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The bartender performs magic with crushed fruit and alcohol. These are the tastiest drinks I've ever had. Yum!
First off, if you are expecting authentic Vietnamese food, this isn't the joint. However, it is still a cute place to go if you're looking for a good happy hour.
All the appetizers and drinks are $5 and they have a decent amount of choices on their menu to pick from. When we went here, we ordered the chicken satay, grilled beef onion rolls, and the baby back ribs. The first two mentioned were okay but I really liked the baby back ribs. For drinks, we ordered the Lychee martini, Hulatini, Vung Tau Long Island, and the Saigon Lemonade. I thought the drinks were all good except the lychee martini was too strong for me.
As for their service, our waitress was very friendly and helpful but the place seemed understaffed. Also, I was trying to use a gift certificate for this meal and they told us it did not apply for happy hour (not indicated on the gift certificate). However, they were nice about it and let us use it this time so just be careful if you're going here with a gift certificate.
Overall, a decent place for happy hour but not something I'd go out of my way for.
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Oh my Lord - I have had a Food-gasm - and I'm still going through it!
My girl Jen and I have been doing Girl's Night lately and she wanted to try this place out. I, on the other hand, am sick and tired of Vietnamese food because, well, my man is Vietnamese - so you get my drift. But she said it was fusion, so I was down.
She arrived first and ordered her usual drink (drama behind this, by the way). I came in and we both decided to just eat the bar to have our space from everyone else.
I ordered a Extra Dry Martini - which was quite lovely! - and we peered over the menu. We decided just to split 3 appetizers instead of getting two separate entrees.
We wound up getting the Crab and Avocado rolls, Spicy Chicken Wings and Pulled Pork Lettuce wraps.
Everything was literally to die for! So fresh and tasted fantastic. I couldn't believe how much I loved everything - I couldn't stop eating - which is bad because I'm trying to fit in my 00 jeans - Haha!
The ONLY issue we had was her regular Jack and Diet was 18 dollars! YES 18 dollars for a Jack and Coke?? My Martini was only 10 - Unfortunately she ordered 3 of them! Wowsers!
Recommendation: Always ask for the price of the drink before ordering!!!
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We just "dined" here last night. The fact that there were only two other couples having dinner seemed odd for 8 o'clock on a Saturday night, but we were hungry and we love Vietnamese food of the nouvelle variety (nope, the fact that some ethnic restaurants take an experimental approach to their product, are not "authentic" or, God forbid, cater to "white people's tastes" bothers me not at all).
The place had great "atmosphere" and the staff was nice and attentive. The food is the problem here. The fresh duck rolls were good, but it was downhill from there. We had a chicken salad that smelled like the chicken was old and beginning to go bad and I am sure my "indigestion" later that night was a direct result. Next we had the (five TINY) scallops, an appetizer sized dish that was lackluster and way overpriced at 16 bucks. We then had the grilled tiger prawns and noodles for $20, another TINY dish that was dried out, lacking any seasoning and tasteless. The cocktail I ordered (the 19 Market Cadillac, $11.00) tasted like it was pure tequilla without any lime juice at all.
Some yelpers have commented that the prices are high here. That is not precisely true. What is true is that the entree portions are ridiculously small to the extent that we finished our meal before we were even half finished with our wine. We left hungry and will NEVER go back.
I think this place is great. The decor is cute, the drinks are strong, service is great, and the food is delicious! There's even an entire back room if you are having a large party. I think they do karaoke back there... or maybe I just happen to be there when they were running some event.
The calimari and garlic noodles are my favorite dishes there. Then my fiance usually picks a few meat dishes and I've never been disapponited picking off whatever he orders. It's all good.
The food can get a bit expensive because the portions are so small. You'll end up ordering a lot.
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Having been recently introduced to Vietnamese food in San Jose I have been visiting quite a few restaurants to get a feel for it... I have to say that 19 market is a lovely place to eat in on a sunny day for lunch with a girl friend (as i did), enjoying a glass of wine and the chic ambiance... the food was very good but I would I would have given this place 5 stars if it had been labeled "Asian fusion" rather than "Vietnamese"... I have eaten at various restaurants where a 3 course meal costs just about $10.00 and the food was authentic! I was disappointed in their Vietnamese coffee as it was more of a cold latte. All in all if you're looking to eat at a trendy spot and love Asian flavors then this is the place to be... however if you're looking to experience authentic Vietnamese food I'd suggest going elsewhere (Pho Kim Long's in Milpitas is a great choice!)
