Monarch 9 — Restaurant in Yorba Linda

This place is 100% a scam pays for reviews DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME COMING TO THIS ESTABLISHMENT You have to Pay for Water and your food before you take your seats which I thought it was very strange even so that it’s located in a warehouse area .I Came here for dinner paid for two drinks (Thai tea ) a French fry appetizer ,two bowls of there fillet mignon pho .The drink came and was completely watered down lacked the authentic Thai tea flavor I asked our busser if he could exchange it for a lemonade he said he had to ask the owner I also asked for a side of onions which also had to be asked by the owner employees seem very paranoid to accommodate any request for guests without the owners permission very odd . The owner himself is the most egoist man I’ve ever met in my life as a restaurant owner he did not want to accept the fact his food was not at all edible ,the two bowls of beef pho (right off the bat I smelled a foul odor from a watered down tasteless broth and spoiled meat as I was not going to eat this and get sick ,told the owner I would like a refund the owner came out and raised his voice over my table to explain that this was not Westminster or garden grove city pho ,I thought that was so racist to put down his own culture and to put down other restaurant that are hardworking establishments !! He went ON and ON to me that I did not know what filet mignon tasted like and that his food was not bad I was politely trying to explain to him as a customer everybody has their own taste buds and that yelling was not nice and simply rude of him ! I was not willing to risk the fact of getting sick by eating this food and simply wanted a refund he began to shout to say he will NOT issue a refund because I didn’t know what real pho tasted like! A simple gesture could have been made by remaking food or an apology! Instead I was immediately being yelled at ,I was so completely UNCOMFORTABLE by his approach to paying customers . PLEASE DO NOT SUPPORT THIS RUDE MAN WITH NO SENSE OF VAULE ON HOW TO RUN A BUSINESS OR SPEAK TO PEOPLE OR A WOMAN OVER CHARGING FOR FOOD AND WATER THAT ARE SIMPLY...

1 minute summary is that the main course is fresh and flavorful with an excellent ambiance. Monarch 9 fries with oxtail meat was amazing. Coffee and desserts were off the hook. My wife said her Lychee Mojito cocktail was excellent and their Thai ice tea was smoothest most well balanced I've ever had.

Now my full review.... We started with the Monarch 9 fries as an appetizer. The fries come with oxtail meat and was very very good. It is a fairly large bowl of fries and can be shared with a family of four.

My daughter and I ordered the Filet Mignon Pho and added cabbage. The soup was very flavorful without being overly greasy. It was perfect. It had plenty of beef, noodles and vegetables (love the cabbage in the Pho).

My wife ordered the Shaken Beef. A very good size portion of beef with green and red peppers, onions and rice. The beef was tender and seasoned well.

For dessert we got the Flan (topped with coffee), and the chocolate cake (dark & white chocolate + water in it). The Flan was soooo good with the coffee on top. Each spoonful of the Flan with the soupy coffee was heavenly. This was my favorite. My wife and kids loved the chocolate cake. It had a mousse like consistency with a rich dark and white chocolate.... There is also a think crispy wafer in it which gives the cake a crispy texture. Excellent execution of sweet, creamy and crispy.

Finally the ambiance.... Excellent. The vibe is cozy and casual with perfect lighting. Most Vietnamese restaurants are blah on the ambiance.... Monarch 9 did...

A late lunch visit brought us in a little after 1pm. Plenty of parking, with spacious indoor and outdoor seating. Service is impeccable, super friendly owner and host. Very personable and very attentive. The atmosphere is a relaxed, clean design, you’re seated with a menu and walk up to the counter to order, and food is then delivered to your table!

Menu is predominantly Vietnamese with a bit of a fusion play with it. Definitely not your typical Vietnamese dishes. I ended up going with their Vermicelli bowl with pork ($20). Not anything to scream a re-visit again. Noodles were overdone, breaking up into small pieces as I tried to dig out a bite. The spring roll was hot but tasted more old oil than anything amazing from the filling itself. Pork was underwhelming and not as flavorful as I was anticipating it to be. Nuoc Mam also didn;t add much of a kick to it either. Overall, maybe this dish was just a miss this day but not worth the $20. My table mates ended up with their curry and buddha stir fry, both dishes I got to try, and were significantly better executed than my dish. Fresh Fruit Tea ($6) SO refreshing! It's definitely my highlight. Madeline ($3) Just 1 ran for 3 dollars, which seems steep, but it came out freshly warmed and was pretty tasty.

Overall, the visit was pleasant. My plate was underwhelming, but the atmosphere and service were amazing. I'm not sure if I’d be inclined to try this spot again. That oxtail fried rice might win me...