Had to get out of the house and decided if I was going to take my life in my hands in the time of Covid-19, it had better be worth it. Monark is the best Chinese/Thai food in Riverside and never disappoints. They have shaded seating outside with properly distanced tables and we received disposable menus. The beer was opened at our table and our server wore gloves. I felt safe and left sated. Looking forward to having dinner there again soon. read more

We had a wonderful dinner tonight with friends. I love this restaurant because it is quiet, and relaxing. It has a very civilized ambiance. My wife and I have come here before for lunch, and with our children for dinner. The food has been consistently delicious. Tonight, we had wonton soup, vegetable spring rolls, and coconut shrimp for our appetizers. To drink, we shared a bottle of Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc, which was nicely chilled. My wife had plum wine. For entrees we shared the Emperor's Choice, Thai spicy green beans with pork, pad see ew with beef, and brown rice. Everything was fresh, beautifully presented, and very flavorful. We were able to sit and talk after finishing our meal without being rushed. Monark Bistro is a little oasis in Riverside. read more

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The wife and I have always walked by this place and keep forgetting to try it. Well, tonight we remembered. So glad we did. The ambiance is absolutely the best. Very comfortable booths and felt super relaxed. Started with Crab Rangoons. They were amazing. Our meal, we split the Monark Steak and the Shrimp Fried Rice. Everything was better than expected and we will DEFINITELY be coming back. read more

Closest to home , delicious Asian food and especial the combination fried rice, I'll recommend to everyone in Riverside

Expensive, Rude Service!! OK food. As a vegetarian I went to this restaurant once or twice a week. Needless to say, this was my favorite place for the past 10 years. While the servers were rude, the food was excellent served for a decent price. Since renovating this restaurant, (they changed their name from Little Emperor to Monark) they significantly increased the price (~40%) coupled with the same rude service. For a recent birthday, my friends planned a surprise party, to which more people showed up than they reserved. The owner, Karen, was very grouchy and irritated with my friends that more people were at the restaurant, and that they had to put together more tables -- this was when the restaurant was nearly empty. Myself along with my friends and family stopped going to this restaurant. read more

Monark Asian Bistro has undergone many changes throughout the years. It used to be a habit of my family when I was younger to visit here at least 3 or 4 times a month for lunch or dinner when it was called Little Emperor. I don't know why we stopped coming on a regular basis but I think it was sometime when they began to incorporate Thai food into the menu (my parents aren't adventurous with different types of cuisine) and stopped making their 3 noodle soup (my parent's favorite which was always ordered when one of us was feeling under the weather). But coming to Monark often is something that I'm beginning to do once again now that I've started a family of my own. I don't care much for their Thai food (especially their tom kha gai because I very much dislike the presence of largely diced tomatoes which to me is more characteristic of Vietnamese cuisine); BUT I still adore their Chinese fare ESPECIALLY the hot-n-sour soup. They create a wonderful ambiance which is especially nice if I make the time to sit down and enjoy their $10.95 prix fixe dinner special (I usually get beef and broccoli and hot tea) otherwise I typically order a hot-n-sour soup to go. Besides the hot-n-sour soup my favorite part about dining at Monark is seeing the owner Karen. She is always smiling and in a good mood and remembers my family/me, asking how we are doing and what we are up to. You can't get service like that at a chain restaurant which is another reason to support the local business and Monark is one of the best! read more

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Our office had a sales luncheon here on Monday and it was very nice inside. The service was ok. I ordered the Orange Chicken Lunch special I was very dissapointed. The crab rangoons were the BOMB however! :) they do a marvelous job on the Walnut Shrimp and it's served with chunks of sweet Pineapple. Overall I can't say I was overwhelmingly impressed with the food itself but I really think it was just because of what I ordered everyone else raved about the Egg Flower Soup and the Sweet and Sour soup too. Again GREAT interior, nice ambiance and the service was friendly so I'll probably give it another try later. Respectfully Reviewed read more

This is my favorite place to go when I want Asian cuisine. We usually order the Monark steak which is juicy, tender and a great portion. Another usual favorite is the orange chicken because of the great flavor and dusted texture. We come here atleast once every few weeks. Even when I try something new I am never disappointed. The service is great. It is a smaller restaurant with a very intimate feel. It's perfect for a date or an evening business dinner. read more

