Moongate Asian Bistro & Sushi Bar
1628 Pearl St, Boulder, CO, 80302
Moongate Asian Bistro & Sushi Bar Menu
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Address :
1628 Pearl St
Boulder, CO, 80302 - Phone (720) 406-8888
- Website https://www.moongateasianbistro.com/
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:00 am - 10
- Mon : 11:00 am - 10
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : Yes
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch, Dinner
Parking : Street
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : No
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Thomas L.
Not good at all, cold & tough to eat.
(1)Kendra S.
I just think they're great. I mean they're fast, it's super inexpensive, and the food tastes freshand delicious. They even gave me a hot tea while I waited for my take out order! I've been for lunch and dinner. I recommend the tuna roll and any of the bowls.
(5)Chad J.
I've been a customer at Moongate for several years. They've never been much to write home about, but their average Asian food is relatively well priced. After last night's experience, I think it's time to try something new in Boulder. I was very disappointed with my take-out food. Seriously..it wasn't even edible. It tasted like it was cooked the day before. HORRIBLE. Should I expect lousy food in your last hour of operation? (I called in my order around 9:45pm and picked it up 15-20 mins later). Also, a bit ridiculous to open the bag and find just food in there. No soy sauce. No napkin. No fortune cookie. No silverware. What gives?
(2)Kathryn K.
I just ordered take out, and I am so disappointed. What a waste of money. The food was bland, undercooked noodles and veggies but rubbery chicken that I honestly couldn't even eat. I tried a main, a cup of soup (that was both sad to look at and sad to eat) and a side of steamed veggies. I couldn't even finish any it. Just generally gross I am sorry to say.
(1)Cristina C.
I've dined in and ordered for delivery..both times the food was good! This most recent time, we stuck to basics such as the crispy vegetable rolls, chicken fried rice and the shrimp sushi roll...but that fed a bunch of hungry kids! I love that you can order for people from here whether they want Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese or Japanese food. I think they even had some Korean influenced dishes on the menu. Their menu is huge. Dining in? The 2-top window seat in the dining room is very pleasant, with a great view of busy Pearl Street.
(3)Leanna C.
The best asian food delivered in Boulder. I've never actually been to moongate but I can attest to their delivery. They are quick, efficient and it's always so incredibly tasty, not to mention extremely inexpensive. For those of you who are interested in delivery you can truly get anything off of the menu delivered, including the sushi. I normally get the tandoori hot and sour soup which is fantastic AND it always comes to my door in a massive container and it's still hot. The sushi is a great deal so I typically get that along with some crab and cheese wontons and call it a day. All of the food here is delicious and so incredibly inexpensive that it makes delivery a great option.
(4)Megan T.
We came from out of town and ordered for a delivery. There was something for everyone and the food was delivered fast. Very pleased with the price and quality of the food, we'll remember this place when we come back!
(5)Deanna B.
Too bad I have to give this place a star at all. Worst meal ever. I received delivery of 3 meals and the food literally made 1 guest vomit. The fried egg rolls were deep fried until they were black. The calamari was also very over cooked giving a texture of chewy rubber-bands. The Kung pao chicken wasn't good. It tasted like a cup of sugar was dumped in it...and cooked tomatoes? I have never seen tomatoes in Traditional Chinese meals. That was the best part of the meal. Now for the bad stuff... We found a short course black hair in the fried rice. Not a minute later we found hair in the Kung Pao Chicken which was an inch or 2 long, curly and tangled up in a tomato. We were mortified at how closely it resembled a pubic hair. 1 of my 2 guests vomited. I do not know that I will ever be able to eat Chinese food anywhere after this experience. As far as this restaurant goes, I fully expect they will be shut down by the health department if Boulder's health department does their job.
(1)Matthew U.
This is great place for Date night. The look and feel is hip and modern. I was surprised the test and quality of the food. The menu is very diverse, and I loved my beef dish. I ordered the Beef Satay and the peanut sauce and flavor was perfect. I was disappointed in my s Appetizer big time. I order the Vietnamese spring roll anticipating a soft rice paper delight. Instead I was served a deep fried burnt piece of something with no flavor at all. That was really the only disappointment I had. That being said... I will be back
(4)Nathan M.
Boy, if I could give zero stars I definitely would. In my previous review I stated that I would never order from Moongate again, but I decided to give them another chance. I ordered the usual thing I have, a pad thai with tofu with no bean sprouts or green onions and a crab rangoon. When my order arrived, I checked it briefly to make sure they had gotten it right, and at a first glance, it appeared that they had. But when I took a closer look a little later, it turns out that they got the "no bean sprouts or green onions" part correct, but instead, they put in a different kind of onion. I really do not like onions, I never have, and as I work in a hospital emergency room, I cannot waste my time picking things out of my food. So when I called them back to inform them of their mistake, I was treated absolutely disgustingly and told that it was "my fault" for not specifying that I didn't want ANY onions as opposed to just green onions, as if I was supposed to know that somehow. I hung up in frustration, and to my extreme surprise, they called me back. I very reluctantly answered the phone and proceeded to have who I assume was the manager quite literally yell at me, repeatedly saying that this was my fault and not letting me get a word in edgewise. This time I can say, with ABSOLUTE certainty, that I will NEVER order from Moongate ever again and will inform all of my coworkers and friends to do the same. This restaurant is a joke and I encourage everyone who reads this to avoid it like the plague.
(1)Macie K.
I had the chicken fried rice and grab rangoons and it was not good at all. It's way too expensive and it tasted like school cafeteria food.
(1)Bruce R.
The food is ok. Not bad but not great. Wide variety of Asian food from Chinese to Sushi to Thai. The Pad Thai was pretty tasteless. We ordered mostly Chinese, and there are a lot better Chinese restaurants in town. But the main reason for my two star review was that the service was really pretty lousy.
