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| - Coming from the Venetian, I was blissfully leaving the tourist sin otherwise known as Grand Lux Cafe to stumble into the gritty strip mall that houses Monta, just right down the street. In my love-hate relationship with Vegas, things like this definitely belonged to the first category.
Two groups of very jovial Japanese business men occupied the cozy joint when we walked in. They seemed right at home, joyfully exchanging conversations from across the restaurants to each other as well as the waitresses. From the smiling eyes to the careless laughter, I make the speculation that they were tourists happy to have found Monta. I've been there, that rare delight from finding a great Vietnamese restaurant somewhere completely unexpected.
It was a frigid night. Lips cracked from the desert air, my mouth greedily welcomed the steaming broth of the Tonkatsu Ramen, rich with pork bone flavor and complimented with smooth strings of fresh noodles. Had it been warmer weather, I'd have opted for the Tonkatsu-Shoyu Ramen, a bit lighter with the mix-in of chicken-flavored Shoyu broth.
I could do without the pricey upsell of add-ons, but I still highly recommend them, especially the soft-boiled egg, corn, and seaweed. You may end up spending nearly 10 bucks on ramen, but it's still a better choice than anything at Grand Lux
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