Nouvelle Bistro
Category: Asian Fusion [Edit]
43543 Mission Blvd(between Anza St & Cedar St)
Fremont, CA 94539 (510) 226-0588
- Price Range: $$$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Private Lot
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: No
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Good for: Dinner
- Alcohol: Full Bar
21 reviews
Union City, CA
"I'd also give this place a 4.5. The food was delicious and beautifully presented. We ordered the chicken soup (tinola), garlic shrimp,…" read more »
39 Reviews for Nouvelle Bistro
I like this place a lot because the food is really good, the environment is dark and romantic, and the service is good. The only reason it doesn't deserve five stars is because it costs 5 bucks for tea -- and we're not talking about those mixed teas, we're talkin about putting a tea bag in a pot with hot water.. I mean come on, really? Tea?
But all tea aside, the place is great. It's a great place to go on a date. :)
Great food, nice ambience, really random location on Mission near Ohlone. I'm SO glad there's a nice dining option in Fremont though. We went here tonight for my mom's bday. Wasn't overly full but maybe 6 other tables at 7 pm. Service was attentive with 2 waiters filling waters and bringing plates.
Starters: split pea soup $6--deliciously creamy and light
crispy calamari $8---great crunch with a spicy kick in the cocktail sauce
Crab avocado salad was wonderful served on greens and the baked caesar was pretty large and the chicken was cooked perfectly.
I got the chicken lettuce wraps (DO NOT GET THIS) and the Ahi sashimi roll (GET THIS). Basically everythign else we got was top notch and very delicious. Filet mignon was cooked perfectly medium rare, thai lobster and seafood had a great spicy broth w/garlic noodles, duck breast was tender and not too fatty, and the eggplant and basil fried rice rounded out the meal well.
Dessert was coppa caffe (super creamy coffee gelato--i think they must've whipped it) and the hazelnut mousse (great texture contrast with the nuts and a thin layer of crunch). The meal ended up being about $40/person but we were STUFFED afterwards.
3.5.....
This place will always hold a dear place in my heart! My friends and co-workers took me here for my Bridal Shower, and I fell in love! I never knew this restaurant existed and I found it just to be almost perfect!!
From their cutely decorated room in the back that coincidentally matched my wedding colors to their yummy selection of lunch items, I was impressed!
I loved their cream of porcini mushroom soup!!! Probably my favorite food in the menu, it was delicious and had just enough cream to tickle your taste buds!! It was amazingly spiced and I couldn't suck the bowl fast enough. LOL!!
The salad they served was great, too, although I don't remember the name of it! I remember thinking that I should be switching the location of the rehearsal dinner when I put that first bite in my mouth!
The satay combo was also very good! It came with one succulent beef skewer, one tender chicken, and last but not least, the awesome shrimp! I couldn't finish my meal because of all of the excitement and was extremely disappointed when my waiter accidentally threw away the to-go box! :(
Enter day (or should I say night) #2. Fiance and I dropped in on a Friday night. We were seated right away but I was sad that we didn't get whisked into a cool, leather booth that was in very close proximity to the live jazz band strumming their stuff. Although I loved that little room, I wanted to experience the other darker, ecclectic, more romantic side of the restaurant. But we didn't have reservations and I was glad for the fast seating.
The service on the other hand, was anything but fast. They were full that night and it was extremely S......L........O........W.....
I ordered the exact same dishes as my bridal shower meal but it wasn't quite as good as the first time around. The soup was still very good, but the satay was a bit stale and chewy.
We did get the creme brulee' this time, and their serving was huge! The dessert was beautiful inside and out and it sat very nicely in my tummy!!
Bookmark Send to a Friend Link to This Review
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (1)
My cousin and I came here on a Friday night, after holding on to a gift certificate for almost a year. I was really surprized at how nice the interior, decor and atmosphere was. Black leather booths, live jazz on the weekends, nice linen. It's good to know that there's an "upscale" type restaurant in Fremont that isn't a chain. We usually have to drive to the city for a place like this. The food was good, but not excellent. The ambiance however, makes up for it. Here's the breakdown of what we ordered:
Complimentary edamame- We were a little disappointed at first that they didn't serve bread cause we were starving, but were just as well satisfied . The edamame is good. They cook it with garlic or something. I'm sure our waistlines appreciated it too.