(2)Ross W.
I was pretty drunk for this one but was thrilled to be able to get Thai food at 10:30 when the last bar I was at had stopped serving food. My panang curry was solid, nothing special but the best part of Thai food is that your average place can usually do it well. My big complaint was that they had only macro beers despite being surrounded by breweries. Attention all Thai restaurants you need to have an IPA available because it pairs really well with Thai curry. My sister was satisfied with her dish but she asked for a vegetarian pad Thai and it contained a lot of tofu and not enough vegetable.
(3)Connie B.
I went here for Mother's Day. We started with sushi: eel, salmon and octopus. All very good. I had pad Thai and my family had Udon Shrimp tempura. Very delicious! The pad Thai was not spicy which I appreciated! The Udon was very good, too, my family members said. We also ordered steamed dumplings which were fabulous! Service was attentive and quick. This is my favorite Chinese restaurant!
(5)Joseph S.
I like this place because the food is always good, prices reasonable, service is good, and it is never crowded or noisy.
(4)Ryan Y.
So my roommate warned me that this was a cheap place to order from and by cheap he meant cheap $ amount and cheap quality. I tried anyways for delivery. not sure how long it took but i know i was waiting for a while. I ordered Terriyaki chicken, and got thinly sliced chicken SOUP over tons of cabbage and some broccoli on the sides. I'm pretty sure even chinese would know to make terriyaki sauce at least somewhat thick and substantial. this was literally just watered down terriyaki soup. Someone please recommend a good japanese place where i can get at least a decent teriyaki dish from
(2)Delaney A.
This is pretty much the only place I will order sushi from. For delivery sushi it's pretty damn good for the price! Pretty sure at least one of my 4 roommates is ordering moongate daily.
(4)Jade Q.
The spicy tuna rolls are delicious, but overall, the food is mediocre. The only times I have been is because I'm strolling by on Pearl Street and suddenly realize that I want Asian food. I have had better. A lot better. I haven't found a dish there that I absolutely love. They are in an excellent location. If they just put more effort into their food, perhaps making more unique, less generic entrées, this place could really be happening.
(3)Marisa M.
I do not enjoy being belittled, especially as a paying customer by an average-at-best restaurant. I've had Moongate delivery before and was not thoroughly impressed by the overpriced chicken dish. Yet I overlooked this, and the fact that the sauce I specifically requested be spicy wasn't even a notch above mild on the heat spectrum. For whatever reason, I decided to give them another try. I'm not sure why their website has custom fields asking if the customer has any special requests (example, to make the aforementioned sauce spicy) and if there is a specific time they would like the order ready if these specifications will go completely overlooked. My most recent, and most likely final, experience with Moongate was to order chicken tempura to be ready specifically at 7:00. I placed my order around 5:20, and received a call at 6:15 or so that my food was ready and had been "sitting for awhile." The soonest I was able to get there was 6:45. When I came in the door, I was scolded like a school kid for being late, and informed that my food had been sitting for a long time. However, despite this clear indication on their part that the food was not good at that point, they would not remake it for me. $11 for soggy, cold tempura?! Oh, the injustices in the world...
(2)Angel P.
A friend and I were trying to find a compromise between Japanese and Thai food as I wanted one and he wanted the other. We ended up at Moongate which seemed to have both cuisines but really regretted our choice. As soon as we got in we were wordlessly seated by a child and served water. She later joined some other kids in a game while someone more appropriately aged to wait tables attended us. Hoping we were wrong with initial impressions, we looked at the menu which looked promising - there is quite a variety of sushi with some Thai and Vietnamese dishes. The food arrived within minutes of ordering and this made itself apparent in the quality. Potstickers were barely cooked and the dough was still raw inside. Hot tea was served lukewarm and had to be exchanged. Soup was nothing to write home about and neither were the rest of the dishes which were severely lacking in any spice whatsoever. With such a great location there is so much potential for this restaurant but I will definitely have my Asian cuisine cravings satisfied elsewhere!
(1)Ashley M.
To be clear from the beginning, my review is based almost entirely on their rolled sushi. That's all I've really had here. The first time I had it was when I first started eating sushi and I thought it was heaven-sent. However, more recently it's moved more to the category of passable. Not sure if that's because I've become more picky or if their quality is actually going downhill... The California Roll tastes like nothing but fishy-fish and seaweed, their spicy tuna is really mushy, and they put crab eggs on everything (even if you ask them not to). The only other thing I've had is the coconut shrimp which have literally no flavor. The prices are low for the most part, but I will say that you do get what you pay for. The fact that it isn't overpriced (considering the quality) is the only thing bumping them from two stars up to three. At least they know what their food is worth. So if you're in the mood for delivery sushi and you don't want to break the bank it's not a bad decision. However, if you have a bit more to spend, there are places that are a lot tastier in Boulder, lots of them are even on the same street.
(3)Tamara V.
Excellent service, atmosphere, menu, and presentation! I had the Szechuan eggplant and hubby had curried chicken of some sort. Both were delicious. I found the Thai hot and sour soup a tad bland but the ingredients were good quality none the less!
(5)Morgan C.
Average food, but love the free delivery! I order delivery from here a few times per month and can't complain!
(3)Amy W.
Moongate is amazing! I had the pleasure of going there yesterday while relaxing with family on the Pearl Street Mall. It has a classy yet casual vibe and was nice and cool inside, which was great because of the heat! I had the sesame tofu, which featured a spicy sauce and tofu over lots of vegetables. I liked the amount of vegetables with the entree - a massive improvement over other Asian restaurants where the entrees are primarily meat and rice. Most of the entrees also come with fried rice and an eggroll. I also had the wonton soup, which was fantastic. My uncle had a delicious seaweed salad, and we began our meal with spring rolls. For all of this, plus iced tea, the meal was $38, which I thought was a great value for an amazing lunch for three people!
