My friend and I are always looking for delicious food in the Menlo Park area and Drunken Monk did not disappoint! The food transported me back to Japan. The interior is beautifully decorated with modern Japanese decor and furniture. They build a welcoming ambiance with warm lighting and soft lo-fi music. The food was also amazing, we had: -Tori Kawa: fried chicken skin, so crispy it was like a chicken chicharron - Scallop Skewers: fresh, juicy and well seasoned -Pork Cheek Skewers: also very tender and well seasoned. Both skewers had a great smoky flavor from the grill that doesn't overpower the meat - Sukiyaki with Wagyu served with Onsen eggs: Perfect for a rainy day! The vegetables are fresh and it is served with a torched soft tofu that melts in your mouth. The wagyu was also silk and pairs well with the onsen egg dipping sauce. I've been trying to find sukiyaki that reminds me of Japan and this was it! - Yuzu & Peach Highballs: extremely refreshing and light Skewers are 1 per order and the sukiyaki has high quality meat, so the price is a little higher than other izakaya in the area, but it is well worth it. We did encounter a long wait list (almost 1 hour) and service was a tad slow, but they were extremely busy for a soft opening! The servers themselves were very kind and helpful. Patience is always key with new restaurants so I look forward to coming back. read more

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Ambience 4/5 is intimate and cozy. Plain and elegant surrounding, spacious. Not much decorations it's really clean and neat. Food 4/5: 5/5 for skewers: The skewers are amazing, cooked to perfection. I recommend the wagyu skewer and the chicken wing skewer was so juicy and had just enough taste. I actually enjoyed all the skewers. I can't wait to come back to try some other skewers they have. 4/5 for other food : Mapo tofu don was just ok nothing too special unless you're craving. The corn tempura the taste was pretty good but it got little soggy underneath, and because I tried really amazing ones from the famous izakaya place in Berkeley, this one was a little underwhelming still pretty good, have room for improvement. The scallop carpaccio was good nothing special same as the chawanmushi... The clams was amazing the size was big and tasted fresh and the broth was perfect hints of sake and butter, but also the umami flavor derived from the seaweed inside. Simple but hit the spot. Chicken skin was good but like the corn tempura the bottom was little bit soft near soggy... Service 4/5: The waitresses were very nice and pretty, however getting seated was so slow and the food came out really slow too. Sometimes it was difficult to get their attention as they are busy running around. It's not entirely their fault, just pointing out so there can be room for improvement. I recommend coming here it is pricey however no joke, I spent around 200$ for two ppl. Was full, had no leftovers, they also need a better drink menu, not that impressed as of now. Food was good though everything was good some were amazing, nothing was bad. Will be visiting soon, and if they improve I'll add the final . read more

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I drove past this place around 2 weeks ago and have been wanting to try it ever since! I ordered a lot of appetizers and all of them were 5/5 stars for me! The corn and gyoza were super juicy and flavorful. The chicken skin was super crispy and had a nice sauce underneath it. The black miso cod is comparable to the one at Nobu which really surprised me. For my entree I got the Wagyu Nigiri and beef don, both were amazing. I'm a big fan of their presentation and the lady serving us was super friendly. Only negative was service did take super long and i was quite hungry, but nonetheless i would definitely come back here, especially for their dinner menu!!! read more

Drunken Monk - Interior - Izakaya Near Me - Menlo Park, California

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Nice little Japanese restaurant in Menlo Park. Good ambience. Good food. Good service. Cute mocktails. No alcohol yet (waiting for license). Most of the dishes are reasonably priced but I think the Sukiyaki is overpriced. $72 for 5 thin pieces of "American Wagyu." I wouldn't pay more than $35 for that. That's why I am giving it 4 stars instead of 5. BTW, parking lot is small but you can park on the street. read more

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Went here for a friend's birthday. Super satisfied with how everything turned out. As someone who doesn't have a lot of experience eating at izakaya's our server was super helpful answering our questions. Everything we ordered came out great, and I highly recommend their drinks (especially the yuzu flavored ones) The only complaint we had was that our food came out a bit slower than expected but we were happy with how everything else turned out!! read more

Loved the idea of it but it's very pricy. The service is decent but there are other yakitori places you can get a lot more for the bucks.

