El Mono | Fresh Flavors of Peru — Restaurant in Berkeley

Mono is a beautiful restaurant in the industrial part of Gilman street … Close to the freeway. But they have decorated the inside very beautifully

We ordered the chicken and string beans stirfry, Yucca fries, and a salad. The salad and the fries were excellent and fresh.

The chicken was extremely overcooked… Hard… Dry.

My partner usually settles for whatever the food is but even he only was able to choke down a few pieces.

Because I had seen mixed reviews, I decided to help this place out and tell them the truth when they asked me how my meal was. Both my partner and gently, clearly and kindly said that the chicken was way overcooked… Too overcooked to eat…. S evidence by all the chicken leftover on our plate after bit of the rest of the meal have been consumed.

He responded “thank you for telling me I really appreciate that“.

The really odd part is that he never did anything about it. Did not even offer to replace the hard dry pieces of chicken still on our plate with moist and edible chicken.

Instead, he said “we are a new restaurant. We are getting some things worked out.”

we left hungry… Not understanding why he wouldn’t simply replace the dry chicken with some edible chicken.

Oddly, as we walked out the door,, he said, see you again soon.

(Why would he think we are going to come back When he didn’t even try to make the situation...

My wife and I decided to give this place a try tonight. It was easy to find and located in the former Gilman Grill site. Parking was ample, which was a nice surprise for a restaurant in Berkeley. The restaurant was busy, but we were immediately greeted by their friendly staff and seated after a small wait. I enjoyed the atmosphere of the restaurant which had a light and airy feel.

We had a lot of fun reviewing the menu, the dishes seemed familiar but were nuanced with a lot of Peruvian spices and preparations that we are not accustomed to. We started with the Papa Huancaina, which is the Peruvian Version of boiled potatoes and gravy, However, instead of gravy these potatoes were topped with a creamy Aji Amarillo cheese sauce. It was so different and so good.

I then had the Lomo Saltado topped with an egg. It seems to be the Peruvian version of steak and potatoes, but with completely different spices and served as a stir fry. I totally enjoyed it. My wife really liked the Super Mariscos that she ordered, which was a fried seabass served in a bed of Peruvian Paella. Once again, the seasoning made the dish a completely different experience.

To finish it off we shared a passion fruit tropical mousse. Very unique and the perfect end to the meal.

We look forward to...

We’ve been regulars at El Mono in El Cerrito for years, and on our last visit, the owner’s daughter told us about their new Berkeley location on 4th Street (opened this past May). We decided to check it out—and we’re so glad we did.

The Berkeley space is much more stylishly decorated than El Cerrito, bright and airy with lots of sunshine. We started with the aguadito de pollo—absolutely stunning, with a bold hit of cilantro and a perfectly balanced broth. For our main course, we couldn’t resist our usual favorite, the Super Mariscos: a whole fried seabass served over a nest of seafood paella. The bass was so fresh it tasted like it had just been caught that morning, and the paella was loaded with shrimp, clams, squid, and mussels—spice, heat, and salt in perfect harmony.

At the staff's suggestion, we finished with the Crema Volteada—a silky flan infused with brandy, a spicy red wine reduction, and a toffee base. Literally cherries on top!

Service was warm and charming, and the location—away from the main 4th Street hub—means there’s parking and none of the usual crowds. El Mono Berkeley is a fantastic addition to the neighborhood. We’ll...