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19 Market
Categories: Restaurants Vietnamese Restaurants Asian Fusion Vietnamese, Asian Fusion [Edit]
19 N Market StSan Jose, CA 95113
(408) 280-6111
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 11 am - 3 pm
Mon-Thu, Sun 5 pm - 10 pm
Fri-Sat 5 pm - 12 am
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Garage, Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Ambience:
- Trendy
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
About This Business:
Mama Do's Kitchen wants to make people feel like they're at home. With great ambiance, caring customer service, and a warm atmosphere, Mama Do serves up… read more »
240 reviews for 19 Market
Review Highlights
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"The spring rolls and green beans were FANTASTIC." In 59 reviews -
"The shaking beef was super delicious." In 20 reviews -
"I'm addicted to the baby clams." In 15 reviews
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240 reviews in English
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Review from Judy C.
5/13/2012 1 Check-in Here
For our girls night out, we decided to plan a last minute dinner near San Pedro Square Market on a Friday night. I called 19 Market about an hour in advance and they were able to accommodate a table for 7.
The restaurant itself was smaller than what I had imagined (or seen through pictures). Nevertheless, it still had its charm and there was even live music from a duo that played cool renditions of various top 40 songs and some classics.
My friends and I shared the following appetizers, entrees, and desserts:
- KOREAN BBQ SHORT RIBS
- GREEN PAPAYA & MANGO SALAD
- TERIYAKI DUCK
- SHAKING BEEF
- LEMON GRASS SEA BASS
- EGGPLANT & TOFU IN CURRY SAUCE
- BANANA FLAMBE
- TROPICAL SWEET ROLLS
- SWEET STICKY RICE WITH MANGO
Typically, I like to dissect each food item I tried in my Yelp reviews. However, most of these dishes were just average for the most part. I'd rather not waste my breath or anyone's time! Some notes though:
- Don't get the SEA BASS. It's $24 for a very minuscule cut! The flavors weren't strong and it was definitely not worth its price.
- Don't get the DUCK. As we all know, duck tends to have a sensitive taste that not everyone can acquire. I always love duck, but this one I was not a fan of. It was gamier than my usual preference.
- My favorite entree was the SHAKING BEEF. I do recommend this.
- The desserts were the best part of our dining experience! The SWEET STICKY RICE WITH MANGO was the best thing I ate all night. Second place goes to the TROPICAL SWEET ROLLS. The BANANA FLAMBE would be ranked if it wasn't for the overdose of alcohol.
All in all, we had a lovely experience since the service was great and the live music added a nice touch. The food was average to slightly above average. -
Review from Susie O.
San Jose, CA
5/14/2012
$140.00 for 2 people for mediocre food. (Cringe)
At first, the bf and I were pleasantly surprised by the quaint scenery and the live singer Sat evening. As we were perusing the menu, a neighboring diner, without prompt, proclaimed that the catfish in the claypot was the "best fish I ever tasted." So, the bf and I ended up ordering:
-catfish in a claypot - It was so NOT the best fish dammit.
-salmon cigars
-spring rolls - tasted funny...like slightly spoiled crab mix
-lambchops w/potatoes
-bok choy
-korean shortribs
- 4 cocktails
The only dish worth ordering was the lambchops. All other dishes were overly sauced, overly sweet, bland, or uninteresting. Scant portions, below average quality... I can't understand how they could justify their pricing.
Groupon voucher knocked the bill to $110.00.
Bf and I left unsatisfied. -
Review from Jennifer W.
San Jose, CA
3/25/2012 2 photos
We had a group of 6 here on a Thursday night. Too be honest, when a friend made a reservation to this place, we thought it would be more trendy. The food and drinks here taste average. First round of drinks, didn't take like had enough vodka, until one of our friends requested to add a bit more
Appetizers:
1. Crab Puffs-dipping sauce was ok. It tasted better with the grilled beef onion rolls spicy sauce.
2. Grilled Beef onion rolls-was alright.
3. Seafood potstickers-average
Entrees
1. Shaking beef--a bit salty, rice wasn't offered.(Xanh is better). Next time, waitress should offer rice.
2. Catfish in the claypot-average (Xanh is better)
3. Grilled salmon with spicy green beans-average
4. Grilled lemongrass lamb chops-was ok
5. Garlic noodles
We all 2-3 rounds of drinks. Overall, average food and high prices. Price wasn't worth the food. Too be honest, we were pretty disappointed, especially we bought 2 friends that were out of town here. -
Review from Sylvia D.