Our first visit was during the soft opening and I did not feel a review was warranted yet as I was pretty disappointed with how slowly the food came out and the very limited menu. On our second visit a few months later, we were treated with a special visit from Omakase sushi chef so I was able to order a chirashi bowl (customized since I can't eat shrimp), and also the food on the main menu came out quickly and was delicious. The whole family was happy including my vegetarian husband, and kids! I wish there was one more dedicated vegetarian entree but they were able to make the mapo tofu pot without pork so that was very nice. read more

Delicious skewers especially the chicken tsukune! Everything from sushi, donburi and even Shabu is excellent.. It's great to have a local place that has excellent quality Japanese cuisine. read more

Very expensive for the food quality. We got the sukiyaki and the beef quality is so low for the price we are paying for. Very little marbling, Costco has better beef. Service was also slow and they kept pushing us to get more things and more expensive beef. The atmosphere is good. Did not try the drinks - maybe the drinks are better than the food. Would not return! read more

This place is still in soft opening. Parking was a little tight in the provided lot in the back and there weren't a lot of spaces. There is curbside parking which may be the better option if nearby. Had an 8:30pm reservation on a Friday. Looking over at the screen for walk-ins said it would take about a 45 minute wait. With a reservation we didn't get seated until 8:45pm. By 9:30pm the crowd let up and seating started to become freely available. Seating area is well decorated and what you would expect from a higher end izakaya. Staff is friendly and recognized we were waiting for a reservation and informed us turnover has been slow. They accommodated us with a normal table for two with a third seat and promised to join the nearby table when those patrons left. Glad they did because we went through a number of dishes. The noise level is a little high in the space with some music in the background making conversation a slight challenge but not impossible. At this time the website menu pales in comparison to the actual paper menu that included a number of unmentioned items. It is one of the few Japanese restaurants I've seen to offer high balls. They also have and an interesting selection of some premium sake. The food is excellent. There are many dishes that you would expect from an izakaya with the addition of some very creative dishes. The chawanmushi comes to mind as well as the tskune. Favorites also include hotate, kaki fry, and sake clam. There are many other dishes to explore and I look forward to coming back. read more

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We tried the chicken oyster and chicken meatball, we are picky people but do really like the taste and had a wow moment. The servers were nice and friendly as well, not pushy or hash and give us private time. Would go again for sure read more

We were so well taken care of. A date dinner with my love one we had a delicious Japanese Hot pot and some other goodies. We both said this is perfect for the rainy weather of February! The place is small and super cozy! I felt we were close to our neighbors enough to peak on their meal. lol!! The cocktails were yummy but a bit sweet to my liking. But oh yum!! We are going back to their sushi special day.- might be Sunday! You won't get disappointed!! read more

Some of the dishes tastes really salty such as the sake clam, and not just us saying that, the group next to us were also complaining about it. Also their service was really poor, literally right after we signed the check, the server immediately said the next group on the wait list needed to come in and trying to kick us out. C'mon, yes we are about to leave right after we sign the check but you guys don't need to treat people like this. I'm very disappointed with their customer service provided at such an expensive restaurant. Their service makes their customer experience worse than at a fast food place. Also their tables are quite close to each other coz they are trying to fit as many customers as possible? And there's no privacy at all read more

Drunken Monk - Izakaya Near Me - Menlo Park, California

Came here with no expectations. The service was great and the food was very good as well. Would recommend the yakitori skewers (especially the tskune meatball skewer) as the grill flavor is strong, making the skewers very flavorful. Many of the sauces are slightly on the sweeter end, which some people in my party didn't enjoy as much (but it was fine for me). The uni don was delicious, and all the fish/seafood tastes very fresh. A little pricy depending on what you order but highly recommend. read more

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Food was great, excellent omakase. Nabe was delish. Yum Service: Reserved a 3 ppl seat, arrived on time, no 3ppl seat available, was sat at a table for 2, with an added chair. Food could not fit on table, we were encouraged many times to finish so food can be put on the table. Our waitress was very stressed out and anxious, did not make for a relaxing and enjoyable experience. At one point, she brought a wrong order to our table, was quickly caught by the chef/manager. She came to our table and grabbed the dish without ever explaining to us what happened lol. She's always in a great hurry, when she poured water for us the mugs were shaking so hard from her speed water almost spilled out. read more