They serve you inedible food, and then they charge you for it! This was our second visit to Monark. The first time the owner (or manager) stood at the table behind us and talked to the people there during our entire meal. Having someone stand over your shoulder and carry on a lengthy conversation is, at best, extremely annoying. Tonight one of us ordered Miso Salmon. The fish was not fresh and was overcooked. It was, in a word, inedible. The waiter, while apologizing, removed the dish and brought something else. When our check arrived we were charged for the salmon, which was six dollars more than the meal we consumed. When we asked the waiter about it he told us that "she" said we ordered the salmon, so we had to pay for it. But, she wasn't charging us for the other that we did eat. So, basically, the philosophy at Monark Asian Bistro is, "Even if we serve you a meal that is inedible, we still charge you for it!" read more

Been in business for 30 years! Order the kung pao chicken and husband got the beef pad thai. Ordered crab and cream cheese wontons - amazing. It is best served family style with large portions. Highly recommend ordering that way! read more

This place is interesting because its a blend of Chinese & Thai. The food is delicious and actually healthy, which in my experience is pretty rare to come by in Asian food. Almost all the dishes are stir fried instead of deep fried... The environment is very classy, great decorations and service is really good, you can tell the staff has been there a long time and it is a family run restaurant. You can ask for even healthier options like brown rice or light sauce. If you like spicy food, make sure to ask for extra spicy because they tone everything down for the general public. If it still isnt spicy enough, ask for the chili sauces, they have the traditional red chinese chili sauce and another thai green chili sauce that is stupid hot! MY GO-TO DISH: Thai Gourmet Chicken or Thai Basil. The lettuce wraps are different than the ones you get at PF Changs, but they are even more delicious!!! read more

This restaurant is located in a nice and clean area.Friendly and nice staff.I love the basil eggplant and Tom yum. Would recommend to friends in the future. read more

Yum! P. F. Chang was filled up because of Valentine's Day, My friend was jonesing for Chang's fried rice. So we took a chance on Monark, a closer venue with a good menu of Chinese, Taiwanese and Thai dishes. His conclusion. Monark's Chinese fried rice was just as tasty as Chang's. My conclusion: Monark's menu gave me more choices than Chang's. I ordered the spicy crispy shrimp, which was different than the Chinese version I was used to from Yang Chow in LA, but deliciously different. Instead of sticky and sweet, they were pungent with five spice mix, crispy and yet tender. My friend loves Creole-style seafood, and scarfed down the shrimp I shared with him and was smiling. And to top it all off, we got the house wine special at $6 a glass, which was super good, in gorgeous glasses. The not-very-oaked Chardonnay was wonderful. We are definitely going back to sample more from the eclectic menu. Taiwanese food is different than Chinese food; Taiwan was inhabitEd by Polynesians before the Non-Communists Chinese fled there. So try the Taiwanese dishes too. Definitely delicious. The owner/manager is from Taiwan and has a Polynesian background, so she knows what she's doing. The waitstaff is helpful and knows a lot about the various dishes if you need recommendations. Got the chicken satay and the shrimp and pork dumplings as appetizers. The satay with that peanut sauce were my favorite of the two, but my friend liked the hearty dumplings. This place is in the Canyon Crest shopping center just to the right of Ralph's and the Hallmark store. Plenty of people were showing up for take-out, ( and good sign!) but we enjoyed dining at the outdoor tables. read more

The kid up front was ASLEEP! I woke him up by saying hello. He brought me the wrong entree. I kept it because I really didn't want to spend more time. Just like the last time...BLAND. it was supposed to be medium spicy but it hardly had flavor...as I stated BLAND. this was the 2nd & last time I'll go there. . read more

The interior is REALLY nice. But I always feel awkward every time I step into a restaurant and there are no other customers there. I ordered the orange peel chicken... it was good, but the orangey taste was way too strong. I got sick of it. The dishes come out really quick though, we were all pretty impressed. This place is too hidden and doesn't really look like it's open, I would never have noticed an Asian food restaurant here if my roommate didn't point it out. read more

I have been going to this restaurant since I was a child in the 90s and there's a reason it has stuck around for so long. Food is absolutely delicious, servers are great, and the ambiance is cozy, yet elegant. Definitely a must try! read more

Oddly I like the ambiance of this place. Food is basic, I really wanted to like it but it was unimpressive and very overpriced.

