The Monk's Indian Bistro

Reviews

• HA

  Hilla Aman

  4 days ago
  1.0
  The food was incredibly bland and lacked flavor
• BV

  Brent Vickers

  5 days ago
  5.0
  Ordered pickup from them last night as they are super close to my house. Holy crap they are GOOD! Absolutely loved everything we ordered. Ate so much I crashed and fell asleep before I could leave this review. Will be going there again, highly recommend!
• JJ

  Jevin James

  Jan 5, 2026
  5.0
  TLDR; THIS FOOD WAS AMAZING for our catering order for a 115 person Desi party!! I had the pleasure of working with The Monk's Richmond for a catering order for a party of 115 people. From the start, they were very responsive with phone calls, taking the order down, providing recommendations, etc. I was able to come and taste test the food and it was delicious! However, one of my fears was that the actual catering order would taste different since it was being cooked on a larger scale. I'm so happy to say that all the guests RAVED about the food. Numerous people, both young and older/parents, approached me asking where the food was from and saying it was some of the best catered food they have had. It made me so happy as the host!! I want to really recommend this business and their food for any Desi parties. We ordered the Dynamite chicken, the Gobi darbar, the Maggi rolls, chicken lollipops, the chicken momos. People LOVED the dynamite chicken, gobi darbar and the momos. Once again, it was an absolute pleasure working with this business and highly recommend for Desi events!
• PK

  Prasad Kalva

  Dec 12, 2025
  5.0
  We recently catered from Monks in Richmond, TX for a family get-together, and wow — the food was a total hit! The Indo-Chinese flavors were amazing and super fresh. We ordered Chicken Dynamite, Chicken Fried Rice, Vegetarian Momos, and Schezwan Noodles, and every single dish was packed with flavor. The Chicken Dynamite had the perfect mix of spice and crunch, Fried Rice was loaded with tender chicken and tasted just right, and the Momos — oh my gosh — were soft, juicy, and seriously delicious. The Schezwan Noodles brought that great kick of heat everyone loved. Portions were generous, everything tasted freshly made, and the staff was really friendly and easy to work with. Our guests couldn’t stop talking about how good the food was. Definitely going back to Monks for our next gathering!
• NL

  Nikki Loya

  Nov 27, 2025
  5.0
  Great momos, wonderful server — but an unprofessional head chef ruined the experience I’m writing this because I genuinely want the owners of Monk’s Indian Bistro in Richmond to know what happened during my visit the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. I had been so excited to bring my sons here. I’d hyped up the momos and the Sichwan noodles to them for weeks, and we finally had a chance to go as a family of five. When we ordered, we asked for the family-size Sichwan noodles. Our server, Ram, who was an absolute delight—sweet, grounded, and patient—let us know that the family platter was normally for takeout only. No issue at all. My son immediately said, “Then we’ll place it as a to-go order; we still want it.” Ram smiled and handled it perfectly. The tandoori chicken momos came out first and they were fantastic—flavorful, tender, exactly the kind of dish I wanted my boys to try. If the experience had stopped there, this would be a five-star review. But then everything fell apart. The food began arriving at long, awkward intervals: • First the spicy masala noodles… • 10 minutes later, the chicken Manchurian… • Another 12–15 minutes later, the fried rice… Each plate trickled out one by one. Instead of a family meal, it became a staggered, disjointed experience where each person waited for someone else’s dish to show up. Not ideal, but manageable—until the real issue surfaced. Suddenly, from the kitchen, we heard someone yelling. Loud. Harsh. Clearly angry. It was the head chef, and he was berating Ram in earshot of customers. He was shouting at him in Hindi, demanding to know why he accepted a family platter order for a seated table. Ram tried to explain—in the gentlest way—that we, the customers, had asked for it to be placed as a to-go order. But the chef continued yelling, rude and aggressive. As a mother, it made my stomach turn. It was embarrassing, unprofessional, and deeply uncomfortable to witness someone being treated that way at their workplace. To make matters worse, the restaurant was basically empty. A couple delivery drivers popped in and out, but it was hardly a stressful dinner rush. There was absolutely no reason for this outburst. A little while later, Ram—visibly shaken but still polite—brought our to-go Sichwan noodles to the table. We apologized to him that he had to endure that kind of treatment in front of us. When he said, “It’s okay, I’m used to it,” my heart dropped. No employee should ever be “used to” being yelled at by their superior. We asked to speak with the head chef, thinking maybe we could calmly address what happened. Both Ram and another kind server quietly told us they wouldn’t recommend it. That alone speaks volumes. I want to be very clear: The food has potential. The momos were stellar. Ram was wonderful. But no dish—no matter how delicious—is worth the discomfort and tension we witnessed. A restaurant is not only about what comes out of the kitchen. It is about the environment, the teamwork, the respect between staff, and the experience customers have while dining. Hearing a chef scream at an employee, food arriving 10–15 minutes apart, and watching a staff member shrink under verbal abuse is not an acceptable dining experience. I sincerely hope the owners of Monk’s address this immediately. The head chef at this location needs a firm reminder that he is in a professional setting. Customers should never hear tantrums or aggressive outbursts from the kitchen, and employees like Ram—who exemplify patience, courtesy, and professionalism—should never bear the brunt of such behavior. I came in with high hopes. I left disappointed, uncomfortable, and sad that something as simple as a family dinner was overshadowed by completely avoidable drama. I want this place to succeed—but changes need to be made.

Frequently Asked Questions About The Monk's Indian Bistro