My rating is based on their happy hour alone. I went here a few months ago, and got a SaiGon Lemonade and my friend got a 19Market-hito. The drinks were good, but our bartender made them a little strong (or is that how they are supposed to be?) Anywho, I'm not complaining. Their appetizers were pretty good as well - we tried the shrimp bruschetta, the baby clams and the spicy chicken wings, and all were good. I loved the atmosphere, and I'll definitely be back for happy hour again.
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After trying Onyx then Saigon 75 without success (why the hell were both of these places closed on a Thursday night?!), we decided on 19 Market as it was in the vicinity and my best friend wanted Vietnamese food and was famished. Not a place we'd visit again given the non-authentic Vietnamese dishes and just ok quality.
We had the baby back ribs to start off and a guavatini. The ribs were literally just ribs...as in rib bones! If there were any meat on those bones, they were probably devoured by the kitchen staff before they got to us. That explains why it took 15 minutes for the appetizer to arrive!! Seriously, there were only a handful of people in the restaurant so it really baffled the both of us why it took so long for four pieces of bones to be drenched in sauce. The guavatini had no traces of guava at all! All we tasted was the Absolut Vodka. Maybe the bartender was trying to help us get a quick buzz?
Our entre actually came out faster than the appetizer...And it actually tasted good! Not that it was superb or anything, but the Chilean Seabass in Claypot somewhat resembled the one that my mom makes. I liked the fact that it was topped with caramelized shallot. Mmmm. Didn't like how small the portion was though. I mean, for $20, I think it's reasonable to expect a little bit more than a three-square-inch piece of fish, right?!
So if you are Vietnamese and looking for authentic Vietnamese dishes, don't come here.
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Let me tell you something. The bartenders are sooo nice! And the food!! Well, the food is pretty stellar too. I'm not talking about their dinner menu.... TRY THEIR HAPPY HOUR FOOD! The baby clams are a favorite... and so are the ribs. Great food, good prices (at happy hour that is...) and entertaining bartenders. What more could you ask for? :)
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The food here was decent, but the plates are on the smaller side. Thank goodness we weren't too hungry. We ordered a few starters to share instead of separate entrees. The mekong basa spring roll seemed pretty standard, though I wish there were less veggies and more of the mekong basa. The lamb satay was only warm when it was brought out. The salt and pepper soft shell crab had a bit too much salt on it. The green papaya and mango salad was very good though, light and clean tasting. Their mango mojito was super yummy though! Overall decent, but nothing impressive.
Before leaving for New York for work my friends had thrown me a going away party at this restaurant. The owner was nice enough accomidate everyone in the back room which was set up for private parties. I've eaten at this restaurant before when it was called Clay Pot, which I did not like at all. I took my family to Clay Pot and was embarrassed at the service and how awful the food was. Since it changed over to 19 Market, the menu had gotten better, the atmosphere was 10 times better and it now has a full bar. This was about 3 years ago. Now that I've moved back to San Jose, the food is even better than before. Keep up the good work.
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I'd give this place 3.5 if I could. First off, candles?! Restaurants aren't suppose to have candles. Didn't they watch that episode of Top Chef where a team lost for lighting scented candles and obstructing the aroma of the food?! The lighting was waaaay too dark. I get that they're trying to be edgy, but I couldn't even see the menu. Everyone I was with had to hold cellphones to see the options. The food was okay. Pretty overpriced, but decent. The music was awful too. I don't want Avril Lavigne blasting while trying to enjoy my food.
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Interesting reading the reviews here. Quite a cross-section.
I have dined at 19 market 6 times:
- hosted a party of 16 in the front room and another time a party of 35 on the back room
- have dined as a party of 4 three times and a party of 3 once.
I have also stopped in for drinks and apps at the bar twice.
My opinion is that most dishes work well and a couple were off target. Service was a little mixed, but never bad. Drinks at the bar were made well.
Appetizers in general are a little overpriced, but I still get them. Favorites (regardless of price) are Satay Chicken, Pork Lettuce Wraps, BBQ Short Ribs, Broiled Mussels, Imperial Rolls, and Crab puffs.