Cream of Porcini Mushroom Soup-Wow. Awesome. Creamy and flavorful. I wish they served bread to clean the bowl!
Crispy Calamari-just ok. The calamari was as thin, bordering on paperthin as the batter. I've had much more generous, tender calamari at even chain restaurants. Sonoma chicken coop being one of my favorites.Came with a little salad with a citrus asian type dressing.
Almond Prawns-These were very good. Crunchy & flavorul. Actual prawns, not shrimp. Also came with a salad. Good contrast.
Grilled 10 Spice Lamb Chops- Really enjoyed this dish. Grilled lamb chops with a crunchy coating. Came with a side of sauteed vaggies and mash.
Lavender tea-interesting flavor. It grew on me as the night went on. Like drinking a flower. Reminded me of a spa. But that's a good thing.
Dessert-Creme Brulee- Creamy, delicious. Hard to mess up. Huge portion. I can't remember the name of the other dessert we ordered, but WOW. The best dessert I've had in awhile. It was some sort of hazelnut mousse with an unexpected crispy wafer thing sandwiched inbetween the layers of mousse. Loved it.
Here's the thing about this place that cracked us up. Every single server was a young asian guy. We could not tell our waiter from the other ones! I love my asian brothers, but we just found it funny, cause it took all night to notice it.I think the only female employee was the hostess. I'm giving this place so 4/5 starts due to the originality of the establishment in Fremont, the ambiance, and the service. The food was just ok for the price you pay. My cousin and I were here for 2 1/2 hours, almost 3 and our server was very attentive and patient. If you can put up with my cousin's high-maintenentality ( yes, I made that word up) for that long without wanting to spit in her food, then kudos to you. I'm sure our young strapping server didn't mind, considering how hot my cousin is! This is definitely a good place to take someone on a first date if you don't want to drive too far.
Bookmark Send to a Friend Link to This Review
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Funny (1)
Cool (1)
-this review is for banquet services with preselected entrees, have yet to dine here
-place is very cute & in a quiet neighborhood of fremont across from Ohlone college & all the million+ homes in the hills
-next to a starbucks, yes!
-parking is good
-go here when the weather is sunny so you can walk around the small complex the restaurant is situated in
-the food was quite good for banquet services, and the private party was in a back room, I probably would use these facilities for a future private party (service was good, table sizes just right)
had the following:
-cream of porcini mushroom soup: YUM, but temperature was not hot enough, added bonus=sauteed button mushrooms at the bottom of the bowl (wish they were porcini though)
-salad (not sure what kind it was), but it was good!
-sesame crusted salmon: good, but too basic (anything I can cook at home doesn't impress me), they just crusted small bites of salmon and deep fried them, the edges were crispy but the salmon was slightly well-done, served with sauteed green beans (over cooked, dressing was too heavy) & fried rice (too basic, is this a fusion restaurant?
-the mixed sate skewers looked good (I didn't order this), they gave three hefty skewers per plate with the same heavy green beans & rice
-would come back to dine her for dinner & taste dessert
I had lunch here yesterday (first time) with a girl friend
I was "Totally" blown away with the menu. The decor is a bit stark and dark but romantic.
The food was handsomely presented. Staff was great.
Do try the Lavendar/Rosebud tea.
I liked it so much I'm going back for dinner tomorrow to check out the dinner menu see how it looks at night! See you there!
Red
I found out about Nouvelle Bistro when I was taking a stroll in the plaza waiting for my coffee at Starbucks. I saw Nouvelle and decided to check out the menu. At the time, me and my co-worker were really hungry and were sick of Subway, so we decided to order, Miso Soup, Baked Chicken Salad, and Crab Wontons.
The food was delicious but the pricing was a little extreme for lunch. It costs about $30 for lunch, and that pricing is for me alone. We ended up sharing the food, which was enough for two. I didn't care to think how much dessert would costs, but we ended our lunch with the salad.
Another time later for our company dinner, we had a party of 15, and we did it "family style". My manager pre-ordered a menu which was filled with so many different kinds of entrees. I enjoyed that meal because the food was great and because I was not the one paying.
I and my boyfriend did return for dinner another time after that, and the food was excellent but once again our bill was a little extreme. He of course does not understand that dinner at a new place, especially a fine Asian fusion, might be a little expensive.