Quite expensive for a chinese restaurant, but it's one of the few good ones here in Riverside. I absolutely loooooved their strawberry chicken. It was a mix of tangy and sweet, reminded me of orange chicken but with a pink sauce. The chicken they used was cooked katsu-style and there's real strawberry slices topping the dish. I haven't been here for over a year now though, so I'm still hoping this place is as good as I remembered it to be. The pineapple fried rice was delicious too. It's located in a small corner next to the right of Ralph's at Canyon Crest complex. read more

I've made it a mission to try every restaurant in the Canyon Crest Towne Center and unfortunately Monark has been the most disappointing experience by far. I went on their website to see what they had, and decided to do a takeout order for their sweet and sour chicken lunch special, which was supposedly priced at $8.95, which I suppose is okay for chicken, a side of rice, and one egg roll. When I went in to pick up my order though, I was surprised to find out that they had bumped up all the prices and now the lunch specials ranged from $10.50-$14.50. When I inquired about this, the cashier simply said "Oh...don't look at our website, it hasn't been updated in 10 years." ...okay. He didn't even bother to apologize for the oversight (which I understand isn't his fault, but it would have been nice if he at least tried to provide better customer service), or honor the price that is advertised on their website. Like how you gonna do that to me bruh. When you add up the price of the food, tax, and tip, it ends up being upwards of $14-$15, and I could have honestly gotten a nicer meal elsewhere at that price. Pricing issues aside, I was also not impressed with the food. The chicken was drenched in sauce, yet somehow still managed to have no flavor. It didn't really taste like anything, just...wet. I can honestly say you can get better tasting food at a more reasonable price at Panda Express. I hate leaving negative reviews, but I was just not a fan of this place. read more

Very quaint and intimate place. Definitely somewhere you would go if you were on a date or for a special occasion. However, my boyfriend and I came for a quick lunch break so it can be a very casual setting. We both ordered their lunch specials along with an appetizer; sweet and sour chicken plate, hot garlic and chicken plate, and crab rangoon. Unfortunately, I ordered the sweet and sour chicken with no idea that there would be pineapples in it (allergies) so I had to switch plates with my boyfriend. The plus was that the hot garlic and chicken was absolutely delicious; not too spicy, but just enough to give that little kick. The sweet and sour chicken wasn't terrible, but it wasn't amazing (according to bf). It honestly tasted like something he could put together at home. The crab rangoon was just way too creamy and with not enough crab in it! Also, it was deep fried to the point where there was just enough oil sweating off of it. I give the ambience of the restaurant and service a 4/5 because the waitress seemed a little rushed, but still nice and helpful, but the food a 3/5. read more

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The ambiance was great the food was wonderful and the service was very prompt and polite.

Great service and amazing food l. The designs are so beautiful for the fire cracker plate

I got the walnut shrimp lunch special. The amount of food you get for the price was really reasonable and I was happy. I was full with only half of my plate finished. The ambiance is nice and relaxing. Beautiful. The staff, while not phenomenal, was very attentive without being invasive. I personally prefer it that way. There menu was full of options varying in asian inspiration. But the dessert options were kinda lacking. Overall, I am content with this place. read more

The food here is delicious! It was super fresh and tasty. the vegetables were crisp and delicious in all three of my entrees. I ordered the jungle curry, thai spicy fried rice, and hot garlic beef. Will definitely be here again! read more

Monark Asian Bistro - Thai Spicy Fried Rice with Chicken - Chinese Near Me - Riverside, California

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Best wonton soup I've had in a while. Super friendly staff, clean place, and good ambiance.

Awesome dinner, highly recommend. A friend reminded me of great good and service. Family owned.

Chili Basil Flat Rice Noodles with Shrimp Love the food here...been coming here for years. menu is self explanatory and food is always flavorful and healthy servings. Never greasy or cold. My military friends and all generations and all cultures ...frequent here.Thise noodles ..I tell you..yummy. (flat rice noodles). Negative reviews are probably updated ...falsely. amazing place..check it out for yourself. Service is top notch. Overall awesome Chili Basil Flat Rice Noodles with Shrimp read more