(5)Ka B.
The pad thai is definitely not authentic. I got the combination pad thai. The vegetables were limp, particularly the green onions. The chicken was mushy. Where was the beef? There was only 1 shrimp. Not very many vegetables. I would not order it again. The sushi is really fresh tasting and delicious. The crispy duck I ordered was good flavor, but very fatty and not as much meat as I would have expected for $13. The vegetables underneath were limp and soggy.
(3)Liz W.
Friendly, good service. Great vegetarian and meat options, if you're a veggie (or not!) try out their Buddha's feat. I also appreciate that you can request steamed brown rice for a good fiber factor. Also you honestly can't beat the prices. I enjoy the fact that it is never ridiculously crowded like some of the restaurants further up Pearl - nice to actually be able to hold a conversation!
(4)Jake W.
I ordered a pork pad see ew with extra pork from Moongate on New Years day. I went in to pick up the food and the staff was more or less pleasant, wished each other a happy new year, and went home. When I started to eat my dish, I immediately noticed how terrible the pork was. Imagine dried up, 1 week old, McDonalds sausage links, and thats the shape, texture, and feel of the pork, and lucky me, I ordered extra. Needless to say, I won't be going back to Moongate any time soon. Wanted Thai in a pinch, and had to deal with the consequences.
(2)Tyler G.
My meditation groups always went here for collective lunch on the Sunday of a weekend of meditation. I was never attracted to it, figuring it was just another "Asian" restaurant. One night we wanted to go some restaurant one Pearl that ended up having an hour wait, so we decided to give it a try. Interesting decor, somewhat fresh ingredients, interesting and huge menu, really good mix drinks and it's on Pearl St. (that one might only be a plus because I lived on Pearl for about 2 years). It's definitely a step above your average "asian bistro." I love the whisky beef, and was amazed with the "One night in Bangkok" dish. Their combination fried rice was amazing and fed me for three days too. Now I understand, this place is solid enough to please people not into food and also wow foodies at the same time.
(4)Jeremy T.
I am a big fan of Moongate, especially for the money. Everything is reasonably priced, and everything is pretty solid. I usually go here for lunch and don't deviate a lot from my usual order of Thai Fried Rice, which is fantastic. Chicken, shrimp, and pineapple in fried rice, with a bit of saffron? Mmmmmmmm Everything else that I have had there is also very good, except the curry's, I find them fairly bland and thin. The menu is very expansive as far as Asian foods go, if there isn't something on this menu that sounds good, give up, you don't like Asian food. They also have good nigiri specials at night. Delivery is an option, but I have never done that.
(4)Nikki B.
My sesame chicken had great flavor, but the chicken was VERY tough. My cousin's Kung pao was good though. I probably won't return considering there are much better Asian restaurants around town.
(2)Chris K.
Went for lunch on a Sunday. The service was very poor. There were only 3 other tables filled. I was alone, gave my order and the waiter left without writing it down. He came back to ask for the order again. He brought the meal without bringing the drink or sushi roll. After a few minutes I asked him about the drink & sushi roll. It took a while but he finally brought them out. He never checked in again or refilled my drink. I finally had to ask for a box and the check. Everything was very slow. On a plus note, the sesame chicken that I got was very good. I'm not usually too picky about service but I'm not sure I'd come back again.
(2)Mike P.
Not good all the food taste the same overly sweet water and soda taste terrible would not go back ate the food because I was starvin overall very disappointed
(2)Kristin N.
Went here for dinner with a friend, and was pretty satisfied. Started out with some miso soup, and steamed dumplings. Not normally a dumpling fan, I quite enjoyed them. I felt like there was a decent portion size. We then continued with the Shrimp Tempura Maki & New York Maki roll. Both were yummy. We then finished with a piece of cheesecake. DO NOT order the cheesecake, as it was a waste of money. Pretty much tasted like they bought it as Costco and then left it in the freezer. The ambiance was pretty nice being nicely decorated, and since we went late there wasn't really a crowd. Anyways, I was decently impressed with the pricing and the quality of the food.
(4)Adam K.
Ok, I hate to be the typical reviewer, who usually only comments on bad experiences, but i had to do it this time. First off, the only reason i gave this restaurant one star is because the delivery time was quick (and when you're hungry, no one likes to wait a long time). I ordered the pork dumplings and pad thai on a sunday night after coming back from a long weekend in Breckenridge. Pad Thai is one of my favorite quick meals that provides protein and energy while being delicious. This Pad Thai was not even close to what you would conceive of the noodle dish. The noodles weren't cooked through and was extremely bland. It was as if they put the noodles in hot water for 2 minutes and then squeezed a little lemon on it. I literally took a few bites and put it down, because it was the worst pad thai i have ever tried. In turn, the dumplings were extremely moist and the dough around it was soft and chewy, as if they weren't cooked properly. Now i know this is only a review of two dishes, but these are two extremely simple dishes that any restaurant should have down if they offer it. Please be cautious with your choice of dishes at this place because i don't know if they can even cook white rice.
(1)John A.
Please do not give me the lunch menu & then proceed to tell me it's too late for lunch. 13 minutes late to be exact even though the time is not printed on said lunch menu and I was not warned by the server this either. For continuity purposes I am not going to specify when lunch ends either. It will add some mystery to a mostly negative review. I spent less ordering two rolls and a vegetable tempura than I would of have ordering two lunches and a vegetable tempura anyway. I guess the manager is more interested in her policy than making money or pleasing the customer who happens to transform into the irate unhappy Yelper. The sushi rolls were small & mediocre at best. If I want sushi on Pearl next time I will go Hapa or Japango. They have competent sushi chefs that know how to create a high quality roll that doesn't fall apart & it tastes significantly better. They also give eight pieces per roll in stead of the six Moongate delivered. Who gives six piece sushi rolls anyway. Did you eat the other two before it got to my table? The vegetable tempura was good, but again it arrived in a small portion. The best part of my visit was the mirror in the bathroom. I don't even know why I am giving two stars except for the fact that I didn't get sick or poisoned. Maybe next time...