I thin the Salmon Cigars are interesting but a little too plain. And personally I don't care for the Spring Rolls but others I have been with liked them.
Entrees are very fairly priced. The smaller plates are around $11 to $14 and the larger or more exotic dishes are around $16 to $19. I recommend sharing. I have enjoyed the Seabass in Claypot, Baked Seabass, Shaking Beef, Pork Ribs, Curry Prawns, and Garlic noodles
I can see why there are mixed reviews here. Some are expecting traditional Vietnamese food and they don't get that. Others are expecting totally modern fusion food and they don't get that either. This is sort of a hybrid menu blending the two (or maybe even a third influence).
I have always enjoyed it there. And if you are lucky, Hanna (the owner) will sing a song for you.
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I love this place the food is the best and Hanna the owner is wonderful. I highly recomend the basa spring rolls and the pulled pork lettuce wraps but be careful to tie your shoes because they will knock your sox off.
I agree what people wrote on here. Is it a really nice place. FOOD is awesome, their have 1 fish dish which i forgot about the name but is good. Normally I don't eat fish unless is salmon, but this dish you got to try it.
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I always try avoid going to "modern" cuisine restaurant because of bad experiences. For this one, I didn't have a choice because it wasn't picked out by me. Anyway, service here was kind of slow. The waitress wasn't really professional for this kind of restaurant - a bit casual. The appetizers were average, nothing too "WOW!"
I ordered the Mango Chicken and it was a disappointment. The chicken was dry while the mango was a bit sour. But I was thankful that they used real mango slices. The other plate I shared was the seafood fried rice and it was almost the same as the fried rice I would make at home - dry, hard rice (which is much better than the mushy kind)- but it was also average. I also tried couple pieces from my friends' plates which were beef dishes and oh boy, were they sort of salty! I don't know .. may be I was a bit drowsy but my taste buds were sharp that night!!
Anyway, I would never come back here again. I take a $5 bowl of Pho any day over the $30 meal.
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Just went there with my wife and another couple. OK, so what was good and what was bad?
Good:
Calamari
Sea Bass (both types they had were good)
Shakin Beef
Deserts were pretty damn good too.
Bad:
The Tofu was not bad, but don't order it.\
The portions were decently big enough to share with 3, maybe 4 people.
i don't particularly enjoy being glared at when placing my order, thankyouverymuch. or having my glass of water refilled w/tap (i mean, c'mon, humor me a little & serve some ice w/it at least). there must've been a 3 for 1 special going on bc i also never did see the soup of the entree & soup lunch combo i ordered either.
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Living in the Silicon Valley for 30 years, it's not hard to notice that restaurants pop up and close down.
Most of the Viet restaurants in the bay area, however, have always done well and are always packed. But going to a Viet restaurant for a special occasion never seemed to tickle my fancy because they are fast, cheap and only serve three beers: 33, heineken and tsingtao.
For my mom's birthday, I wanted to go to a Viet restaurant because she likes Viet food, but in a higher scale, more comfortable environment preferably with a full-bar! :)
Big OPEN-TABLE member, i found 19Market. Perfect.
Calamari Crunch...delicious.
Steamed Chilean Sea Bass. So delicious.
The other food we ordered, which included the Ha Long Bay Seafood Fried Rice and Bo Luc Lac (their signature dish), the Scallops in Black Bean Sauce, and the Pineapple Beef with Cashews....if you really look at the ingredients, so simple, yet tasted very good.
It was an interesting TWIST on traditional viet dishes. The overall taste leaned more to the SWEET side, which works very well for those new to Viet cuisine...such as WHITE PEOPLE...yet has enough of the traditional flavors to stay authentic.
Dessert...the bananas flambe was very tasty...with candied almonds. Also had the Jackfruit and coconut ice cream. It was rich, but good.
Would i come here again? Yes...it'd be a shame to see a VIET restaurant with a FULL bar go down! I'm bringing friends!
:)
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Excellent food. This place is more on the modern/fusion side of Vietnamese and it's always a big hit with my friends and even my East Coast parents. There is a wide variety of options on the menu, most of which are healthy, and an excellent drink selection. Though I have to admit my favorite dish is probably their pomegranate steak salad, and the spring rolls are also very good. The service is always prompt and courteous.