Bookmark Send to a Friend Link to This Review
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (1)
Finally! A "fine-dining" establishment in Fremont! My husband and I have dined here several times and have never been disappointed. The food is always delicious and never mind what anyone says - the staff is great. It's too bad that Fremont can support more restaurants like Nouvelle Bistro!
The food is amazing...
Pricing is a little EXTRAVEGANT. I would def. recommend to people with BIG pockets and willing to spend on a nice quiet dinner.
I have a christmas party there, and boy was the FOOOD DELICIOUS..
Bookmark Send to a Friend Link to This Review
People thought this was:
Funny (1)
Never ever come here when it's crowded.
I went tonight for Valentine's Day and the SERVICE WAS SO SLOW! Apparently it was a combination of our waiter and the fact that the kitchen ran out of food. TWO HOURS into our dinner and we were only served soup and salad - no bread, no offers for appetizers, we had to ask for water refills, no excuse, nothing. The waiter pretty much ignored us because I guess we didn't speak Mandarin. I mean, I'm Asian, and I noticed that the two tables in the room who had Mandarin speaking parties had pretty good service. I also noticed a couple who sat down AFTER us had finished their meal BEFORE we even got our dinner!!! And I don't think the other tables were too happy either. One couple actually got up and left after only eating soup and salad.
If the waiter had told us of the trouble, I would've been a little annoyed, but I would've understood because it's a big night and all. BUT because he didn't tell us anything, I was REALLY pissed. And I couldn't understand it because they only offered three prix fixe menus, and within those menus, you could choose from 3 different entrees, so essentially, they only had 9 different meals to cook. So I don't understand how they ran out of food and why they didn't stock up on more because it's Valentine's Day. They even ran out of orange juice for the mimosas and they ran out of dessert for another couple.
Of course we spoke with the manager and we received a discount, but it was overall ridiculous and unacceptable that we had to wait forever for the food without an explanation. And when we finally got our food, my dish wasn't even right - it was supposed to be stuffed chicken with mushroom risotto, but instead of risotto, I got mashed potatoes. They made a separate side dish of it for me, but they must've tried to make it in a hurry because it was a bit undercooked. But it was still flavorful.
This wasn't our first time here. All the other times have been great and they're lucky because if it was our first time here, I'd never, ever come back again. That's why they get three stars. I will give them this, too, if I took out the factor of service, everything else was decent. The food, despite messing up on my dish, was delicious. The ambiance is great. It's a nice little restaurant. But this trip really took them down a few notches in my book.
My wife and I stumbled on this restaurant about 8 months ago and then had dinner again tonight. It was so great, we had forgotten how tastey and clever the dishes really are. I agree with several other posts, this place is authentic FUSION using western and Asian ingredients that make your eyebrows raise and your taste buds soar. Try this place, it reminds me of restaurants you can only find in San Francisco... it's really a hidden gem. Thankfully it's in Fremont, since our city lacks these nice restaurants.
This place is great!
I found out about this place when a friend from Argus Newspaper's marketing department shared it with me. I went for lunch....and went back again and again.
The ambiance is slick, black leather high back booths, private rooms, a FAB bar...and the service is great. On weekend nights you can even catch some live jazz....all around good place to visit.
The food is excellent. I love the cream of porcini mushroom soup, it will make you want to lick the bowl! The lunch specials are evenly priced... I like the coconut shrimp, it comes with soup or salad (the house salad dressing is fun and sweet!) freshly fried rice, fresh veggies and a fruit salad. Talk about a full lunch...but I never walk away feeling stuffed?!?!!?
I went back to take my hubbie out for dinner and the dinner menu is great. I love the way they present the food.
If you are in the Mission San Jose area of Fremont and are looking for a nice place to eat, this is it! A Must TRY!
Bookmark Send to a Friend Link to This Review
People thought this was:
Cool (1)
I probably would've given this place 4 stars, until a recent dining experience there has forced me to downgrade my ratings...
This is a pseudo "fine-dining" restaurant -- meaning: fine-dining ambiance, fine-dining food/presentation, and obviously... fine-dining pricing.
You're definitely looking at a minimum $40-50/person for a "complete" meal (appetizer, entree, dinner, drink). The food, I'll admit, is good (not "I'm leaving completely stuffed" quantity -- but tasty).
