Whenever we're in the area, we try to stop by Drunken Monk for dinner. It's a cute, casual, but nice and intimate izakaya spot with a great mix of traditional and modern dishes. Whenever we come, we usually start off with a few skewers. Be sure to hear what skewers they have on special, those are usually pretty tasty. I also like the wagyu and chicken meatball. For appetizers, my go to is the crispy chicken skin -- the pieces are so crunchy and nicely seasoned! I also like the corn tempura as a starter. You really can't go wrong with any of the dishes! The service is also really great, the servers usually recognize us and are so welcoming. Definitely a great local spot worth checking out!

New favorite Japanese restaurant in the area! The ambiance is so cute and roomy, and feels like you've been transported to Japan. My husband and I made a reservation for lunch the day before. Highly recommend making a reservation as the restaurant gets busy. We got some nigiri, tsukune meatball, oyakodon, and niku udon. Honestly everything was delicious, but the oyakodon was the biggest standout to me. Portions are a bit small and it can get pricey (the udon and oyakodon were about $25 each), but it's worth it for the great quality and freshness. There is a parking lot in the back that's shared with the coffee shop, but spaces are limited. Service is great -- we appreciated the recommendations from our server too. We are already talking about when we can come back again!

Small izakaya with friendly waiters and cute ambiance! Second time coming here but liked how the changed the dishes. Rotating special items as well during lunch/dinner. Hot sake was nice and they gave a bit extra for free as well! FOOD: Scallop Carpaccio (8/10) - One of my favorite dishes here and got it both times. The scallop is super fresh! Must try Ochazuke (7/10) - Super sweet eel over rice with a broth. I actually preferred the rice and eel without the broth, but they recommend mixing it together. Chef Choice Nigiri (6/10) - Not the best I've had, but still decent Gyu Tongue Skewers (7/10) - A solid skewer! Would get if you like beef tongue

Been eyeing this spot ever since they opened and I'm so happy I got to finally try this gem. When you walk in, you're welcomed with a warm & cozy ambiance. The interior isn't that big but the food is what makes this restaurant busy almost always. The corn tempura was delicious, perfectly crispy and the right amount of corn. The sukiyaki was huge, the American wagyu option is delicious as well. In addition, we got udon on the side to enjoy the broth with. Overall, service is efficient, parking can be difficult but they do have some space in the back. The food is worth coming for & I hope to come again to explore more of the menu!

Came for a birthday dinner and it was amazing. We were warmly welcomed to the space which is warmly lit and instantly smells of yakitori. Food was delicious. Everything was cooked perfectly. It was honestly the juiciest chicken I've had for chicken yakitori. The tsukune was my favorite. It had the perfect texture and the egg yolk sauce was The service was so nice and checked in frequently. Note that parking was kind of a pain in front, park on the parallel street of the block if you can't find anything!

We made advanced reservations in this small Japanese restaurant for dinner in a Friday night.. they have about 10 tables and the best way to try the food is to try small sharing plates for the party. Lived the interior serene and authentic modern Japanese decor. We started with a couple of mocktail matcha drinks. Love the MATCHA YUZU AMAZAKE and the way it was served!! We tried the MAPO TOFU OMELET DON ($23) which was delicious with rice topped with spicy tofu and minced wagyu beef garnished with green. The most delicious mapo tofu I have ever tried!! Next was Wagyu Beef yakitoti and as expected it was so soft and delicate!! We also tried the CORN KAKIAGE Fresh Corn Tempura, ochazuke topped with unagi, a selection on hotate and hamachi sashimi. All presented in perfection with delicate taste. And last but not least the most memorable desserts which included Miso Panna Cotta w/Yuzu Shaved Ice and Matcha Mochi!! The dinner was not cheap but neither is the ingredients and quality of the meat and seafood present in each dish. We loved the experience and ambiance and will try it again for a special occasion,