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I eat here for lunch fairly often, and I always get a "business lunch express" meal. I often get the mango chicken, or the eggplant and tofu with curry. The lunch express meal comes in a bento box (isn't that Japanese?) with rice, salad, spring rolls, and a tapioca dessert. It's a full lunch, for around $13. The food tastes fresh and the decor of the restaurant is very nice. Their one weakness is staffing. There is often only one waitress covering the entire dining room at lunch, and that's not enough to be proactively waitressing. Customers have to flag down the waitress for water refills and for their check, and often the food or drinks come out delayed because of the bottleneck. Despite the staffing issues, the food seems good, fresh, and the place is nicely decorated and clean.
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I thought the food was quite good here, and the atmosphere helped: we were looking for a quiet place where we didn't know anyone. Check, and check again.
We had the duck spring rolls and bacon-wrapped scallops to start. The flavors were fantastic, and the dipping sauces complemented the dishes quite well. He followed up with the terriyaki duck with steamed bok choy, while I had the steamed sea bass with ginger. The duck was a little tough, but the sea bass was phenomenal. There was a hint of maple in the flavor that offered a delicate sweetness.
Having been to Tamarine in Palo Alto and absolutely adoring the food there, coming to 19Market is a close rendition of that, without the pompousness and prices of Palo Alto.
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I've been here only once, and it was for a private party. The appetizers were really yummy. I remember pigging out on the crab rangoon with a bunch of people, when the party was coming to a close. The space is nice. People drank and conversed in the front section, and there was a DJ dance party going on in the back section. The drinks were decent and the staff was friendly. I'd like to come back during regular business hours.
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I was taken here for a business lunch with another person who hadn't been there before and one who had. Unfortunately the one who hadn't wasn't too adventurous food-wise and didn't like anything spicy, so she was kind of doomed from the start.
We chose from the lunch menu and ended up getting the following: BBQ Chicken, Shrimp & Imperial Rolls over Vermicelli - Grilled chicken, shrimp & crispy imperial rolls over rice vermicelli, lettuce, cucumber, mint & Vietnamese dipping sauce.
The BBQ Chicken wasn't at all what I expected (I read BBQ Chicken and think grilled chicken with Bullseye BBQ sauce on it) and when it came it was mouth-wateringly tasty, tangy and spicy. The chicken and shrimp are served over pasta and accompanied by the aforementioned dipping sauce, which one of my colleagues just poured over his like a salad dressing. I ended up dipping mine just so I could thoroughly drench everything in the red chili oil sauce and not let any of it run to the bottom of the bowl.
They also serve some really good egg rolls (described above as "imperial rolls") which were kick ass.
We would loved to have been seated outside, but it was full, so we sat in the back room, which was a little louder and darker. Go for outside or up front if you have the choice.
I may have to lobby to go back to this place next time I'm in San Jose.
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Though it was a bit disorganized, the two bartender/hostess/waitresses got it all right. The food was great (except for the avo/crab spring rolls, which tasted too much like canned crab) and the drinks were superb. It was my third positive experience here and I'd go back if I didn't have to endure navigating the streets of SJ with Sharks fans wandering about, driving and screaming idiotically.
This is the kind of place that is attemping to be cool and failing. First of all you need to make sure the drinks and food are good, then worry about the presentation and ambiance. Do not try the Saketini or the Crush ( not sure if that is the correct name, it's the one with pear flavored alcohol). The "Crush" tasted like poison, but being the polite alcoholic that I am, I sipped and sipped until all I was left with was bits of ginger. Don't get me wrong, the spring rolls are good and there were a few other items that I saw nearby patrons eating that looked and smelled tasty, I just woudn't go back for any specialty drinks. I might give it a second try for the food since it is close to the house and has a different menu than other local restaurants.
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I went here with my boyfriend and his parents a few months ago. I expected the place to be good, it had a cool vibe to it and quite a few customers. Unfortunately, the food was not good to me at all. My boyfriend's parents enjoyed their dishes, but I found them average. We shared everything family style. My boyfriend got a tofu dish that had no flavor whatsoever and we also got these crab spring rolls that almost turned my stomach. The crab wasn't fresh and had a really strong odor.
We sat at a table near this water fountain that was so annoying . Besides making me need to go to the bathroom every five minutes, I couldn't even hear myself think the water was so loud. We asked the waitress to turn it off and she said she would but seemed to forget as the night progressed. We just ended up unplugging it. haha.