Okay, the main reason I'm reviewing this place, is regarding the service... I haven't really had a horrible experience until the last time I went (so maybe it's just a one-time deal), but I must discuss it nonetheless.
The service was WAY too slow (and not in a French-style, "enjoy the moment" type of slow)... when you have to wait 30 minutes for a teacup (after asking a 2nd time), or waiting over 30 minutes for the dessert to arrive... it's just really quite unacceptable. I really hope, for their sake, this is a one-time thing.... because it totally negated ALL the other positive things I've felt towards this place (even if it is randomly located across the street from Ohlone College).
Fremont doesn't have very many nice places to dine, but I think this place is great. It's right across from Ohlone College. I've been here twice and have enjoyed both times.
This is one of the few places where I feel it's true Asian Fusion. Other "Asian Fusion" restaurants tend to be a blend of different cuisines at one place (i.e. they offer a thai noodle, chinese noodle, etc), but they don't actually infuse western flavors with asian flavors. That's what I consider actual Asian Fusion.
Dishes that the people I've dined with and I have had:
- Calamari - delicious!
- Blackened Ahi Sashimi - the fish wasn't the freshest
- Warm seafood sushi roll - very good!
- Crabcake - do not recommend
- Spicy Ribeye Steak
- Filet Mignon
- Lamb chops
- Duck Breast
- Eggplant
All entrees are extremely flavorful. Depending on what you're in the mood for should determine what you order. We haven't encountered a main entree that wasn't good.
They give you free edemame too and whatever they use to flavor it, it's really good.
All entrees are good sizes and you'll definitely leave feeling full. Prices are quite reasonable as well.
On the weekends, they have live jazz music and it adds a nice touch to the meal.
To sum it up, you wouldn't think a little small place off of Mission Blvd would be that good, but the ambience, service, and food combined make this place a hidden gem. Great place for a intimate birthday, a date, or just a nice quiet dinner.
Last Friday, I took my girlfriend here for her birthday and she decided that she will come back with her hubby. We were served with garlicky edamame to start off with while we looked over the menu.
We shared everything we ordered. We had two yummy appetizers: the Mango Prawn salad and Blackened Ahi Sashimi. They actually complimented each other since one was kinda tangy sweet and the other was spicy. For our main entree, we shared the Sea Bass and Tofu with Spinach Garlic noodles. Dang, I'd forgotten how good this was. My friend loved it too. For dessert, we had the chocolate truffle mousse...mmmmm, that's all we could utter.
Since it was Friday, we experience the live jazz band playing in the background. The dim setting is intimate although I'm not sure it's romantic enough for me to dine here with my husband. Quite expensive but if you're a local or visiting in the area, it's worth it. Fremont is lucky to have Nouvelle bistro as there are very few good restaurants in the area.
Love this place. Nouvelle Bistro is the epitome of fine dining. You get what you pay for. The ambiance, the food presentation and the service are great. Try their filet minion.
My husband and I had tried Nouvelle Bistro about a year ago, and while the food was good, we felt that the prices were pretty high for what you got. Overall the portions were small--even by fine dining standards.
We decided to go there again a week ago with my in-laws and I have to say that we were much happier with our experience this time around. The portions seemed larger than before, which was a plus. I had the stuffed chicken which was good, as well as the mushroom risotto that came with it. My husband had the filet mignon mediallions which, while tender, was a bit heavy on the garlic for my husband's taste. My MIL had the sea bass which came in a beautiful
presentation wrapped in parchment paper on a heated plate.
We all had dessert and my husband's creme brulee was very good and fairly large for a dessert portion. My tiramisu hit the spot.
If you are looking for a nice, fine-dining experience and don't want to drive all the way over to Palo Alto, it is very nice without being overly snooty. Our waiter was very friendly. The evening we were there, most of the wait staff looked like local high school and college students. They have live music on Fridays and Saturday nights and a pretty good wine list. But if you go, expect to shell out quite a few clams--cheap it ain't.
fork and chopsticks, steak with "hunan sauce", chinese soybean instead of bread...
for me this "fusion" is a little bit weird..
but I can tell the ingredients are fresh!
I took Ahi sashimi, and the duck breast.
both are great!! really~
the dessert is ok...
I found that Nouvelle Bistro was a great restaurant find. My first experience there was for business, but since then I have been a returning patron. I would definitely classify this place as pseudo-fine dining, and would recommend this place for first-timers looking for a local rendition of an upscale restaurant.