We ordered the omakase special ($118 per person), which was slightly on the pricier side but delivered great quality fish. The portions were satisfying, and we left feeling full. Our favorite piece was the fatty tuna, which was rich and perfectly prepared. Outside the omakase, we tried the fried oysters and wagyu skewer. The oysters were crispy and flavorful, while the wagyu skewer was underwhelming and could've been better. For drinks, we had the lychee amazake and the red shiso/apple yuzu, both of which were refreshing and enjoyable. Overall, Drunken Monk is a solid choice for a sushi night, especially if you're after fresh, well-prepared fish and unique drink options. While the omakase is a bit pricey, the quality and portions make it worth considering.

What a hidden gem in Menlo Park!! I've visited Drunken Monk twice within a two week span because I was so blown away with how great the food tasted. Came here for dinner for both times and I'd definitely recommend getting a reservation before you come. There's definitely a dinner rush here! I was greeted quickly by the hostess and seated quickly to my table with my party every time I've been to Drunken Monk. The waitress went through the menu and made great recommendations based off of what we were craving. They're also very knowledgeable with their sake menu, and were also able to make great recommendations based on what our preferences were. I had the corn kakiage twice and it was a great appetizer to start our meal! There's a good selection of izakaya skewers here and my favorites would definitely be the soriresu, momo, and tsukune. The chicken were cooked well and the different seasonings and sauces it came with complimented the skewers well! For the main course, I had the American Wagyu sukiyaki and it's definitely enough for two people to share. The udon texture and broth were perfect. It also came with a generous platter of different veggies to add to the broth. For sake, I let the waitress know that I typically enjoy a sweet and refreshing sake. She recommended us to try this new "sake rosé". It was a very refreshing sake with a hint of sweetness to it which paired nicely with the izakaya. Drunken Monk had a cozy and modern feel to it and the staff made the experience very welcoming! It seems that they have visiting chefs from time to time (while I was there, they had a visiting omakase chef). I'd planning on coming for the THIRD time next time around and maybe planning on trying their omakase! It's definitely on the pricier side; it'll be a great option for a fancy date night or a nice girls night out. Check out Drunken Monk! You won't regret it.

If you're a fan of innovative Japanese cuisine, Drunken Monk is a must-visit! From start to finish, the experience was phenomenal. The highlight for me was the Zuke O-toro--seared fatty bluefin tuna with garlic soy. The melt-in-your-mouth richness paired with the perfectly balanced sauce was unforgettable. Other standouts included the Amaebi Spoon with Uni & Ikura--each bite was a luxurious burst of sweet shrimp, creamy uni, and salty salmon roe--and the comforting Ochazuke, with its toasty genmaicha broth and a delightful mix of unagi and ume plum. For a twist, don't skip the Tori Kawa (fried chicken skin) and Corn Kakiage--both are addictively crispy! The Chawanmushi was delicate yet packed with flavor, featuring fresh seafood like shrimp and clams. Make sure to come here with your friends or family for special occasions. Definitely recommend! Tina's Tips: Make a reservation through their IG page: @exploretock to avoid the wait, and be sure to ask the server there about the seasonal specials--they're worth exploring!

Drunken monk is an izakaya with creative drinks and relatively simple menu. The parking was full when we got there--a narrow alley where there people were parallel parked leading into a small lot. We were able to find street parking half a block down though so it wasn't a big deal. There was no wait at 7pm on Thursday, although the restaurant was pretty busy. We got corn kakiage, Mapo tofu omelette don, oyakodon, and the unagi ochazuke. Loved everything except the Mapo tofu was a bit of a miss for us-- it conceptually was better than it tasted. For dessert, we got the panna cotta with yuzu shaved ice. The panna cotta was super smooth and the ice had a strong yuzu flavor, would definitely get this again. Overall, this place was quite good. The price was pretty steep though given the portions were fairly small. Looking around, most people seemed to get the nabe so we will have to be back to give that a try