(2)Alexandra C.
Our go-to Asian restaurant in Boulder. Good service and great food. Never very busy. They do carry-out too. Try the potstickers, they're to die for.
(5)Leila M.
FUCKING Moongate!! What the hell is up with the rude delivery kids??? I've maybe had ONE person deliver my food who was polite and kind. UNLIKE the jerk I had tonight. If I do not include a tip with my order, don't stand in my doorway bullying me for a tip till you get one!! WTF! I'd like to give tips, I would, but not when the delivery boy is rude, in your face, demanding, and cocky! The Pad Thai could use some work too. Here's my point in a nutshell: don't oder takeout from these folks unless you want a delivery boy who is above and BEYOND rude. No wonder I don't tip you!!!!
(1)Veronika L.
I ordered a bunch of different sushi and a Lo-Mein (but with wide rice noodles instead of wheat). Sushi was great, delivery was fast and the Lo-Mein was absolutely wonderful (did have to add some hot chili oil to make it more spicy). This is my second time ordering delivery from this place and they have been absolutely great!!!
(4)Val D.
I've been to Moongate a few times. The food has always been decent. The service was never what I would call exceptional but before tonight, it's never been awful. My experience this time was mind boggling. Servers "greeting" wasn't warm and gave us the impression that she was irritated by our presence. Brought my lemonade and it was warm (I didn't complain). She answered our questions about the menu but quickly, as if she had better things to do & acted annoyed. Food arrived quickly. It was pretty good. Our server did not check on us once during our meal! Instead, she sat at a table in the dining room room (with other servers) and ate her dinner. Fine, whatever. We ate what we could (portions are large) stacked any empty dishes and waited. And waited....she was still eating. Finally my boyfriend got up and asked for to-go containers. She brought them yet seemed to have attitude about it. I asked for a different container because I had curry and I was afraid the broth would leak out of the styrofoam. Wow. She seemed downright pissed. My boyfriend then realized we needed yet another container for the sauce. We were too afraid to ask! While I was boxing up my food, she asked if I wanted more lemonade. Um...that would've been a great idea during our meal. She then proceeded to slam clean glasses on the table next to us. Let me say that I am a low maintenance person. I am always polite. I say please, I say thank you and even stack up dishes and silverware when I'm done eating. I don't even care that she was eating HER dinner. The attitude killed it for me. I might go back for takeout but I don't think I'll ever sit down to eat again. Two stars because the food was good. Service unacceptable!! P.S. On a Saturday night in downtown Boulder the place should've been packed. There was only one other group there when we arrived and one when we left. I wonder why...
(2)Hiker Chicka e.
Three words- Thai fried rice. Fried rice with pineapple, cashews, and huge gobs of big fat shrimp. Yum. And it comes in a big enough container to fulfill 2-3 meals. At about $9, it's gotta be the cheapest lunch you can find around Pearl. Talking of lunch, don't expect to get any work done if you get greedy and demolish the whole thing. On the other hand if your day includes napping- I say go eat till you explode. And dammit, don't forget the bike ride after. It's illegal to be overweight in Boulder.
(4)Rachel H.
Really, I have to break this down into two reviews... First, the Thai: Bland. Tasteless. Meh. The Drunken Noodles and the Pad Se Lew tasted EXACTLY the same, and neither tasted like more than a wad of noodles with a few key ingredients mixed in. Not good. Really, not good at all and sort of weird. Seriously, I give the Thai food one star and I think I'm being generous. Now, the sushi: Surprisingly good! Soooo much better than the Thai. The sashimi was fresh and the rolls were very good. The sushi gets four stars! This was a delivery order so I am willing to entertain the idea that had I eaten this in the restaurant, it might have been better...or that I could have at least complained and sent it back to the kitchen. I will try Moongate again, but my order will most likely not include the Thai selections.
(2)Kat C.
Moongate is a solid 3-star restaurant. Service - very nice, helpful and no hovering. Decor - comfortable, clean, asian fusion. Food - decent, nothing that wows, but not bad either. Overall I thought it was good enough to warrant going there again and trying other things.
(3)Hannah E.
The other night I ordered delivery from Moongate and was completely dismayed at the food. It was like they forgot that spices existed, whether actually in the food or at least in little packets on the side. My usual tempura udon soup... well, the soup tasted like slightly mushroomy water and the tempura was hardened and chewy. And the fried shrimp shumai? I would swear on my life they're the kind you get out of the freezer section at any local Asian market. I buy those for the nights when I'm too lazy to cook (or beg Dan to cook, rather) but there is a reason they're $3 for a pack of 18 and not $4 for an order of 4 like Moongate charged. A markup of 500% for the privilege of having them thrown in the deep fryer, perhaps? My friend's 'Vietnamese rice noodle bowl' had no sauce. That meant that what arrived was a pile of noodles, a tiny sprinkling of peanuts, some cucumbers, and carrots. All of which tasted, as you might expect, like plain noodles and veggies; in other words, like something you do not need chef's training to throw in a plastic takeout container. I'm not sure what happened that night, but I hope it's not part of a trend. Moongate is usually reasonably OK, reasonably priced, and has free delivery, so it has previously fit my requirements for nights when I'm feeling cheap and am too lazy even to make frozen shumai. Let's hope this was merely an aberration.
(2)Ali M.