2/26/2012
Note: This review is for 19 Market's lunch buffet only.
I eat Vietnamese food at home so you'd think I'd branch out more when I eat out sometimes, but noooooooo... I definitely an inner FOB.
I wanted Vietnamese food for lunch, but since my top choice is closed on Wednesdays, my co-worker suggested 19 Market. I didn't know they offered weekday lunch buffets until we walked up near the entrance and spotted a A-frame sign advertising it. I haven't eaten at 19 Market before so the buffet seemed like a good opportunity to try a lot of dishes at one time. Plus, anyone that knows me knows I can't turn down a buffet.
I haven't eaten at 19 Market before so the buffet ($12.50) was a good opportunity to try a little bit of a couple dishes they had to offer from their regular menu. On the day I went, buffet items included spicy lemongrass pineapple soup, chicken cabbage salad with fish sauce-based dressing, mixed green salad with fresh mangos, tofu spring rolls, fusion grilled pork tacos, garlic noodles, curry chicken, stir fried tofu and vegetables, and stir fried steak and fries. Dessert included a tapioca sweet "soup" with jackfruit and fresh fruit.
The food is okay for the price. The lemongrass soup, chicken cabbage salad, and tapioca dessert were good. The other dishes didn't really jump out at me. It probably doesn't help that the chaffing dishes kept the food luke warm. I wouldn't be suprised if the non-buffet food fared better.
Overall, sleek ambiance for a Vietnamese restaurant. If I came back, I'd go for their regular menu items, not the buffet. The food better be above-average for above-average prices for Vietnamese food.Listed in: I Heart DTSJ
-
Review from Casey D.
San Francisco, CA
5/10/2012
I went there with my family on a weeknight and there was only one employee--the bartender who took our orders and brought us the meals. I believe each entree was about $15-20, which was fine considering that I pay that much normally for other restaurants. But when the dishes came, I was surprised by how SMALL the portions were. Completely not worth the price, and the service was not great enough to justify the cost. For the same price I could go to a Cheesecake Factory and get larger portions and better customer service. We felt completely ripped off.
-
Review from Jack T.
San Jose, CA
2/16/2012
This place is a upscale Vietnamese restaurant. It's good. Everything was good and the portions were a good value.
I've been here twice and have not been disappointed. They have draft beer here too. -
Review from Runa T.
San Jose, CA
1/1/2012 1 Check-in Here
I've always passed by this place when I park at the San Pedro parking garage and always wondered about it.. So when I saw a Groupon for it, I figured it'll be an opportune time to give it a try.
THANK GOD I DID (get the Groupon, I mean)! Because without the Groupon, it woulda been $65 for 2 people which I feel was not worth it.
The atmosphere of the place is nice. I didn't know they had a full bar there which was nice. The restaurant alone is quite small however it looked like there may have been a closed off section in the back which is maybe used for private parties or overflow when it gets busy? However, upon entering there was no one who greeted us. We stood there awkwardly and wondered if we were supposed to seat ourselves as in some pho places until finally, the bartender/hostess/waitress came to seat us.
They had tons of cocktails which all sounded amazing. I picked Life's a Peach which was very good. For appetizer, we had the satay chicken skewers. I was expecting it to be served with peanut sauce but was met with a sweet/tangy orangey clear sauce which was good but just not what I was expecting. The skewer sticks were burnt to a crisp and fell apart when I picked it up.
We struggled over what entrees to order as most were over $20 and we weren't looking to spend "Santana Row restaurant" prices.. We settled on ordering the Shaking Beef and Lemongrass Chicken. The meats were both quite tasty. The Shaking Beef is recommended (if you decide to go there after reading this..). Very tender and marinated deliciously.
As far as service.. I had to physically go up to get one of the two waitresses to ask for the bill as we were sitting there after they took away our plates for at least 15+ minutes waiting to be asked if we want dessert or anything. The service there was similar to service at a typical pho place.. Seat yourselves.. keep the hospitality at a minimum.. only approach if you're being waived down... That's fine for a pho place where the bill ends up being $15 for 2 but NOT for a place where the bill ends up being $60 for 2!
