The Garden Porch — Restaurant in Johor

Ordered the Garden Wild Mushroom Soup and Classic Tomato Soup, as my kids love soup, and they were very good. The soup were rich in texture and full of flavors. The accompanying bread were nicely toasted too. For the adults, we tried the foie gras but it failed to wow and was only ok.

Next, we had the Meat Platter consisting of grilled pork, lamb, chicken and beef. While the meats were well grilled and gave off a nice aroma, the presentation was a bit messy. The meats were jumbled up so you knew not what you were eating.

For the carbs, we selected the Bacon and Mushroom Aglio-Olio. As the children cannot take spicy food, it was prepared without chili. It was still delicious as it came with a generous amount of bacon, mushroom, tomatoes and cheese.

From the bar bites menu, we ordered the Thai-style Crispy Pork Knuckle as a side. It wasn’t very good. I feel that the meat wasn’t seasoned well enough and was a little hard to bite through.

The ambience at Monaco Garden feels like a small and cozy family-run grill cafe with about ten-ish tables. The air conditioned section is small and most of the seats are Al-fresco. The management seems to be operating a patisserie on the second floor but it was closed when we were there for dinner. I wondered if cross ordering was possible during the day.

Despite the small set-up, Monaco Garden do have quite an extensive menu and provide an attentive service. We are eager to visit again and try other items...

Hawaiian Pizza: The crust was way too hard and difficult to chew. There were way too many onions, and not enough meat. I honestly thought it was a vegan pizza based on how it was prepared. Definitely not the Hawaiian pizza I was expecting.

Pasta: Very disappointing. It only had two prawns, two mussels (which had a strong, fishy taste), and a few small pieces of squid. The seafood didn’t taste fresh, and the whole dish wasn’t worth the price.

Oyster: The oysters were actually the best part of the meal. They were fresh and well-prepared, so if you’re into seafood, this dish is worth trying.

Pork Burger: RM30 for a burger with frozen fries, and the patty was so tough I couldn’t bite through it. After one bite, I had to spit it out. Definitely not worth the money.

Environment: The exterior of the restaurant looked good, but once inside, it felt like a regular kopitiam. The restroom was very dirty, which made the experience worse. Overall, I won’t be coming back.

Summary: Besides the oysters, the rest of the meal was pretty disappointing. The food didn’t justify the price, and the overall cleanliness and atmosphere...

Not your typical cafe food here. We started with Tatter Tots which were perfectly fried, good quality ones or so we thought. The Mushroom Soup which was highly recommended in the reviews did not disappoint, it was so smooth and well seasoned and the thin crispy garlic bread slices that accompanied were perfect to hold the soup in bite size. Next, we had the Spanish Prawns also served with a bread basket, this time with soft bread slices which is perfect for soaking up that umami sauce. Ended the meal with the Curry Laksa Pasta, served with fresh prawns and again, well balanced flavour and not overly jelat. Would come back again in a heartbeat!

P/S: Ambience is quite romantic, perfect for...