This is one of those places I keep going back to because I WANT to like it. It's a great concept- a bunch of Asian cusines under one roof. You can take your "terrified of foriegn food" friend here (chicken teriaki) along with the adventurous sushi eaters and a vegan and everyone will find something to order. But thats where the good news ends. The problem with a place that specializes in everything is that none of it is very good. I'll probably still take my in-laws and random groups of friends here. But I always leave thinking "meh- I've experienced better."
(2)Elaine S.
My s/o and I had always been curious about Moongate! Even though we live on Pearl Street, we always head to North Boulder 9China Gourmet) to get our asian fix. Finally we tried it and I have to say we were pleasantly surprised. ...Only been twice, but have loved what we ordered! I've ordered the Panang Curry and the Sesame Tofu, and both have actually been awesome! Oh and the Crab Rangoons are the best in Boulder! Very light and crispy with a crazy good amount of filling. The price is also right. I'm a fan.
(4)Jimie D.
I first ate here about 4 years ago and thought it was good... returned here tonight and it was delicious! Got the Crab Rangoon, Cali Roll & Pad Thai. The Crab Rangoon was a fantastic quality, probably the best in Boulder. Pad Thai here is better than my favorite thai place in Chicago, sorry Cozy Noodles. The prices were good - especially for sushi. I noticed that they do 2/7.95 and 3/11.95 sushi lunch specials that I am looking forward to trying!
(4)Elan K.
They can never get the order right. Somehow I always end up with a California roll regardless of what I order.
(2)Stephen K.
On my recent foray into Boulder on Mother's Day, the 2nd half of my Boulder adventure was to target a fairly inexpensive but good sushi place. I'd scanned Yelp before I left and ranked by rating and saw some things I thought would be ranked higher slide off the chart. So I sighed and started heading for downtown and Sushi Tora... While cruising towards that general vicinity, I ran across Moongate on Pearl St and remembered I had seen it listed in Boulder as a good place...so I said "adios" to the sushi plans and parked. No sooner had I come up to the door than I saw a stack of helpful menus outside that put their website menu to shame, and realized I didn't have to say goodbye to sushi at *all*, that they had an extensive menu that was, in fact, much larger than had been listed on their website. So I went kind of berserk and splurged. I got their yaki udon which was *mindblowingly* good (and so much better than their menu description gives it credit for, there were also delicious slices of some mushroom mixed in. Their menu description for this dish undersells it SO much, it's like calling a Ferrari a "car" or a 21-day vacation cruise an "above average vacation". ) -- I'm baffled because their website calls this dish having "rice noodles", and it's CLEARLY *so* NOT rice noodle. It's wheat noodle. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ud… shows you what they are like; big, thick and soft, and so so luxurious to eat. I also got a 7 piece vegetable tempura which was light and crispy and definitely tasty (and not mostly broccoli, yay), and a spicy tuna roll -- where you can actually taste some of the spice, not like the "spicy tuna" roll you can get in certain nameless upper-middle-class supermarket chains *sneezes*wholefoods! :) -- and finished it all off with a decadent black dragon maki roll - shrimp tempura surrounded with eel, avocado, and rice. This feast was enough to keep me bubbly and happy through -- *) Sunday couch slouch night *) a Monday lunch break bath lounging and *) Monday night '24' fix time It's a lot of food. And unlike some of the reviews here that have said sushi in Boulder is expensive -- it only is if you choose to go to the frou-frou upper crust places that have a reputation for being overpriced. Not slamming those places -- I haven't even been there yet! -- but why pay more when you don't need to? Deeeeeeeeeeee-licious!!! I'll be bahk...yummmmmmms. This was all take-out, so I'm giving it 4 stars for right now, but could easily modify that to 5 in the near future if I drag a friend here for dinner later this week.
(4)Dee P.
Food and service is consistently good at a good price. Always look to Moongate when I want good Asian at a reasonable price.
(4)Mia P.
Drunken Noodles are so yummy! I only ever order take-out from here. Its always quick and delicious! Huge plus, you can order online!
(4)Shanon Y.
This place is a rip-off. Honestly, I'm very disappointed with their Chirashi (sashimi rice bento). It cost about 18 dollars with tax, There was only 3 piece of 3 types of fish, salmon, tuna, and another one I'm not sure. Then 2 piece of egg, and 4 piece of crab imitations. 1/8 of the surface of the bento was covered by ginger. Honestly, if I'm paying 18 bucks, I don't expect them to cut on cost and serve such a mediocre meal. For a price of almost 20 dollars, I can get more variety at traditional Japanese restaurant. Stay away from this place.
(1)Jennifer M.
I don't think they have an actual sushi chef here. The fish tasted kind of bad, and the rolls were crudely smushed into roll shape with the rice falling apart. The hot&sour soup was alright, which makes me think that they might be safe in the non-sushi entree department. I don't think I'm' brave enough to spend the money on finding out though.
(1)Julie L.
After a nice hike that left my stomach feeling like an empty pit, I was on the hunt for rice. A big bowl of steaming hot rice. I know..sounds kinda weird but hey, look at my picture! So my very understanding boyfriend and I perused down Pearl Street when we saw a sign for $1 sushi and stopped. The inside was very nice and I felt a bit grubby in my hiking attire to be using cloth napkins but the server didn't bat an eye. We started off with the sushi. It's $1 a piece and can only be ordered as a pair so for any item you pick it's really $2. We had the salmon and yellowtail which were pretty small but still good. I went for basil fried rice and was rewarded with a huge platter of it. In it was eggs, cubed carrots, peas and shrimp. The shrimp were good sized and cooked well so they had that nice crunch without being dry or mushy. The rice was well seasoned and very tasteful. My boyfriend ordered the beef satay which came encircled by the broccoli. Cute touch. He said it was very good and tasty. Great place to eat at if you're super hungry as the portions are large. I'd skip the sushi next time.