So all in all:
Price: 1 cocktail + 1 beer + 1 appetizer + 2 entrees = $60 - $30(Groupon) + tip = $35
Service: Minimal..
Future return possibility: Zero -
Review from Tiffie L.
1/3/2012
Not a fan.... we come here all the time for lunch during the work week, because it's one of the few nicer restaurants in downtown SJ. Sadly, though, it's just not that great. I love Vietnamese food, but this place is a overpriced, western version of what good Vietnamese food should be. The only dish that is okay is the Vermicelli. Oftentimes, certain dishes are also sold out!
I think we come back again and again, however, because it is a nice restaurant - clean, spacious and a more upscale feel than some of the hole in walls in the surrounding area.
All in all, I would rather travel just a tad further to some of the authentic Vietnamese restaurants in downtown SJ -- there is a LOT of good stuff out there! Going to 19 Market for good Vietnamese food definitely disappoints, but I have a feeling I'll still drop in now and then due to the scarcity of options in this area. -
Review from Cecillia W.
Palo Alto, CA
1/18/2012
I seriously wish I could rate it lower. 19th Market has justified my conception that fusion food is terrible. Here's why.
Our dinner (using groupon) cost approximately $61 dollars for 3 dishes.
All three dishes had the same exact sauce. It was disgusting drinking sickeningly sweet soy sauce over and over again.
Not even the roasted quail could be the saving grace :/
Do not get the lamb no matter what. It is extremely thinly sliced and the garlic noodles are incredibly dry. It's terrible and not worth $26. Not even $10.
Food: 0
Ambiance: 2
Price: 0 -
Review from Erish M.
Northridge, CA
2/7/2012
I had the Lamb Satay and Mango Beef. The meat was chewy, meaning it was overcooked. Although the meat wasn't my favorite...the mango in the mango beef was delicious. It made the dish better & they didn't skim on the mango (this was probably the only thing I enjoyed about this place.
Our waiter was nice, but it took 15-20 minutes for the him to come and help us. It wasn't that busy, but it also looked like he was the only person there besides the host that just sat by the bar.
Overall, I call the food okay. Not worth the price. The serving is small. Definitely not worth the price. I don't think I'll be back. If the service was better or if the food was better or even if the portion was bigger, I would come back. There has to be a some give & some take. They took too much from me without giving back enough. I feel like I've been robbed. -
Review from Marilynn S.
San Jose, CA
4/4/2012
We tried this because we found a Groupon that was a good deal. The food was well presented, tasty and lots of variety. Yummy. Service was excellent the first time we went, and mediocre the second. We'll definitely go again soon.
-
Review from Jeffrey L.
San Jose, CA
11/8/2011
I dined at 19 Market last night. We were the only ones in the restaurant which is not a good sign. It took 20 minutes for the waiter to take our order and only after my partner tracked the waiter down. The food was tasteless and hardly compares with other vietnamese restaurants in town.
My partner had a foreign object in his food. We ordered the lamb chops. Two of the chops didn't even have meat on them.
There was loud music over the sound system and totally different music from the T.V. with volume turned up high. Totally annoying!
We will not be coming back to this restaurant. -
Review from Conor O.
Incline Village, NV
11/15/2011
I should have read the recent reviews before buying a Groupon. My biggest complaint is the service. I understand this place is probably crawling with people who purchased the Groupon and the wait staff is just not staffed appropriately to handle a crowd. We waited forever to order, receive our food, the bill took forever and we never were able to get a refill on water or order a second cocktail. The food was bland and mediocre at best. There is much better Vietnamese options in the area.. The fresh rolls/spring rolls were pretty good but nothing else. Steer clear of the Chicken Curry... not good. Shrimp was OK but not worth $25 a plate. Our bill ended up around $75 and I don't think it was even worth the $15 I paid for $30 worth of food.
I also bought the $100 worth of catering Groupon for an upcoming cocktail party... I think I'll stick to the spring rolls and it should be OK. We'll see... -
Review from Tina N.
San Jose, CA
11/10/2011
I love this place....been here about 3-4 times...the food is AWESOME!!! The calamari is wonderful fried...the spring rolls are fresh and good...
The lunch boxes are perfect....and you get this delicious tapioca shot for dessert!!! mmmm....I would go back just for this dessert!!! SERIOUSLY!!! it had pieces of mango...tapioca...and like a creamy something!!! YUM!!!