The food itself is quite unique. It's presented well with exotic flavors. I did once have a horrible experience there on Valentine's day. The place cannot handle these types of events. The level of customer service went down dramatically and we didn't even get seated at the time our reservation was scheduled.
Bottom line: avoid major holidays, make reservations, and use this time to experience food that's out of your norm because you may actually enjoy it!
I really really liked this place. It is in an sort of odd location, you can't enter from the street side, just the parking lot side and it's in the same building as the starbucks but dang it, the food was great. The decor was pleasant enough, dim lights and classic black booths. Their special crispy calamari was cooked perfectly and had jalepenos, the steak, duck and seabass were fantastic, spicy mangos and lamb were mouth watering and their special basil rice was enough to make me come back for takeout. The manager and wait staff were pleasant, pretty much anyone will help you out and on Friday nights they have live jazz. I'm so there.
6 of us went prior to partying it up at the saddlerack and it was a perfect contrast (if you know what i mean), only 4 miles down the road (Durham) and $300 incl tip with multiple appetizers, salads, bottle of wine, cocktails, entrees and desserts.
Bookmark Send to a Friend Link to This Review
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
This is one of the best resturants in Fremont. The food is creative, well prepared and tasty. The service is slow, even in the best of circumstaces, horrible at times, but for my family the food makes up for that. I love the spicy seafood/lobster hot pot. It is nicely spicy and has lots of lobster and yummy seafood. I also love the fillet steak, perfectly done and nicely sauced. Try the garlic string beans, you gotta love a restutant with great veggie side dishes! The mushroom soup alone is worth the trip. The desserts, well I wouldn't go there...
Had lunch here today and it was good, not great. I ordered the Crab and avocado salad (10), and my friend ordered the Satay combo of beef, chicken, and prawns (13.95). My salad was not what I expected- there were some greens scattered on the plate, with a ball of avocado and crabmeat mixed together in the middle. It tasted okay, but not your typical salad, and not really filling. The Satay Combo looked and smelled good, but also was not much food. The meats were on skewers, with fried rice and green beans on the side. The mango salad that came with the meal looked really good, my friend seemed to enjoy his meal, but nothing to rave about.
I was actually quite impressed with this little hidden gem. Its tucked away in a little office complex in a quite corner of a quiet town of Fremont. Upon entering we were greeted cordially and sat in a deep comfortable booth. The decor was a bit eccentric but it was comfortable. Our server was efficient and friendly throughout our dining experience.
We started with 2 appetizers. Dungeness crab cake: Light crispy exterior (deep fried? light bread crumb) with good crab center(though crab was more shredded than lump style) Some sort of wasabi mayo sauce added a very nice touch. Chicken Lettuce Wraps: okay at best, minced mixture of chix, tofu & other asian ingredients. Nothing really stood out, so the accompanying hoisin sauce made a splash.
Our entrees: Duck breast with mushroom risotto was very good. Good sage flavor and the meat was perfectly tender. There was some multi-peppercorn sauce around the plate which added a nice punch to the dish. Hunan marinated ribeye was also very good. Sliced green chiles, soy sauce and crispy garlic fuses with cubed ribeye. All the flavors went well together and you got a pretty good portion. The steak was accompanied by a california roll, something familiar, crab, avocado, rice wrapped in nori, but it was warm. It wasn't bad, just something I didn't expect.
For dessert we had a valronna (sp?) chocolate gelato: exactly as rich and deep chocolate flavor I was anticipating. And a creme brule: perfectly executed sugar crust and a just average custard underneath. We had a dragonball jasmine tea with dessert and besides the great flavor and feel of the tea the presentation was awesome. A clear pot filled with warm water arrives and this bouquet of tea leaves blooms as it steeps. You have to see it.
The wine list is well rounded without being cumbersome and very fairly priced. The food prices were fair for what we got, and I can't wait to try other things on the menu. Worth the search.