(4)Amanda H.
Worst thai food I have ever had! I am from the CA bay area, so I am used to good ethnic food and this is just awful. I ordered the pad thai with a thai ice tea for delivery, let me just say what a mistake. I guess they get this one star for their free and prompt delivery. I ordered online, and my food was here in 30 mins for only $10 or so. They give you a generous portion of the food you order, however it really is just noodles. Not thai food, pad thai is generally orange with a peaunty flavor and spices added to it. This was just mush, kind of like an asian spaghetti no flavor. I was looking so forward to this meal, very disappointing. This place makes Eggloo Delights look great and I thought that was just alright. FAIR WARNING, if you like thai ice tea don't order from here...you will be disappointed...as it comes in a bottle pre-packaged. So it is not homemade or even the powder stuff. Never will I order food from here again, will not go back, DO NOT RECCOMEND.
(1)Angelica F.
Meh. Ate here last night and I wasn't very impressed. I had sweet and sour chicken that was kind of dry and slathered in too much sauce. The presentation of the food was very pretty, I wish I could say the same for the taste of the food. Apparently the crispy duck is really good. It was very quiet on a Saturday night on Pearl Street. The decor is kind of cool, it's very clean and the service is great.
(3)Margaret C.
A spontaneous opportunity came up to dine here last night with some people I know. None of us was particularly hungry, and 2 out of 3 had recently been ill. Still, it was good to get out. One of us had just the Miso Soup. No complaints there; looked like the tofu and seaweed were in generous proportions, and it was reasonably priced at $1.50. Another had a dish with noodles and chicken, and seemed to like that. Did not say much. I ordered the Vegetable Tempura and was presented with a grand plate that would have seemed fit for royalty! At first it seemed that way. Perhaps there was too much broccoli (6 pieces) and it would have been nice with a bit of onion, and more yams and squash. But these are just my own personal preferences. I've found there are widely differing preferences when it comes to Vegetable Tempura. There was rice on the Tempura plate, in the shape of a heart. This was a lovely touch. There was a daikon radish garnish, and a whole orange artfully carved, also a garnish. This Tempura satisfied my senses as well as my palate. Will return here to try other items on the menu. Diners at other tables had some fascinating-looking food, and seemed quite pleased with it. I like the atmosphere / decor at Moongate. What with the curvy metal things on the ceiling and the unique colorful hanging light fixtures, it felt quite other-worldly.
(4)Ginger A.
This place is AWESOME! GREAT food, good service, nice relaxing, clean atmosphere. We really enjoyed our curry and our sushi.
(4)Dustin G.
Well well, it looks like everyone is agreed then: 4 stars. This place I remember being cramped, which makes its 5th star slightly out of reach. What I also remember is good food, decent prices, decent service, and a cool ambiance to it...the whole low-lit, neon-light runner feel, but without the usual pretension that comes with this decor. Oh, and I remember they had some good vegetarian options, which always puts a place in my good graces.
(4)thomas l.
Moongate is priced just right. All of the curries are great, but I love the peanut curry, guaranteed two meals. Massive portions, this is my favorite feed the army spot.
(4)christine c.
Pretty decent Asian fusion. Sushi wasn't the best. Cute place with fun decor!
(3)Jessica S.
I went to Moongate with group of people from the Shambhala Centre during our break and I had some chicken fried rice, with a pop. First off, the glasses that they serve pop in were quite small and the menu did not specify whether or not refills were available. Secondly, my chicken fried rice came quite a while after we ordered - and since we had to get back to our training - this presented it's own issue. Thirdly, the waitress never offered to get me a refill of my pop (only my water) and she had the nerve to ask if I wanted change back when I gave her a $20 for a $9 ticket. That kinda ticked me off. The food: While it did contain a lot more chicken than chicken fried rice usually does (that's always a plus), it didn't have any egg in it (which is what you often expect in chicken fried rice), the rice was not fried and the dish was quite greasy. It tasted all right, but the greasiness kept me from really enjoying it. I wouldn't recommend this place, there are much better places that are more attentive to people.
(3)Isabella L.
This is my favorite place whenever I visit Boulder. This evening my husband and i decided to have dinner there. Their open faced Shu Ma was superb. The filling melted in my mouth- so moist and delightful. The dipping sauce was yummy, husband wanted to bring it home and dip everything in it. It was robust with a bit of tang. The Shanghai Moon lettuce cups were wonderful. We could just eat spoonfuls of the filling all by itself. For our entree we had broccoli beef over steamed white rice. Moongate really hit the mark on this dish. The flank steak was tender and perfectly prepared. The service at Moongate is consistently attentive. They filled our water glasses and brought our bill promptly. I'm from San Francisco- home to many Asian eateries. I know great Chinese food. Moongate is fabulous.
(5)Nicole E.
My husband and I are still trying to find a good Thai place in Boulder since arriving here in 2008. So we tried Moongate this time and this is not it!! What are they suppose to be? Thai? Vietnamese? Chinese? Sushi Place? The wide spectrum of the menu sent of warning bells immediately, how can a restaurant be good at something when it is not clear on what it wants to be? The service was non existent. The wait staff don't seem to give a damn about costumers,it's a "just another table to process" attitude! We were given water and then sat there for an infinite time, no one took a drink order. Then finally someone with the personality of a rock took our order. Both of us wanted something hot with a bit of a kick to it, so we stuck to dishes indicating to be spicy on the menu. I honestly have never tasted bland Asian food in my life, but somehow Moongate has mastered this skill. No spice, no heat, no taste to it at all! Granted the pricing is very reasonable, however you could not pay me to go back for this miserable experience, so the price really does not matter in the end because for horrible service and bad food, if it was free it would not be cheap enough!
(1)Lisa G.