The ingredients, meat...veggies...everything is fresh..the only bad thing is that the employees aren't soo outgoingly friendly...you kinda have to pull teeth to make conversation or even some excitement from the staff....they aren't rude...just not too welcoming....but I guess....if that's the worst of it....I can live with it....because the FOOD IS very good....A bit on the pricey side...so I will dine only with GROUPON!--:D -
Review from Sheri G.
San Jose, CA
9/28/2011 1 Check-in Here
I can let a lot of things slide, but the SERVICE was unbelievably horrible. We had reservations at 8pm, still took 20 minutes. While waiting at their bar for us to be seated, the bartender did not come over to us once. Took another 20 minutes to have someone take our order (which seemed like she was doing us a favor) and then I was flagging down a server the whole time for refills and drink orders.
Food was decent, if it didn't take FOREVER. I could really go on and on... Sorry will definitely not be coming back. -
Review from ERICA G.
San Francisco, CA
9/24/2011
I'd give this place -1 stars if possible...
Walked in to place an order to go, was on a pick up lunch an back to the desk kind of day... waiter said, I'll be with you in a few we're really busy. 5 minutes later still no attention...
When he finally acknowledged me I said I'll take the Lemongrass Chicken, no bell peppers. Waiter, gave me a confused look and said, "I'll try, we're really busy, but i'l see what I can do."
Really??? I would think it's faster, one less ingredient to add and cook...
Told him nevermind I would take my business elsewhere...his response, oh that would be great, thanks.
Wow...won't be back here again... -
Review from Nhung T.
Oakland, CA
10/3/2011
I lived in downtown SJ for over 10 years and finally visited this place. I went for happy hour and it was a pretty nice restaurant, all the items including drinks on the hh menu were $5. Note, the food portion was kind of small. So if you are hungry, I would double the order or order off the regular menu. I'm not quite sure if the portion is bigger, might want to ask. The beef wrap was really tasty, love the onions with it. The fried chicken wing was very moist and interesting dipping sauce. The BBQ pork ribs were good, but I do prefer sauce on the side.
I do have to complain about the bartender, never once did she asked if a second drink was needed until I had to flag her down (1 star). Literally, it's important to have an entertaining or good bartender that's where all the money is.. alcohol!!! -
Review from Lisa R.
8/10/2011 1 Check-in Here
My love affair with 19 Market is like a long time marriage, with its ebbs and flows of passion and delight. I first found this place four years ago and it was our go to after work happy hour destination. So much so, we got two very close friends out of the deal, both of the bartenders who used to work the bar on Friday nights. We've kept one of the two as friend's, so thats a fairly good return on investment, even in these troubled economic times.
For awhile, I couldn't get enough of this place, its food exotic, well prepared, fresh and innovative. Then after time, it lost its appeal and became consistent, which isn't bad. But not mind numbingly great.
I stopped going for a while but when I purchased a Living Social deal for this place the other day, we went and it was nice. Sort of like when you run into a long lost lover and there isn't any animosity between you, but no passion anymore either. The is comfort and familiarity. I'll come back, but it doesn't wow me as it used to.
We got:
- fresh crab/avocado spring rolls - good
- fried imperial rolls - modatley good, but not enough of the trimmings to make it a production of wrapping them up, which I enjoy
- vegetarian noodles - very nice, good veg, garlicky noodles yummy
- gingertinis - I didn't care for the gingertini
Still nice ambiance and good service, no doubts about that. -
Review from Someone E.
San Jose, CA
3/3/2012
I was a little hesitant after reading all the negative reviews on here. But we had a groupon so my husband and I went down to this restaurant on Friday. The place has a nice ambiance. We weren't very hungry so we only got pot stickers, egg rolls and the garlic noodles and crispy tofu sides. The appetizers were quite good and so were the garlic noodles. The crispy tofu was pretty plain but that was a miscalculation in ordering (we expected crispy tofu cooked in a spicy sauce). Based on our experience we would definitely go again and try some of the entrees from the very extensive menu. Some yelpers complained of the service but our server was very nice and polite.
My only complaint is that the place is quite expensive. Given its casual but trendy look, lower prices would be much more reasonable and attract more customers.
Also, they don't validate parking for the garage that is right next door. What's with that! -
Review from Enza P.
8/27/2011 1 Check-in Here
My dad likes to take me out to lunch on Fridays and this time, we came here. I saw the adorable seats outside and immediately felt comfortable.