Bookmark Send to a Friend Link to This Review
People thought this was:
Useful (4)
Funny (1)
Cool (3)
Yeh~ Nouvelle is one of the few fine dining in Fremont..... Although it's hidden at a residential area which not many people knows about the place. Surprisingly, they even have "full bar"??!! Awesome~
The decoration is great and the atmosphere is so romantic (except the seats are little tight at the table, but the booth is OK)! I've been there several times for business lunches and dinner. We even had our company Christmas party held at their banquet room last year. They have delicious starter plates. We had the calamari & some sushi rolls, satay, and the crab cake too. They are Grrrrreat~ Also, you have to try their mushroom soup. It's one of my "must have" when I visit Nouvelle. As for the drink & dessert, I would highly recommend the "Garden Tea" and "mango soup". The garden tea is made out of different kinds of herbs including lavender, rose, and jasmine tea...etc (I don't remember the ingredients or else I will try to make it at home). And the mango soup is using the mango sorbet and some fresh mango slice then top with some mango juice......... yummy~
The cost is about avg. $30~40/person depends on your appetites. And I hear from the server saying that this is mayor's favorite restaurant in Fremont. haha~
P.S. forgot to mention, they have excellent website http://www.nouvellebis...
Bookmark Send to a Friend Link to This Review
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Cool (1)
Pretty good. I was surprised to find a finer dining establishment here in Fremont. Despite the supposed dressiness of the place (perhaps it was just because it was Father's Day), the staff was polite and friendly to my jeans-wearing family.
We had the chicken satay, which wasn't great. Different, but nothing amazing. The other appetizers, such as the salad and the soups were also enjoyed.
I had a filet mignon, and I definitely enjoyed it. It was cooked to my specifications and there was also brocolli and mashed potatoes that were done nicely as well. Brother didn't like the spicy spagetti, but the prawns and the sea bass were enjoyed by my parents.
We split a mango sorbet, a tiramisu and a chocolate mousse. None of them were particularly heavy, but I wasn't too impressed by them either. The bathroom was clean, although it was surprising to see the nice interior of the restaurant, only to find the bathrooms had the same public restroom style stalls you can find almost anywhere else. I expected the stalls to reflect the design and architecture of the building, but I guess they decided not to do anything/ran out of money/etc.
It was a nice meal overall, but I'm not sure I'd come back here too often.
Oh, I had all day classes on Saturday, but at least I had a great place to lunch these past Saturdays! I was not going to do Subway and thought the price was good for the overall lunch. The lunch specials were great, especially the shrimp and the satays. ! Also, the mango salad was excellent. It was alot of food with a fruit dessert at the end. The place was not anything to yelp about as it was way too dark and not sexy dark, but then it might be nicer at night with music. The staff was very nice and kept checking in with us and refreshed our drinks even after 2 hours!
We LOVE this place for special nights out. With the decor and huge half round booths, Nouvelle cocoons you while you peruse the wine list or cocktail menu and agonize over what to choose from their menu. On a Friday night, they have a decent jazz band from 7-10pm. The service has always been super attentive, and we didn't notice turnover in staff since we always get the same waiter and bus person.
The menu has something for even the pickiest eater: classics like Grilled Filet Mignon or Veal Loin. Also some less traditional items for those who like to experiment a little: Steamed Seabass in Paper Hot Pot or German Style Boneless Pig Knuckles (?) My husband and I have tried and loved everything on the menu with the exception of the pig knuckles and the vegetarian dishes.
Appetizers: For something different, I recommend working your way through the appetizer menu with your significant other instead of ordering an entree-everything is so yummy!!! Or you should definitely try their Special Crispy Calamari (fried and then stirfried with chili and pepperoncini) or Blackened Ahi Sashimi (encrusted with asian spices and served with Wasabi Soy)
The downside to our move to Livermore is that we don't get to visit Nouvelle as often . My life would be complete if the the owners would open another one in the Tri-Valley area....
Bookmark Send to a Friend Link to This Review
People thought this was:
Cool (1)
Great decor and atmosphere. Try their Steam Sea Bass, Filet Mignon, German style Pig Knuckles, or Lamb Chops. The price is a bit high, but it's totally worth it.
One of my favorites.
Bookmark Send to a Friend Link to This Review
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Funny (1)
What a GEM. Since we lost Pearls restaurant in Fremont (the absolute best Californian style food in the area) Fremont has lacked anything but 700 fast food places and chinese. We tried this last night and were very impressed. Service was great, wine list was very reasonable (seemed to by only a 1.5 to 2x multiplier on wine prices) and food presented very well.