Food was great, but the price is about 30% higher than other high end Japanese restaurants and I don't know if they can justify this. I don't understand the reasoning behind these prices. 8 dollars for chicken yakitori per item. 6 pieces nigiri are 45 dollars chef's choice? Karaage is 16 dollars? Food: 4/5 Price: 1/5 Ambience: 5/5 Parking is very limited, I suggest street parking. read more

Feels like you are in Japan when you step into this cozy restaurant. They specialize in Japanese small plates! Recommended skewers: Kabuto pork, chicken oyster, sashito peppers, wagyu skewers with truffle oil and salt, and okra. The house make miso pancetta with yuzu ice was amazing! The sesame cheesecake was a close second - dense but the flavor was a great balance of traditional cheesecake and sesame. Wonderful service. read more

Really enjoyed the food here, it's a middle ground between a high end omakase and standard sushi place. They have special dishes that are not on the standard menu so make sure to ask your server, such as the scallops . Service was great with a traditional style ambiance. The servers were very knowledgeable and explained all the dishes. read more

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My daughter and I went to Drunken monk at Menlo Park for dinner. We discovered this is a must go place for a unique high quality Izakaya and really amazing sushi restaurant. We ordered quite a lot . We are very satisfied with every dishes we ordered! Even the sake steam clams were surprisingly delicious . And the sustainable bluefin tuna sashimi over rice Kaisen Don style was just unforgettable amazing fresh tasty good. We had a great experience. Drunken monk has brought the quality of Izakaya and sushi to another high level! The service is also an A plus. We could feel so much hospitality here. Drunken monk restaurant has perfect environment for a quality night out as well. We believe it is one of the highlights in Menlo Park. My daughter said this is my favorite restaurant now. Love to recommend this restaurant to everyone . I give a 2 thumbs up for Drunken Monk. read more

Had an outstanding experience at Drunken Monk, they may become our go to date night spot. Ambiance was cozy and chill in spite of the smaller dining room the table layout was spacious and let us enjoy each other's company. Every server was polite and attentive offering perfect suggestions and were very friendly. On top of that they served all drinks to perfection including marshmallows toasted with a golden crisp shell and delightfully oozing centers. All the food was absolutely stunning, but the star of the show was the Karaage. It was so good not only did it stop all conversation but I had to send the photo to friends and family to express how wonderful it was. Do not skip out on the wasabi and lemon it is served with as they elevate this near religious experience into the Milky Way. The wagyu skewers were cooked to a perfect medium rare and extremely tasty, the corn Kakiage was a perfect balance of sweet and salty with a pepper that was lightly charred so that the insides were cooked but the seeds were not popped, the gyoza with it's spicy oil dipping sauce was beautifully presented and balanced, the bacon wrapped onions were chewy crispy rolls of joy. Not pictured was the ochazuke (eel over special rice that is bloomed by green tea). Considered taking a photo after we had already dug in, but felt like it would not do the dish justice. The process of watching the server pour the tea over the rice and eel was enough to make us want to dig in right away. We've already made plans and lists of people we want to bring with us to share Drunken Monk with on our next visits. read more

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Do not go here on an empty stomach! If you do, you will easily drop $150. I found this place intriguing; it's hard to find authentic Japanese food around here. This place does justice to the Izakaya concept; it has a large selection of Yakitori (chicken) but not quite as large for beef or vegetables. My friend and I tried the wagyu skewers and the bacon wrapped tomato ones. For $14, you got four smallish pieces of beef that in my opinion were slightly overcooked. I prefer a little pink in the middle but these were cooked through. It was tasty but not out of this world. At $8 the bacon wrapped cherry tomatoes were a bargain for 5 pieces; these were unique and tasty. We ordered the tuna tartare with Ankimo @$25 and this came in a large spoon; very nicely presented. It was super delicious and fresh but I could have eaten at least two more. We also had the kinmedai, the snapper nigiri. Again beautifully presented and fresh. For cocktails, we order the lychee high ball, it is shochu based and was very refreshing; not too sweet. It was packed indoors and had a good vibe; everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. The wait staff was very nice and explained everything in detail. I'd like to go back when someone else is paying LOL; but it would be a good place to take a customer or client as it is high quality and goes beyond run of the mill sushi places. The sake selection is quite extensive as well. read more

