Monsoon - Palm Desert

We are vegetarians so I can’t speak for concerns on dairy of vegans. Amazing options, flavors and great service

Despite the misinformed staff trying to convince us the veggie appetizer plate was all vegan, even double checking in the kitchen, it had paneer (from cow’s milk) in it. So it seems they’re not really knowledgeable about the difference between vegetarian and vegan dishes. Or they simply don’t care. If you like authentic Indian food that you can taste, this place isn’t for you. It was creasy, and seriously bland. What didn’t help is that it was around 97°F inside, with the AC barely doing a thing. I won’t be back.

This place has as good food as we had in India. So many great vegan selections and many organic dishes. They will make most of the dishes vegan if you simply ask them. It is easily our favorite Indian place in Southern California, and we’ve eaten all over. The owner Harpreet is super cool, kind and humble. They have a great Buffet for lunch and have a whole vegan side of the Buffet with vegan items clearly noted. We love the garlic cauliflower, the samosas, the dumplings (ask to be made vegan), both kind of Dhals, the eggplant Bharati, and spinach.

As vegetarians, we may not have experience with vegan options, but we were impressed by the amazing variety and flavors offered here. The service was excellent as well!

Despite the well-meaning but misinformed staff trying to convince us otherwise, the veggie appetizer turned out to contain dairy (specifically, it had milk in it), even after we double-checked with the kitchen. This indicates that they might not fully understand the difference between vegetarian and vegan food, or perhaps they simply don't care. If you're looking for authentic Indian flavors, this isn’t the place for you. The dishes were greasy and quite bland. To make matters worse, the temperature inside was around 97°F, with barely any air conditioning. I won’t be returning.