The waiter greeted me right away and quickly got our drinks. On weekdays they have lunch specials that are about $12-18 per plate.
My dad ordered the Grilled Salmon with Green Beans and I ordered the Shaking Beef plate. For $18 for a lunch "special" I was expecting that they bring something amazing out otherwise its a total rip off.
Our entrees came out in a large bento box. Included was spring rolls, white rice, and salad. I enjoyed all of the above. The meat was cooked very well and the sauce was full of flavor. My dad's salmon looked perfectly cooked as well. Neither one of us could completely finish our plate, but most of it was gone.
I really enjoyed the food as well as the service. However, the pricing was a bit much for me. For a lunch special, it was still $18 per plate. I'm willing to pay that price only because I understand that salmon is more expensive, and my meat did taste pretty good and had minimal fat in it. But I wouldn't come here when it's regular prices because I don't think it's worth it.
I give them their props though, I liked the seasonings they used. Being Vietnamese, I've tried most of this stuff before and I definitely think this place makes some decent food. I was scared it was going to turn out to be some wannabe American place that sells ordinary Vietnamese food. I must say I was pleasantly surprised.
I would have probably given this place 3 stars, but their lunch specials and happy hour has earned them 1 more star, for now at least! -
Review from Don P.
San Jose, CA
10/26/2011
Excellent and extensive menu that always has me wanting to come back for more. The pulled pork lettuce wraps are a great way to start and their seafood pot stickers are excellent as well. I'm a sucker for the sea bass but you can't go wrong with their Shaking Beef. Bold, balanced flavors is what I think of when I think about 19 Market.
A unique restaurant that is definitely worth putting in your regular rotation. -
Review from Caroline T.
San Jose, CA
7/12/2011 1 Check-in Here
Came here for my Aun'ts birthday banquet. She had around thirty- eight guests. We took up half the main room of the restaurant and had one server.
We had a Prix fixe menu of about 40/person. Each table had 10 people. My main problem with this place is that we got ripped off....badly. The food was extremely mediocre.You get can better Vietnamese food elsewhere. We had a total of 8 courses and we only got 2 plates of each course to each table.
Spring rolls: Cut into smaller pieces. I liked the peanut sauce but the roll is very very scarce of meat.
Pulled Pork in Lettuce Wraps: BBQ flavor, just pork , no crunchy noodles to balance the flavor.
Papaya and Mango Salad: One of the better dishes of the night.
Shaking Beef: Very chewy meat.
Green beans and mushrooms: Extremely small dish for 5 people. I just don't understand. We are paying 40 a person, the least you can do is give us a normal size plate of green beans.
Tiger Prawns and Garlic Noodles: I enjoyed the prawns but I can make better garlic noodles.
Chicken Curry: Worse dish of the night! Dry meat complete with under cooked potatoes.
Mango and Sticky rice : I like that the dish comes with tapioca but in reality, you're gonna need the tapioca because the rice is hard and rubbery.
Not sure if ordering from the menu is better but I highly doubt that I will ever return here. -
Review from Caren K.
San Jose, CA
1/27/2012
MSG galore! Unfortunately, both mine and my boyfriends throats are scratchy now. I also wanted to save my Groupon for a special occasion for our four year anniversary but in the end it was ok service and food you'd expect for a lot less. At least the ambiance was nice? There are a lot better fine Vietnamese options in San Jose and overall the Groupon was just not worth it.
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Review from Ana T.
San Jose, CA
1/21/2012
This restaurant serves Vietnamese cuisine. Try the spring rolls, eggs rolls, and green papaya mango salad for an appetizer. The spicy lemongrass prawn soup tastes good too. The entrees are okay. This place is accommodating to large groups too.
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Review from Steve G.
Fremont, CA
12/17/2011 1 Check-in Here
Have been here on several occasions both with wife and with my brother. My wife is more discerning but overall loved some some of the more exotic offerings. Three stars as it was average in terms of service, ambiance, etc. . Service was decent. Good place to go to after work.
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Review from Robert S.
San Diego, CA
10/4/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Hmmm. Lots of interesting comments over the past two weeks for a restaurant I adore for the food, service, ambiance, drink and company.
The last two weeks were all about Groupon...I talked to the owner and they got 1,100 Groupon purchases...1,100! Go figure, of course lots of disappointment...so let's be a bit real people. 14 tables, 1,100 people, SLAM!!! I'm a Grouponer too but realistic about expectations.