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Our Valentine's dinner was ruined by the terribly long wait for food and unattentive service. My girlfriend and I ordered the special Valentine's 8 course dinner. Not only did it take forever between each course, but they also managed to miss two of the main course. We felt even worse because they kept bringing food to other tables who came much later than us while we were waiting for our food. Oit dinner lasted 2 hours with 15 minutes wait between every plate, which were tiny. They never checked in with us to see what we were waiting for or how the meal was going, but they checked in with other tables. While the food and ambiance was good, the whole experience just left us feeling empty and our special night ruined. Never received a sincere apology from them for the wait or the missing plates. Would never come back again. read more

This is my first time visiting Drunken Monk, the restaurant's name suggests me about a cozy and lovely dining place and it was true to my expectations. Everything was delightful, from the food to friendly staff, especially my server - Toro - she's very kind and informative. Overall I had a great experience and will definitely come back! :) read more

Drunken Monk - Yummy food and amazing service - Izakaya Near Me - Menlo Park, California

Small parking lot in the back and can also find some street parking nearby. Would definitely recommend utilizing the waitlist function via Yelp. Didn't see any spots available via reservations. At the time I visited, they didn't have any alcohol available. Seemed like they had 1 bathroom for the whole place but not 100% sure. Tried the sake clam, scallop carpaccio, soriresu chicken oyster. I liked the clam and scallop the best. Clam comes in a hot broth and had a rich flavor. The scallops had a citrus type of sauce. Chicken oyster was good and juicy, kind of like chicken thigh. Tried the yuzu mocktail which was okkkk but not worth the price imo. Food and inside was nice. Would come again once they serve alcohol. read more

This become one of my favorite restaurants! As soon as we entered the restaurant, several servers welcomed us. The interior was so cozy and cute with all the decorations. Once we got seated, a server promptly introduced their menu to us. The food was excellent, and their mocktails were so unique. I like their mocktails a lot. It's perfect for someone like me who doesn't drink alcohols. I highly recommend their sake clam and chawanmushi - both were incredibly tasty. We also tried both their Japanese and American Wagyu. Despite the significant price difference, trying both makes it clear. The Japanese Wagyu was so buttery and literally melted in my mouth. I would say it's worth every penny. We also love the ambiance and music there, adding to the overall delightful experience. Highly recommend this restaurant to everyone! read more

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The overall food was great. But just didn't worth the money and the wait. For the same price paid, we could have 2 meals for the same quality food in other places. read more

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Amazing service and food. We came here on a whim after checking the yelp reviews and the Drunken Monk did not disappoint. The restaurant seems to be run by a close knit group of friends whose dream is to open a restaurant where people can relax after a hard day's work. And relax we did! We ended meeting all the servers and the chefs who were down to drink with us and even showed us some tasty items that were off menu. Would definitely recommend this place for a chill vibe. This review is a few months later but thank you so much for your hospitality! We had a blast! -Erin, Bryan and Ryan read more

Visited on a Friday night right after opening, and we were the first to be seated. The line was nonstop, and it became a full house within seconds. It was insane. The host was incredibly welcoming, and the server provided detailed menu introductions. I'd recommend following their suggestions; otherwise, with so many tempting options, it's hard to choose. The lobster and sukiyaki were standout dishes (highly recommended for Hokkaido A5), and the sake clams and skewers were so good!!!! Ordered scallop cappacio as appetizers it was so fresh. Grateful for this Izakaya in Menlo Park - we had a fantastic time and will definitely return! read more

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Great food, friendly service, and a cozy atmosphere! I had several dishes from the menu and each one was delicious. Everything was fresh, and the portions were generous. The staff was super attentive and made sure we had everything we needed. Definitely a place I'll be coming back to! read more