Its a white table cloth restaurant with prices for entres are in the $20 - $25 range. We started with calimari - served with a small salad and a slightly sweet / slightly hot mango sauce. The calimari included tenticles (our favorite because they are so crispy) and was done crispy. Not a big portion, but enough for two.
I had the Sea Bass with an Olive / walnut crust on mashed potatoes and which was beautifully presented and was slightly spicy (I am a wimp for spice so I felt it). The spice was not overwhelming, but it was not marked as spicy either on the menu. We also had the Sea Bass in the paper w/ Tofu and vegetables- very cool presentation. The food is on a piece of parchment in a wire basket served over a small candle. We both wanted this, but after tasting it, I was very happy with the Olive / walnut version as it was more savory and to my taste. We downed all this with a bottle of the Sanford Chardonnay as recommended by the waiter (Sean) and it went quite well. We like a more buttery chard and the Sanford was full bodied and buttery without being over-powering. Total for the night (including the creme brulee) was $120.
They offer steaks, lamb shanks and other meat dishes and they too looked wonderful, but for us it was a fish night and we were pleasantly surprised.
I'm not a big fan of Asian fusion, but this place intrigued me because it's literally right outside my front door.
Nouvelle Bistro is an ambitious concept and I can honestly say that the food is good but not great, and definitely not worth the price. My wife and I went there for Valentine's Day and the prix fixe menu was good, but it cost $120 for both of us, which seemed a little high. The 10-spice lamb chops are pretty good and the tempura shrimp was interesting, but the breading really wasn't tempura. I'd much rather save my money and go to a more traditional restaurant than spend the money here.
Plus, they win the award for the most God-awful, pretentious restaurant Web site ever.
Bookmark Send to a Friend Link to This Review
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Cool (1)
I had VERY high expectations for this place. My fiance and I love to visit nice restaurants in San Francisco so to find one close to home was exciting. So I had made reservations for valentines day a month ago for 8:00 pm. We arrived there and didnt even get seated right away. This was the first time I've ever had to wait for a table that I already reserved. Okay so about 5 minutes later, we were seated. The menu was a price fixed menu for valentines day so we choose our meals and that was that. We received our soup - the first of the meals to come about 15 minutes later. The salad eventually came 1 hour later!! It was already 10 pm and we still did not get our main course. At that point, my fiance decided we should just walk out AND WE DID. The waiter barely came around and when we walked to the front of the restaurant, there was no one there so there was no excuse for the service to take so long. A restaurant like this should already be prepared for a holiday like valentine's day- the busiest night of the year for most places. All in all, we were NOT going to pay for service that pretty much ignored us the whole night. The food was alright, although when you have bad service, your food doesn't taste very good because at that point, you're upset. We have our share of excellent restaurants where they change your plate at every course, wipe away bread crumbs every time you leave the table, so to come here and then be disappointed by the service is very sad. I recommend NOT coming here on a busy night, or if you are willing to make the effort... your money is better spent at a restaurant in San Francisco. The drive may be worth it.
This is a cute spot with great food!
Great locale place in Fremont that has a great ambience and decor. Nouvelle Bistro is a slice of the big city in Fremont. They have a fresh seasonal menu that emphasizes steak and seafood. My two favorite dishes are the vegetarian tofu with veggies and the ribeye steak. The garlic noodles are worth the price for an extra order. There food is not salty but you definitely know that it is salted. The peppers and garlic infused flavors work remarkably well together.
Best part is that I never need reservations as they always seem to have a nice private table on Friday and Saturday nights.
I was very pleasantly surprised by this place (Thanks fellow yelpers for finding it for me!). First of all, Asian Fusion in Fremont? That's not PF Chang's? Who would have thought. It's as if someone took a decent fusion place from Palo Alto and transplanted it to Fremont. Food is similar to fancy asian places on University Ave. such as Tamarine or Three Seasons, except take off maybe 10% off the price, and 10% off the quality of service. The servers seem a bit green to the ones you would find in Palo Alto or SF, but it's not a big deal since the prices are a bit cheaper.
For my appetizer, I had the Ahi Sashimi roll with wasabi sauce, which was excellent. It was fried in a lumpia wrapper which I thought was a good touch. I asked them for a Kir Royal, but they didn't have creme de cassis (again, this is not SF/Palo Alto) so I just got plain champagne with this dish. It still went perfectly though, and it was nice to get my own little bottle of champagne, not something that's been sitting out. My husband got the mango prawn salad, which he said was a bit sweet and not very mango-y.