Anyways, fresh and fantastic food. Generous pours with the drinks, love the staff and always feel at home.
Come back when there aren't 1,100 people fighting for one of 14 tables. -
Review from Daniel G.
5/26/2011 1 Check-in Here
We came here on a Groupon, but actually i had been interested to try this place before the deal was on. I'm definitely a fan of the Asian fusion movement that has been going on in the South Bay for the past few years, where regular old Chinese, Vietnamese, and Japanese dishes are given a 'modern makeover' so to speak. So based on everything that I could tell about this place prior to coming here, it was going to be right down my alley.
Now, i wouldn't say that this place is bad, but i wouldn't say that it was all that good either.
We ordered the following:
Salmon cigars: Salmon egg rolls. Sounds a lot more interesting at first than they really are; these turned out to be nothing special, even though they really could have been. It's seriously just some salmon wrapped in won ton and deep fried.
Roasted quail: Again, these were pretty basic, just straight roasted quail with salt and pepper.
Vietnamese chicken salad: I don't know what i was expecting, but this turned out to be a typical cabbage salad, something that i tend to associate more as a Thai salad than Vietnamese.
For entrees we went with the shaking beef and the pho ap chao. The shaking beef was cooked well, and was a little too salty for my liking, but they did use a good cut of meat. The pho ap chao was good, but i've had better at hole in the wall Vietnamese places before, so why would i want to come here and pay $17 for the same dish i can get elsewhere for under $10 that is just as good, if not better?
Here's what i really think: This is a great place to come try Vietnamese food if you are afraid of going to a REAL Vietnamese restaurant, but you will pay a premium for essentially the same stuff. The place is clean, and you actually have a waiter serving you, unlike just about any other Vietnamese restaurant that I can think of. But if you've ever had good Vietnamese food (other than just pho) then you will not be wow'd by this place. 3 stars. -
Review from Katharina W.
Sunnyvale, CA
4/2/2012
We had a reservation but still were seated at the only table directly in front of the kitchen, which distracted us with an unpleasant view and clattering of dishes. That, however, was the only negative. The food was delicious (soft spring rolls; onion beef; soup, chicken salad; lemongrass chicken), aromatic and fresh. It was presented beautifully. The service was good.
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Review from Jim D.
4/25/2011
I was invited to a surprise birthday party at 19 Market in San Jose this past weekend and the facility was very nice and better then average. There was room for the forty or so people attending and everybody seemed to have a good time. It was spacious enough for talking, greeting and dancing.
Appetizers at the served at the party:
Spring Rolls- pork and shrimp, very flavorful.
Chicken on skewers- moist chicken with a light teriyaki sauce, very tasty and not overdone.
Calamari - nicely deep fried, crispy and not greasy. Nicely accented with spices.
19 Market features a full bar with a wide assortment of beers and distilled spirits. The bar tenders were attentive. Another nice feature was the parking garage was within walking distance and price reasonable....yay!! -
Review from Emmy D.
7/7/2011
We came here after music in the park and wanted to come during restaurant week dine downtown San Jose. We were seated right away by the owner when arrived at the restaurant. We ordered from the $20 Prix Fixe Menu:
First Course
Fresh Spring Rolls w/
Vietnamese Chicken Salad
Second Course
Lemongrass Chicken
Spicy Grounded Pork & Tofu
Seared Mekong Basa
Eggplant & Tofu in Curry Sauce
*All entrees are served with Steamed Jasmine Rice
Third Course
Tropical Pudding
The first course comes with 1 small serving of Vietnamese spring roll and a little side of chicken salad. The spring roll tasted really fresh with a great peanut dipping sauce. The chicken salad was nice and light. I ordered the lemongrass chicken & my hubby ordered the spicy ground pork and tofu. It was good but not a typical Vietnamese dish, but has more flavors of a Thai dish. The dessert of tropical pudding is very similar to a Filipino dessert with tapioca pearls and sweet coconut cream and served in a small martini glass. I enjoyed it but after a few helpings felt full, but my hubby wasn't shy finishing it. If you come from 5pm to 7pm they have happy hour. They have several mixed drinks.
I will definitely have to come back and try some other things on the menu like shaken beef. -
Review from Bubba S.
