Monarch in Arcadia

The design is fun, and over the top. Modern and brazen... Even the window treatments are awing. Very friendly staff, and a very diligent server topping off our waters. But the food was a bit bizarre, cooked well but conceptually... Off? I thought the food was priced well. But steamed egg... Well executed cooking wise but undersalted. Okra had peppercorns but oversalted. Beet cake was interesting but dry. Chicken wings was the star - fried though the sauce it came with was over vinegared. Pork chop over rice was also underseasoned and the tomato sauce was less sweet in this version of it (and the dish lacked the sweet and salty appeal). Steamed sea bass, affordable but it was off -- our working theory is that they just used olive/vegetable oil in the sauce instead of sesame but wasnt a flavor profile that worked with the preserved vegetables that the fish was bedded on. But most confusing was the condensed milk/azuki bean ice cream swirl drenched in almond extract but failing to mention the almond extract. Overall, a strange flavor experience. But dazzling decor and lovely service team.Parking and entrance is in the back.

Very impressed by this restaurant! First off, the interior is a feast for the eyes. Such a cool space. Not many like this in the area. Food is Chinese with a light twist. Familiar enough to be recognizable flavors, but new enough to create interest. Service was amazing. Price for the experience is very reasonable.

We went on a date here and it was amazing!!! Our servers were very attentive and although there wasnt a large selection of vegetarian options, there were enough for me to have an excellent time. The decor was so wonderful and the drinks were super tasty. We will be going back!!!!

It’s great to see the children of the SGV mom & pop shops we grew up with and love so much bridge the generations with their food.It’s nice to see a new generation of Asian restaurants embrace Quality over Quantity, and it shows in their food.It makes me excited for the children of those mom & pop shops, and what they will bring in the future.10/10 would definitely go again.

Such a gorgeous and fun dining experience! Our server Mimi was so genuinely happy to be there which shaped our experience 💖We tried as many dishes as we could in one visit and they were all 10/10! I can’t wait to go back to try more.My favorite dish was the Addicting Curry Noodles. The texture of the noodles was so truly handmade, I want to cry thinking about it!! They were perfectly sauced, and gorgeously presented. I will be getting this every weekend in the foreseeable future.The sea bass melted in your mouth, and paired with the pickled olive tapenade, it was heaven!!The shrimp on the fried rice was so buttery and salted to perfection. I had so many shrimps and I never usually like them!THE CRAB SWEET CORN SOUP WAS SO AMAZING. We couldn’t get enough. I wish we ordered 3!!Everything was incredible. I left with a t-shirt 🥰

I was by myself so I only had 2 dishes. Dads beef noodle was a bit on the bland side. It was tasty but I wish it was a bit more flavorful. And maybe it was a personal preference but it wasnt piping hot enough. It was more than lukewarm but not hot enough to burn my mouth. The Nas Chicken Salad was interesting. The chicken skin tasted almost like fried onion as you dont taste the fattiness.Lemon tea was good. I dunno if you get refills.All in all good food, excellent service, and beautiful decor. the serving sizes are on the small side and the prices are very high. I would recommend it for a special occasion.

No reservation and got a table fairly quickly. We saw the ad on Instagram and loved the concept. Ordering was quick and service was attentive. However, the first thing to arrive at our table was the soup and it took almost an hour. Every dish after that took at least 10-15 minutes. The Popos soup was good and reminiscent of home cooked Chinese healthy soups. The beef curry fries was also crispy, but thats it. The ribs were okay, very heavy on soy sauce. The pork chop rice was the least favorite; undercooked rice and the sauce was very acidic.I ordered the milk tea and it was just okay.Overall, great atmosphere and service but I dont think I can bring friends or family to dine here. Who wants to spend over 2-3 hours with half of that time waiting for our food. I think I would give it another chance but will need a compelling reason to go considering the cost and the bad first impression.

This is probably the first ever fine dinning establishment that serves the unique Hong Kong / Taiwan fusion style cuisine in SGV. While most Hong Kong style café are great for comfort food. This place feels like I can bring a first date here to impress or celebrate a special occasion such as a wedding anniversary. The décor is a tasteful mix of east and west with a distinctly retro yet modern look that evoke imagination. The service was friendly and attentive. We were even greeted by one of their owners which after looking up google, is a celebrity of his own right in the fashion world. And the food are just great !! Is fresh ingredients that are prepared just right. These are not the super hot and spicy Szechwan style food that seems to be dominating SGV now. The food here has nuanced flavor and subtle technique that need your full attention to appreciate how much thought and care the chef has put into his/her dishes.

Monarch, the sister restaurant of Chifa headed by the Leon family (aka my fave restaurant fam) is spectacular. You can expect exquisite decor that transports you to a dreamy blue space with similar but diff vibes from Chifas emerald green. If Chifas motif is the heart then monarch is the cloud. Perhaps they symbolize the heart and soul but regardless, the food is exciting and new spins on old favorites. We ordered the addicting curry noodles (its true, its addicting!), the steamed sea bass with olive tapenade (the olives are Chinese olives not CA olives and had an almost seaweed flavor to it - loved), the beet cake (its like turnip cake but dare I say, better?), the dads beef noodle (more traditional and very yummy), cocktails (all very interesting- I got the sesame old fashioned which was eyebrow raising and kept me curious throughout the meal). The desserts were a mix of house made (like the wonton cannoli which was amazing), and Collabs like the fudgey black sesame brownie from flouring la, and the vegan ice cream with pea flower and dark choc was a hit w my kid who has a dairy allergy. I love how beautiful the space was, how delicious the food was (the menu is still in soft opening limited menu but will continue to be built out), how family friendly it was (love the many pages coloring book and the colored pencils in a case), and how spacious it was (with great parking). Something tells me Ill be a regular here like I am at chifa!

We came for dinner on one of my few nights off. I cook professionally for context. After we were seated things progressed as you might expect, but after we put in our food order and got our drinks. We waited almost an hour and still nothing on the table. It was busy, but not slammed. We saw tables that had come in after receiving food before us, so we checked in with our server. I have a feeling that he forgot to fire our order bc our food came out pretty quickly after that, but missing multiple items.He provided no explanation as to what happened and it really killed the vibe for our date night bc we saw that tables that clearly were regulars being treated significantly more attentively by our server. They did send a pickle plate and a small dessert as an apology, which was appreciated.Now for the actual food, the fries were severely overcooked, unlike the table next to us. I feel that if you make a mistake with an order you need to make sure that that food is correct when it finally gets sent out. The lamb shank that we ordered never came out and the runner looked very confused when we mentioned that wed ordered aji with our fries. The pineapple bun and softshell crab were fun bites that we would definitely order again.I think that we will come back and give this place another chance bc we love Chifa, but the service here needs a lot of work.