For main course, I had the steamed sea bass, which was wonderful! They put the steamed sea bass on top of an agadeshi tofu-like dish. I gotta say, I only get sea bass in asian (or asian-fusion) places, since my preference for sea bass has always been steamed, while most french/california places bake or grill it and it winds up too dry. The presentation was great too, they had a little tea light at the bottom and the whole thing was wrapped in paper. My husband had the roasted duck breast over mushroom risotto. I only had a little bite, but that tasted excellent as well! I had a sauvignon blanc which was pretty good, and he had a pinot noir that was just meh. Forgot what the brands were, but they were off the glasses only menu...should probably just get a bottle of something next time for better selection.For dessert, we shared a creme brulee, which was decent, but not as good as other places where I've had it.
As for the ambiance, they had jazzy-type music in the background, which was a nice touch. The decor shows that this is a nice place, but not as trendy as something you would see elsewhere, but that's ok with me, since I don't really expect it in Fremont. Overall, I give it 4 stars, since it sure beats having to cross the bay for fine dining!
Bookmark Send to a Friend Link to This Review
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (2)
way overpriced.!!ever since the the management has changed in 2005, so as the menu and its prices. their clientel has dropped by 50%. Therefore, their prices have increased to $20-30 a plate. Moreover, they no longer have Happy Hour bc it doesn't bring them enough revenue...only long time customers get this happy hour service. why? To earn make more profit! They are stingy. Service is great and food is not bad ,but I would rather go elsewhere like Bleu Ginger. Furthermore, there is a high turnover rate amongst the employees. They get treated unfairly by the managers Sean and Kenny.
Fridays feature live jazz trio.
Better alternative:
Bleu Ginger in Milpitas has higher quality and more eclectic menu.
Friday at 7pm features live jazz trio w/ vocalist.
Bookmark Send to a Friend Link to This Review
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
wow, fremont fine dining? fusion in fremont? and it's NOT in a strip mall? oh, wait, yes it is.
wanting to try something new after a long, gruesome week at work, hubby and i stopped into nouvelle bistro for dinner on friday night. we had no idea what we were in store for as we decided this on a whim and (gasp!) i had no time to check yelp but i guess we were in an adventurous mood (or maybe just tired, hungry and cold).
as soon as we walked up to the door, we saw and heard a jazz quartet playing. oooh, live music to dine by. we were seated in one of those half-circle leather booths. the decor was a bit confusing since the office/retail complex the restaurant was in can't be more than a few years old but from the inside it looked like it'd been around forever.
for starters we tried the ahi tartare and crabcake. the wasabi really came through strongly on the tartare but overall, we were underwhelmed by both.
hubby had the filet mignon w/ garlic mashed potatoes which he said was just ok. he wasn't really digging the berry-like sauce that accompanied the dish. i had the steamed sea bass in paper hot pot w/ spinach garlic noodles. sea bass - AMAZING!!! so buttery and melt in my mouth delicious. it was served in a hoisin sauce w/ crunchy tofu and julienned veggies. garlic noodles were just ok, but really, after thanh long/crustacean garlic noodles, they're all just ok.
desserts... we had the creme brulee and dark chocolate gelato. both were just ok.
overall, just ok.
Bookmark Send to a Friend Link to This Review
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Funny (1)
Cool (1)
Asian fusion cuisine in predominately Asian occupied Fremont? I didn't know that would bowl over with the residents and out of towners certainly are not going to travel to Fremont to wine and dine. So, I was intrigued and I had a coupon from the local paper.
We both ordered the combination lunch, which was basically a Chinese bento box, the miso soup came first, then the box filled with a limp salad, salmon teriyaki and bland fried rice in the shape of an ice cream scoop. Really unappetizing and for $12, I'd rather take my money elsewhere.
According to their website they have jazz of Fridays, which may be worthy of a return visit and maybe they have brushed up their menu since my '05 visit.
For those throwing a corporate event or celebrating a special occasion, they have a private VIP room that seats up to 7 people.
If you're still interested after my sparkling review, here's more:
http://ae.mercurynews....
I like the restaurant very much ! The food is excellent & the service is attentative. The sea bass & tofu in a paper hot is the best !
It is a bit pricy but it is worthy !
10
32