San Jose, CA
6/29/2011 Seated via OpenTable
We came to this restaurant since we had a groupon. I saw a lot of high ratings and thought it would be a great dining experience. Even with the meal half off, I wanted my money back.
First we got some anchovy dish since my bf loves them. What we got was dried fish that asian parents have in the back of their cabinets for years. Not exactly anchovies. We couldn't even eat them it was so bad. The wonderful sounding description definitely failed.
The next dish was some chicken dish with sauce. I can't even remember what it was called since it was an experience I wanted to block out my memory. I tasted like sugar sauce. I only ate it because of I was hungry yet afterwards I felt cheated of my dessert since I just at sugar sauce with rice and chunks of protein.
The food took forever to come out and when it did it was an immense disappointment. It is always a bad sign when you go out to eat and you leave feeling angry not from the company yet with the entire food eating experience. Whoever rated this restaurant with a four star and above rating, I question your ability of knowing good vietnamese food. Even if it infused with an american influence. It gives America a bad rap if american infusion foods make originally good tasting foods this shitty. -
Review from Amy R.
San Jose, CA
6/24/2011
I really wanted to like this place. So many friends had recommended it, I love Asian fusion, and it is Restaurant Week, so you'd think the best would be on show. Unfortunately, wishes are not fishes, or in this case, a much needed good meal.
Party of 4 and a 9PM reservation, so I realize it's getting near the end of the night, not everything can be perfect. I'd be willing to forgive that the first and second courses were served together. I could forgive that our waitress brought us the wrong bill at the end. I could Maybe look past the "vegetable spring roll" having zero actual vegetables (only tofu and one mushroom slice). And I'm sure I could get over not being served the rice that came with our meal, as we did get it after asking. But I cannot look past being knowingly served flat soda. Sure, it was taken off our bill, but when you know the carbonated water is out, let us know before hand. I'd also prefer it if there was actually alcohol in my fruitini.
Two of us ordered the Restaurant Week Prix Fixe menu, and two individual entrees. The food was pretty decent, beef was super tender and the sauces were very flavorful, but not quite right. I really don't know how to describe it, except to say that it wasn't really fusion and it wasn't trying to be authentic Vietnamese. It had the right base flavors, but something just wasn't clicking, everything seemed So heavy. That said, for what it was, it tasted pretty good, but just nothing special that would make me want to come back. Prix Fixe meal has massive portion sizes, clearly meant for two people, but the menu states no sharing of just that meal permitted, kind of a drag to waste so much food and moolah.
The atmosphere would have been appreciated, mood lighting and nice decor, had a startup guy not sat next to us and STARED at my friend and I for about 15 minutes, before butting into our conversation to tell us about his company. When did this become appropriate?
In short, not a bad place, the food is pretty decent, just not at all note worthy, with too many negatives to make up for that. -
Review from Leanne P.
3/29/2011 1 Check-in Here
OMG I think this is the worst Vietnamese place I've ever been to. I thought it was impossible to have worse service than at a pho place (c'mon, let's be honest. You don't go to a pho restaurant and expect good service. You expect an angry person taking your order, tossing glasses of water and bowls of pho on the table, and then ignoring you for about 10-15 minutes at which point, they toss your bill on the table).
So how can this place suck worse, you ask? Easy!
First of all, my friends and I went here on a Friday night (after watching the Cirque show), so it was about 10pm. They supposedly stay open till 1 or so? No one was in there so I thought the owner lady would be excited to see a group of 7 walk in. We look at the menu and most of us decide to get pho. She suggests that we order the large size because she says the standard size (which is priced at $7/bowl... already a little pricey for pho, in my opinion) is an appetizer portion. That convinces most of us to order the large (which is $12/bowl) but one friend sticks with the $7 portion. She keeps pressing us to order appetizers so we ended up getting crab wontons and calamari.
The calamari comes out and its heavily breaded. Its sooooo greasy that when it came out, I started feeling kinda nauseous. I definitely did not take a bite of that. My friends ate some and said it had no flavor whatsoever. The wontons looked alright, but super tiny (about the size of a quarter).
The pho comes out and the small bowl is barely bigger than a cup (imagine a cup of miso soup at a sushi place). The spoon barely fits in the bowl, lol. My chicken pho comes out and its got maybe 6 pieces of chicken breast. Completely dry, flavorless chicken breast. My bowl of soup tasted like chicken broth (but watered down). No flavor at all, and definitely not worth my $12.