I wouldn't go there again or recommend it to any of my friends.
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It's a small restaurant with a cozy yet modern ambience. Cool paintings reminiscent of Vietnam hang on the wall. They got a full bar, which was understandably empty on a Tuesday evening. We ordered lots of small plates to share. The calamari was good, papaya salad and baby clams were decent. The garlic noodles had a strange herbal scent - definitely not good, unless herbal garlic noodles are your thing.
The drinks menu has cute sounding names for cocktails. The guavatini tasted guava-less and bitter. The lychee martini, however, actually had some lychee taste to it.
Service was efficient, not too slow and not hovering over you all the time. I like that they refilled our water often because I was dehydrated. However, my friend ordered an additional cocktail which sat at the bar and was not brought out until we got the check. Overall, the food was unimpressive, although I could be biased because I don't care much for the contemporary Asian fusion type of food. The food is too overpriced compared to its quality; you are basically paying for the ambience.
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I'm not sure what all the complaints about overpricing are about. This place is trying to be a little upscale, and with most entrees between $15-$20, that's within reason. With that said, I can't really defend this restaurant. I'm seeing Death Spiral. Bad reviews are scaring customers away, which lowers the quality of the wait staff, which further lowers the number of customers, which causes corner-cutting in quality, etc., etc. I give it six months before it closes for "remodeling".
I had the duck with sauteed bok choy. The veg was good, but the duck was overcooked. My friend had the salmon with green beans. The green beens were nice and spicy-garlicy, but the salmon wasn't fresh. The garlic noodles were nothing special.
When a locally owned, newspaper-recommended restaurant can't give you a better dining experience than P.F. Chang's down the street, it's time for the management to re-evaluate their plan.
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nice looking place, but the sauces that complimented both the plates we ordered were practically the same - starchy slight salty, but not tasty. Like chinese fast food sauce. It was like having overpriced chinese food in terms of presentation and quality. Panda Express tasted better (yes, even though this is vietnamese restaurant, that's how bad the food tasted).
I just like this place. Am coming back.
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This place is pretty bad. The back room is just downright offensive. It's feezing cold, boring and feels like it was just thrown together with 20 minutes notice. The food varied from tolerable to inedible. The best thing I had all night was a few bites of something that was deep fried which isn't saying much because I can't imagine it's hard to screw that up. Anyway I'll never be coming back, remember, this place is empty for a reason during dinner times.
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I must say... my first impression here was very nice, but it's been a bit disappointing ever since. My first time here, I happen to stop in for lunch at an odd hour (about 2pm), and received good, friendly service (I believe it was the owner herself that served me that day - very friendly and engaging) along with some good food. The Lemongrass Chicken was good, and the small sides & appetizers were a nice match. After a nice chat w/ the owner, I decided that I'd return here more often to help them bring in business... Since then, I've eaten here about 5-6 more times in the last six months or so... and have been disappointed every time... The food isn't all that bad... It's the service that seems to decline every time I come here ever since the first time. I even brought some friends for lunch, dinner, and happy hour, to see if I'd get the same, friendly service I did from the owner the first time... It hasn't come to that since, and I think I'm looking at other options for Vietnamese food for now... There are a few decent servers here, but there are a couple of male servers here that are not all that friendly or engaging... and rather disengaging and not into chatting at all... not even a simple 'thank you' or a check-in to speak of. Even his facial expression wasn't all that friendly, rather looking more like he was hoping I'd finish my meal and get the heck out of the place as soon as possible... I wish that weren't the case, since this place got off to a good start, but personally... I'm not sure if I'd recommend anyone to go to this place, especially if they'll receive the same service that I have been the last few times... After seeing that many of the other reviewers felt the same way about the service here, I'm wondering if the owner is reconsidering how the staff here treat their customers. Perhaps some training may help? Or, maybe just hiring staff that enjoy interacting w/ people? Maybe if I start seeing other reviewers post something more positive, I'll reconsider checking this place out again... but, if I see the same servers around... I'm probably heading next door to Thepthai...
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Why, may I ask, do I keep reading about how fabulous 19 Market is?