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Amazing food, no matter how many times we eat there. The only downside is the price! Fairly expensive for the quantity

Have been back for a few times to try different things on the menu, I will let the pictures speak for themselves! They serves fresh, high-quality sushi and delicious skewers in a relaxing atmosphere. Attentive service and variety of sake selection. Highly recommend for a special night out! read more

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Delicious meal! What a surprise to see this open where my old favorite Japanese restaurant Gombeii used to be. The staff were super friendly, my oyako don was incredible with lots of flavor, the chawanmushi so smooth and filled with two generous prawns and other goodies and yummy umami broth. I can't wait to try other dishes as their menu expands. It was a relaxing, pleasant dining experience. For a new restaurant there were plenty of diners... it will be packed and hard to get a table soon as the word gets out! read more

Drunken Monk - Chawanmushi: so smooth, full of fresh ingredients and flavorful! - Izakaya Near Me - Menlo Park, California

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There is an uncomfortable gap here between the high quality and high prices of the food and the pedestrian, bare bones and rather uncomfortable setting in which it is served. Others have gone into their dismay with the prices here so I won't duplicate that, but for me it would have been more acceptable if the atmosphere and design of the interior had been created in service of the quality of the dishes they serve. Instead it appears that little attention was paid either to aesthetics, which I understand are subjective, or to patron comfort. The young crowd populating the place early last evening did not seem to mind. The service was extremely pleasant but could not completely compensate for the unevenness of the food flow from the kitchen. If you choose to try it I would suggest sticking to the sushi and the skewers, as others have mentioned, as with those selections you will get something special for the price. I was dismayed at the unusual wine pour. Six ounces has become standard in restaurants, five ounces still exists but in a very long career of wine drinking in restaurants I had not encountered a 4 ounce pour until last night at the Drunken Monk. So if I usually have two 6 ounce glasses of wine with dinner at this establishment I had to order three and that really drove up my bill. Hair-raisingly small amount of difficult parking alongside a driveway next to the restaurant-I got there a little before they opened for dinner and snagged the last available spot. With all these drawbacks you want all the food to be great, and some of it is, but your wallet will remember the evening well. read more

Amazing food. Best sushi in Bay Area. Can't believe more people don't know about it.

Long overdue review. When DM first opened in October last year, we decided to give this new place a try. We're so glad we did - unlike any other places we visited, DM has such a charm that makes you feel like family. Food is excellent. Each dish is meticulously prepared and every ingredient carefully chosen and cooked to a perfect temperature. Service is *beyond* incredible: attentive, welcoming, and it gets even better every time we returned. Yesterday was my partner's birthday, and from the moment we walked in, the DM team went above and beyond to make our experience truly unforgettable. And they nailed it again; it was a total blast. One last note, we've been lucky enough to have talked to both the chefs and staffs at DM. I'm immensely impressed by the whole team's dedication to work and excellence. From sourcing, preparation, menu design, to sake selection. The amount of time and effort they put into it is incredible. I do hope their work will continue to get the recognition they deserve. read more

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The waiters and waitresses are super nice. Also the food are delicious. I like the skwets the most!

So happy to discover Drunken Monk! Yakitori was tender and delicious, sukiyaki broth flavorful, and a5 wagyu with onsen egg dipping sauce just the right amount of richness. They don't have alcohol yet (went during soft opening) but the mocktail was amazing. Came early and the place filled up shortly after. Perfect addition to Menlo! read more

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I came back after our first visit that wasn't so great, the next visit was amazing! Service picked up and they're a lot more attentive now. Food still takes a long time to come out so I would recommend setting aside a couple hours for dinner. They also added sushi to their menu that always comes out fresh and so good but it has increased their price point so it's no longer a casual dinner. I would only spend this much for special events or a business dinner. read more

Recommended by friend and came by on a Saturday night. Immediately fell in love with the chill environment of the restaurant. Food is deliciously highly recommend the corn kagiyage. Would defiantly come back again. read more

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Great gem! Fantastic oyakodon and skewers! Our favorite skewers: okra, sashito pepper, shitake mushroom, and the best black truffle Wagyu beef! Wonderfully prompt and friendly waitresses. read more