We were having a hard time getting refills on our water. I also ordered a coke (which tasted like water... it was like 5 parts water, 1 part coke syrup). I killed my glass of water and soda within a minute or two (I was really thirsty) and it took me an additional 10 minutes to get a refill. Ugh, for sure we will NOT be back.Listed in: NEVER AGAIN, I swear I'm part Vietnamese
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Review from Steven P.
San Jose, CA
WOW - there is a Happy Hour advertised, but you can only get those prices if you sit at the bar. How big is the bar? There's like 5 seats. WOW.
$10 for a bowl of pho? $16 for a lunch combination? C'mon man - it's decent, but let's be serious here.
The Happy Hour thing is annoying, but the food prices are what makes this place easy to pass up. I don't mind paying higher prices for food, but the quality here doesn't make it worth your while. -
Review from Gary J.
4/12/2011
Disappointing lunch today
Ordered the "Power Lunch"
The soup was warm at best, spring rolls were nothing special, lemon grass chicken should be called onion and bell pepper chicken (not a stick of lemon grass to be found) in sweet and sour sauce, and the rest was just okay.
Bob, my lunch buddy, called 19 Market a 3 Star; but, I believe he was being nice as his beef Pho was not very hot either, he didn't eat it all and it looked unappetizing.
Best of show was the tapioca pudding and they only give you about a quarter of a cup; nothing more than a tease to the pallet -
Review from Mo T.
San Jose, CA
11/20/2011
We stumbled upon this place as we were headed to a Sharks game and stopped in for drinks. What a hidden gem. I have been there a variety of times and happy hour is the best deal for both drinks and apps. Mostly, we stop in the bar for drinks and appetizers before going out. The seafood spring rolls and chicken wings are not to be missed. Also, the almond champagne and their cocktail menu are great. Often, the owner is there and she is so friendly and knowledgable. Great place!
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Review from Jill T.
4/12/2011
I had purchased a groupon and love Vietnamese food so it was a good match. The space is very nice and the waiter was attentive and provided a good level of service.
We ordered the:
Spring Rolls-these were good, had pork and shrimp in them
Green Papaya and Mango Salad-this lack anything special wasn't spicy-it was okay. It didn't stand out in any way but wasn't bad
Garlic Prawns-this tasted good. Had a good amount of Prawns in it. It didn't wow me but again it tasted good.
I love Pho and usually that is my go to...but this place had very expensive bowls of Pho. $7 for a small (very small bowl) and I think it was add $7 for a large bowl, so like $14. I don't know, maybe I missed the boat. A $14 bowl of Pho must be pretty magical.
Over all this place was ok, good atmosphere, good service. Nice bar ( I don't drink and we didn't get drinks but they had a big drink menu).
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Review from Myles T.
Milpitas, CA
1/7/2012
Like everyone else, i bought a groupon to try out this place as the menu looks very similar to 3 Seasons in Palo Alto which i love. I finally took my bfriend here last night for a date night. To my disappointment, the food was absolutely horrible. We left behind 75% of our food, and the waitress didn't even bother to inquire why we ate so little, and if there was anything wrong with the food. We couldn't bother complaining as we were simply too disappointed. We couldn't wait to get out of there as the place is small. Here's my review of the food:
Shaking Beef -- tasted OLD and way too much sauce (extremely salty)
Garlic Noodles was extremely bland
Seafood Potstickers were fine
Chicken Satay was simply too dry
In short, this place is horrible in case you are considering going here. -
Review from silvia d.
San Jose, CA
Updated - 3/11/2012
Great place, nice ambience, good (but not excellent) food.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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4/30/2011
Granted, I haven't been here for a few months, but am planning on dining there again this week.
That… Read more »
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Review from crystal h.
Milpitas, CA
12/25/2010
Came here for happy hour on a 6:30ish Thursday. $5 certain drinks and appetizers. Us girls were a group of 6 and we were able to sit at the lounge area across the bar.
Nice bartender. He helped us take pics of us girls and makes jokes with us. Maybe because my friend knows him though.
Food: Small portion appetizers.
Clams, fried chicken wings, mushroom bruschetta, baby back ribs, chicken kabob. I like the baby back ribs the best.
Almond champagne was good, but i think the bottle was open before so there was no bubbles.
