Three Wise Monkeys

Monday, June 5th, 2023

I visited the Three Wise Monkeys on date night, 1 June 2023. We were seated immediately as I was aware that they don't take reservations. The place was buzzing, and I was quite excited to try them as this was highly recommend on social media and I read some of the reviews. So, first things first, drinks. I decided to try the Rose, they only have two choices, then disappointment set in, the one I wanted they did not have in stock, so I had no choice but to go for the more expensive option. So, a tip ... if you not going to give me a choice of drink, please fill my glass to the brim and not just pour a regular glass. Then we wanted some juice... no juice. OK, no problem, still excited to be here. We decided to have some starters, crispy tofu and salt and pepper squid. The tofu was delicious, the squid was chewy but was delicately seasoned, so the flavour was delightful but yes, the fact that it was chewy took away from the enjoyment of the meal. But we forge ahead, still positive. At this point we were told that they don't have the chicken and leek yakitori in stock, which is what I wanted. But moving on, hubby knew he wanted the ramen and decided to try the duck and I asked the waiter what he recommends for the buns option. He recommended the buttermilk chicken bun. So, the duck was a hit and miss for us, the broth was amazing (I need to find the recipe) but the duck itself was a miss. It was not tasty at all; it was chewy and dull and added nothing to the dish. The chicken on the bun was crispy and tasty, the mayo was delectable, but the bun needed some spice, something to set the tongue ablaze, I missed that part. Again, we decided to continue onto dessert, the menu has three options, however only one was available, so we tried the only option of matcha salt custard bun, of which we received three, I tried one, and that was it. Total miss, the entire dish lacked texture and flavour. Not sure if I would give this spot another try, there were too many examples of things not in stock (like juice, my favourite rose, chicken yakitori, dessert options). And the overall experience was merely OK, not amazing, not awesome, not mind-blowing, not exciting) just OK.