The decor is nice and dark, a classy feel. Service is good, a tad slow but comes with a smile and a small apology TO THE POINT Now this review is based MAINLY on food! this is fine chinese-american cuisine. Chinese American as in more intricate and complicated panda express. The flavors have more depth however ... it isn't OMFG also reminder I am asian and I prefer authentic chinese food over chinese-american. I got pork lo mein, dislike. Lo Mein is suppose to be the noodles with soup, but without the soup. So you should get the noodles (not fried! not stir fried) boiled from the soup based taken out of the soup and placed on the plate. maybe add a bit more flavoring. What I got was chow mein. -_- stir fry noodles. It's different, there's more oil in chow mein. Well it came with egg flower soup which was delicious! They added different types of veggies and wontons in the soup. A good twist Appetizer: Shui Mai, pretty good I like, but i prefer the dim sum ones, anyways i like this dish i think they pan fried it instead of the usual... overall, I would not pay this much for this kind of food. I would rather go to Busy Cafe or elsewhere. However for lunch, since it's cheaper, I wouldn't mind... maybe. read more

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This place is good! Pictured is: Thai Tea, good not too sweet but not too bitter as well. Chicken Satay, the right amount of peanut sauce and the right amount of Smokey Thai flavors! Spicy Thai Fried Rice with shrimp, was not spicy at all but still had good bold flavors. Veggie Pad See Ew, what can I say, I'm a sucker for Pad See Ew so this was absolutely delicious!! Lastly, Royal Shrimp was amazing! It was so good I can't even describe it lol. 10/10 recommend this restaurant if you're Thai Foodie like me! read more

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Good food and good space. Nice food decoration. A bit too expensive though. We still come back anyway hehe read more

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Lovely place Food is delicious Customer service great There plate decoration with the food are so cute read more

Very nice restaurant, staff is extremely friendly. Great service as well. Food is good but could Be better! Only complaint is the orange chicken. Needs more meat! It looked and tasted more like a thin strip of jerky chicken?? It's Just a personal opinion, I'm sure others may find it good. read more

Unfortunately my family and I loved coming here and usually don't have any issues. However today we came and asked if we could sit by the window which we do frequently and have never had a problem. Since there were only 2 others in the restaurant that request was not unreasonable. But instead we were told that because we have a child we cannot sit by the window. Really? Why wasn't this an issue any other time we were here? The waiter/host was rude as he said it and rude as he took our order. We will not be back because I shouldn't be discriminated against and told that certain empty seats are not available for me because I am with my family/child. read more

Always our favorite for fresh tasty Asian. We have been customers since the early 1990's. Always consistent with great service. read more

The service of the waiter was excellent. The food was OK. When I asked for a refill of iced tea, he replied, "They're not free, I would have to charge you." LOL. read more

I love to try new places and had always wanted to try this place whenever I go to the towne center in Canyon Crest. I should have checked recent reviews because I will not be coming back. The place is nice and clean but that is it. I should of left when I asked the waiter if I could sit near window but the waiter said I cannot eat at window seats because they have reservations. I thought Ok and was taken to an area that was near a wall and that area felt dark and isolating. I ordered the broccoli beef lunch special that comes with fried rice and egg roll. The soup was $2.00 extra. I ordered soup because I always get soup whenever I eat Chinese food. While I was waiting finally a group of people come about 10 minutes after I was seated. I did not hear waiter ask for name for reservation and they where seated at window area. Moreover, I was only one at the place at that time. Finally I got my lunch and it looked good but, it was just ok. The meat was very chewy and rice was ok. Than I was given bill without being asked if I wanted a refill on my tea. I had to ask. I will not come back and even when I left nobody else came for reservations. read more

This was our go to chinese restaurant in Canyon Crest, we have been coming here for years. We decided to come in today for dinner. One of the reasons we like this place is because of the view from the windows in the front. We typically sit there almost always. This time as we walked and asked for our usual booth, we were told by the server rudely that those seats dont allow kids in them. We had our 3 year old son with us and have always sat there before with no problem. Given that there were only 2 other people in the restaurant didn't make sense. I didn't think we would be pushed aside because we have our don with us. What a shame. We won't be back. read more

This is the one offering in Towne Center that is a full restaurant. Service is trained and subtle, food is delightful and presented as if a gift to you. It draws you back, when your tastebuds want a repeat of the dish. read more

I literally crave this place at least twice a week. It's been a while because the girlfriend and I are trying to lose a couple pounds which is difficult if you want everything on the menu. It's very clean. Karen is awesome she seems to remember everybody and make them feel at home. Tonight is crab rangoons, tum yum soup & fried rice. Everything was amazing as usual and I hope you come through and give it a try!! Would have posted a picture of the food but I demolished it all!! read more

Monark Asian Bistro - Chinese Near Me - Riverside, California

Went to Monark for hot and sour soup which was delicious until went to finish it up and found a large flying bug in it. They currently have an A rating from the I Spector's, but.... read more