Food was okay, and completely overpriced. Service was abominable! On a not-so-crowded night, my friend and I were seated near the kitchen. When I asked if we could have a booth, the waitress said, "you can move yourselves, right?" I've waitressed before, and if f I said that to a customer, I would be fired on the spot. My alleged mojito was little more than straight rum and a mint sprig. (Not that I mind straight booze, but it was not what I ordered). I called the waitress over and said, "My drink's a little strong, could you add some more lime and sugar?" The bartender came back with the new drink and sneered, "Too strong, I've never heard that before."
Please. If I want mediocre drinks and cooler-than-thou, flaky people I'll go back to college. Don't waste your money or your time.
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I would describe this place as overpriced with mediocre flavor.
I'm willing to over look the slow service, since we were seated in the back room away from the server's main area. But the flavor of the food just never stood out. We ordered mango beef and lemon grass chicken during a lunch visit. They seem to be just sauted in the same kind of sauce, and a few strips of mango thrown into the beef dish. For $15, I'd expect more.
Ordering the lunch special and a soda, plus tip, you're looking at $20 a person. Not worth it at all.
Every new restaurant has its challenges in its first few years and 19 Market is no exception, but it also boasts the accomplishment of Best New Vietnamese Restaurant in the Silicon Valley in both The Wave magazine and The Metro.
This place has a cozy feel - sophisticated, yet casual. Nice art, fresh flower arrangements, an ever changing wine list, and mellow music all make for a great hang out or date spot.
Overall, this is a decent place to eat with what looks to be a bright future.
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The happy hour nummies were good and cheap at $4 a pop. We had the fried anchovies (tasted slightly like pork rinds) and bruschetta (so-so). The banana flambe was delicious! I wanted to stop by last night just to have a little bit more of that lovely burnt sweet taste in my mouth. So good. I tried the korean bbq short ribs. They were okay-a little salty. We also had the spring rolls. I loved all the fresh ingredients in them, but i disliked the pressed pork. blech.
I'd like to give 3 1/2 stars but i'm rounding up :) Friendly knowledgeable bartender.
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This is a great place.
I had a private event here with about 35 friends in their banquet room. The food was great, decor was nice, the service was awesome. As far as costs for private dinner banquets. I HIGHLY recommend this place. The cost for 35 people was an outstanding deal, and unlike most other venues like it, they did not require a ridiculous mimium fee.
I do agree with some of the other reviews, I would not classify it as a vietanmese restaurant, but the food stands on its own, and I plan on going back there again and again.
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this place isn't bad or anything. it's just not really vietnamese food, that's all.
i know this place is supposed to be "upscale" vietnamese, but i found the flavors to be unauthentic and unexciting, and rather a mix of other asian cuisines rather than solely vietnamese.
when i went, at 7pm on a saturday night, this place was completely empty... maybe it's because this place doesn't start poppin until 10 or what?
anyways, the food is alright, the service was alright, and the decor is comfortable and modern. if you don't want authentic vietnamese, and want a kind of asian fusion, be my guest and eat here.
Vietnamese food with a sort of fusion mix to it but not very impressive. It was my first time here and I didn't know what to expect. The bar seem pretty spacious and the restaurant did too. Nicely decorated but a lot of lights throughtout. My bf and I were seated right next to the kitchen door which did not make it a nice and romantic dinner, but more of a reason to review the place. In reviewing the menu, there seemed to be alot of choices/variety of starters, entrees, etc. - Seafood, Chicken, Fish, Beef, Pork, etc..
Our choices:
1. Baby Clams - not at all what we expected for an appetizer, We were expecting the clams in the shells, usually in a broth, but what we got was a generous portion of clam meat with some sort of soy/rice chips to scoop it on to. It was good but not great.
2. Calamari - again... expecting fried calamari. We always go the safe route but I guess something different can be good at times to change it up. Calamari was deep fried, however mxed with sauteed peppers, onions and a sauce, so it reminded me of Sweet-n-Sour Pork or something like that. It was ok.
For entrees:
Seafood Fried Rice - it had 6 shrimp on a generous portion of fried rice with sausage and pineapple. Kinda reminds me of Filipino fried rice, but then again, isn't fried rice all the same?
Tamarind Pork Ribs - my suggestion? Skip it. It was tough and chewy and had the same ingredients as the calamari. It was deep fried pork mixed in with peppers, onions and a sauce.
Overall, prices and portions were reasonable. I wouldn't mind going back there again to try the other starter plates someday.
With the lot clanging of pots and pans