I really wanted to like this place - which explains my having gone twice, despite left massively disappointed my first go around. It's within walking distance from my apartment and I love Asian cuisine. Unfortunately, the food is incredibly bland. And that's really all that there is to say.
(2)HeaLa N.
I love this place for relaxed, delicious food with great service... my favorites are the Mooon Harbor with Tofu and the Peanut Sauce Curry... MMM!
(4)Jack O.
Really pretty crummy. I had to drown my chicken in soy sauce to eat it.
(2)Tina C.
We love this place! It is inexpensive, delicious, and a nice atmosphere. Granted we always get the same few things, ie crab wontons, pad thai, thai curry, green curry, etc. Seriously, this place has never disappointed me, and the waitstaff is always friendly. My partner and I go here about twice a month, and will probably continue that trend while we live in Boulder!!!
(4)Ilona F.
Wandered in here with my date on a Sunday afternoon, between regular lunch and dinner hours. We were not terribly hungry and so each ordered a soup (miso, Thai hot & sour), which came in smallish bowls and were not hot enough, and split an entree, sesame tofu, which - after the soup - was surprisingly tasty and filling. It was served with steamed vegetables which were a tad overcooked and did not include veggies that were not green; a hint of red, yellow or orange would have perked up the platter nicely. Our waiter brought us the check without even asking us if we wanted dessert...a bit a faux pas. And the fortunes in the cookies were probably the lamest we had ever read....OK, so that is a minor kvetch and digression. Bottom line: The funky decor and reasonable prices make this a decent, but not an inspired, choice for a casual meal.
(3)trieu n.
This was my first meal in Boulder, and definitely one of my favorites. My friend and I came here for lunch after i jumped off the plane with en empty stomach. she suggested moongate, and i'm very happy she did. the entrees all sounded really delicious, but i wanted to try something that i wouldn't be able to find at home. the basil tuna dish (i can't remember the exact name, and it's not listed on the website) is something i had never seen on any thai menu, so i opted for that. my friend ordered the hot and spicy fish. i ordered the tuna on my meal rare, and when my food came out, it was perfectly pink, resting on top of very hot vegetables. the sauce was slightly sweet and spicy, which complemented both the fish and the vegetables wonderfully. my only complaint was that while the tuna slices were resting on the very hot vegetable, the meat started to cook quicker than i wanted to. i had to eat all of the tuna first, so that it would begin to cook and get tough. not a huge deal at all...the tuna was amazing. the hot and spicy fish was also really good; it was slightly on the salty side, but the fish was perfectly cooked. when i brought the fish up to my mouth, i could already feel the heat. so if you like spicy, definitely try the hot and spicy fish. the waitress was very attentive; i don't think my water glass was ever less than half full. also, the price was amazing; for the two of us, our lunch cost about $16. not bad for an entree, rice, and an egg roll.
(4)Mark M.
Great service, nice atmosphere, and brown rice, what more could you ask for? The also have very good appetizers and entrees. The golden tofu appetizer is excellent, my son described this as something like a tofu donut due to the slightly crisp skin and super soft interior. Many Asian fusion places fail at all styles of food instead of being good at one cuisine; Moongate seems to be able to do it all and at very reasonable prices.
(4)Grace C.
I have been here so many times and we get takeout from here as well! It's convenient and they bring the food out almost instantaneously! I will be back again and again.
(4)James W.
This is watered-down Asian food that is not authentic or well-executed. It is reasonably fast and cheap, not terribly bad, but not really satisfying in taste either. I only ended up here a few times in the past years when none of the other restaurants nearby could provide a meal as fast or as cheap, or a friend suggested. Service can be uneven, as expected from this type of place. I guess I gave you the lowdown.
(2)Nicole J.
Intimate atmosphere. Ordered 4 dishes, three were pretty good (3 stars) and one (Green Curry Tilapia) was phenomenal (5 stars). Full bar and the drinks were great. Reasonable prices for Pearl Street. Their dinner menu is too big and the sushi menu has limited descriptions making ordering a little difficult. Service was nice and we would go back again.
(4)Mack N.
Tried this place more than once, not good. Overcooked sesame chicken that tasted like jerky. Shrimp dish had no flavor at all. All in all tasted like leftovers from a few days ago.
(1)Alice M.
I've been going here for a while now and it is definitely fantastic, the service is great, the people are friendly and are patient with our questions and everything. and the food is really good too. I've never had any problems with the resturaunt. Its one of my favorite places and we will always come back! Very enjoyable.
(5)Laurel S.
As a native New York, it is hard to find good Chinese food in Boulder that compares. I went to Moongate with my family when they came to town and I was pleasantly surprised. The food is pretty tasty and at a great price. They have tons of options- from sushi and tempura to sesame chicken and dumplings. The inside is nicely decorated, but the wait staff hardly says more than 2 words. It can be tricky to flag them down, but the taste and prices made up for it. Definitely a fun place to bring your friends.
(4)Neal L.
We had been here before, in our quest to find a passable Asian/Chinese eatery in Boulder. Tonite we ordered shrimp tempura and chicken lo mien The tempura was just okay but a bit gummy and flavorless. The lo mein was absolutely horrendous...the noodles were so overcooked that they were devoid of any flavor and the vegetables were limp and disgusting. When we told the manager he could not have cared less and pretty much shrugged and said that's the way it is... A real asshole......This place is overpriced, unsatisfying, and should be avoided at all costs.
(1)Taylor G.
Holy crap this place is good... and by good I mean awesome... and by awesome I mean amazing... I wanted noodles like nobody's business so my aunt and I went to this little place and let me tell ya... it's off the hook! I had the pad se-lew and I loved it. It was exactly what I was craving. My aunt had the green curry and she loved her dish too. Besides the fact that this place was clean and the service was super friendly, Moon Gate has GREAT prices. We had 2 dinners and 2 glasses of wine for $40. Yeah, that's fantastic for Pearl St. and we had plenty to take home for another meal. I will, without a doubt, be back to Moon Gate for more noodles and other assorted Asian-y dishes. They have takeout too... LOVE IT!
