes tasted quite the same, lacking flavor and dry meat. The ambiance of the restaurant is lovely and clean, the service was great! I especially enjoy going outside and walking around the plaza after eating a nice meal. read more

Definitely deserves a better rating. Not sure why their ratings are so low. Great, fast and friendly service. Good food. Lunch special included an egg roll that was very good. Clean and quiet. Food comes out quick for those on a lunch break. My wife loves her Kung Pao combo. Definitely best Asian food in the area. They also have some good Thai options. read more

So disappointing. I liked eating here, but it's different now. Their lo mein was my favorite. Always cooked perfectly. Now, they're using the thinker chow mein noodles and it's dry. I also ordered the vegetable medley with extr garlic. Instead of extra garlic, I got zero seasoning. Meat still needs to be seasoned, especially when it's in a bland sauce. Also ordered the beef with hot garlic sauce and asked for it to be more mild than spicy. They decided to make it spicy spicy. Also, very expensive now. Not sure what's going on there, but it's time to find a new spot. read more