(5)Vince D.
A good buddy of mine recommended this place. OK, raved incessantly is more like it! He used to go here when he lived in Denver and it was a local dive. Now they've got this incredibly nice Boulder locale that is worthy of my friend's raving. I love this place. Easily one of Boulder's top two or three Chinese places. I love their sesame chicken. Oh, and their Thai Iced Tea is out of this world.
(5)nina c.
Peanut Sauce Curry, Peanut Sauce Curry - o how I wish I could have some right now!!!! The lovely little soupy bowl of Chicken Peanut Sauce Curry - I would mix the brown rice right in and eat!! It is sooooooooooooo soooooooo good!!! Back in my Boulder days, this was a favorite lunch spot for our troop - the vegetarians included. There are many delicious options, but it seems like all of us got addicted to a dish and stuck to it - after a while the wait staff remembered what we wanted. The staff is friendly, although often hurried - and I have to say that a few times we went at night it was incredibly noisy - the decor really doesn't provide any cushioning for sound. The place is small, and can be a wait to get into during the typical busy times. I'd give the place 4.5 stars - but I am stingy with 5s.
(4)Devon B.
Delissssssssshhhh! My friends and I were dazzled by the genuinely warm service by our waitress, the yummy food, and the intimate vibe of Moongate. We ordered several entrees and an appetizer and passed them around: peanut sauce curry, spicy eggplant, Buddha's Feast, calamari.... and all of them were divine. The Sapporo came in a cold/frosty mug, too! I would not come to Moongate with a large group, but the four of us fit in nicely. I recommend Moongate!
(4)Carrie O.
Oh, Moongate... My coworkers and I love ordering takeout from you! I haven't ever actually eaten IN Moongate, but I have been in there and it's pretty nice. The food is totally yummy. I like the Thai green curry, the Panang curry, and the pad se-lew. I also really love the veggie tempura, they have a great lunch special with that (well, really with most ANY of their stuff they have great lunch specials!) I've never NOT liked anything from Moongate! Surprising I didn't review this sooner...
(4)Brittany M.
I love this place, the service is wonderful, the prices ridiculously reasonable and the food is authentic and delicious. I am a huge fan of the tempura vegetable udon, the peanut curry, and the pad thai. I frequent this spot regularly and love it!!! if you haven' t been GO.. you will not regret it.
(4)Michael L.
Your standard pan asian restaurant. Nothing spectacular or offensive. Good price so I'd go back if I needed to get a bite to eat. I had the mongolian beef which I would recommend if you like stuff to be a little spicy.
(3)Lara I.
I loved this food! I've probably eaten at every variation of asian food eatery in Boulder, and this is about as good as it gets. Nothing to complain about. Soooo good. I am going to make it my mission to get everyone I know to eat here.
(5)K J.
Nice decor but food doesn't match. Orange chicken had mostly breading and little flavor. Two stars for the decoration but for the food, I will not recommend it.
(2)Michael P.
Came here the other month with some coworkers and the food was good, a little different than the rest of the asian restaurants around pearl st., but I'm a fan of Asian fusion, but I've had better fusion especially in Denver
(3)Kyle J.
Awesome little Asian restaurant. Great food, reasonably priced, friendly (kind of) staff. Give it a shot
(4)nick w.
Friendly staff, quick service, solid (but not remarkable) dishes. Though categorized as "Asian fusion", think of more as "Best of Asia" - they have your favorite staples from Chinese, Thai, and others. The deco is bright, upbeat, and fun.
(3)christine h.
YUM!!! Not from the area and we ended up in Boulder extremely hungry at about 3pm on Sunday of Labor Day weekend. We wanted ethnic food and found through our Pearl St. walk many such restaurants not yet open for dinner and already closed for lunch. Moongate was open and we ordered some sushi and a cold noodle bowl. All was wonderful...especially the spicy tuna roll (although none were rolled using seaweed which I love) I was pleasantly fulfilled as was my eating partner.
(4)Daniel A.
One of our favorite places. Solid food, good service, stylish interior. The dishes are leaning towards the Thai cuisine, which I personally love. Recommended.
(4)Alicia W.
Coconut Chicken Soup no Chicken and Basil Fried Rice with Tofu. Every time. This place operates on a simple concept: clean and colorful interior, efficient staff and speedy, delicious food. Veggies will love that you can order pretty much any dish with tofu. And the broth for the soups is just from vegetable and mineral. Love it here. It is a three minute walk from work and the food is on the table in six.
(4)Penelope B.
I'd been to Moongate the winter it opened, some five years ago or so. I had a warm and fairly flavorful bowl of Thai curry noodles which I remember as being pretty good. But, on a recent return trip this past week I did not enjoy my meal. Steamed pork dumplings were served barely lukewarm, with extremely doughy, thick wrappers. The meat inside wasn't all that tasty either. The menu seems roughly half Thai and half Chinese. I ordered Drunken Noodles, a favorite many other Thai restaurants. These were by far the least flavorful, least spicy, and least Drunken. Perhaps they should be re-named "Sober Noodles" at Moongate. Our server seemed new to waitressing, or just unfriendly or super shy? Not sure. My gin and tonic was awful and I sent it back, which was a first for me. A second try returned the same results so I gave up. They have some funky tonic water or maybe their soda machine is messed up. They handled that situation well, which was a plus. J ordered Sesame Tofu, which was really good... served hot, flavorful, nice and crispy but soft, plenty of sauce and fresh broccoli. Maybe order Chinese options, or tofu, if you go?
(2)