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Categories: Vietnamese, Thai
Neighborhood: East Oakland
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Spur of the moment 9 of the east bay homies met up for lunch here to celebrate Carl's birthday. They warned us it wasn't in the best neighborhood but figured the vatos were still in bed so we were safe. Tom even said that it's a small hole in the wall and probably not reviewed on Yelp .... what a noob.
We were our normal rowdy selves and loud conversations of inappropriate topics weren't met with stink eyes but instead lots of thai ice tea and generous platters of food.
- papaya salad (thai and lao) - despite the reviews on yelp, i was unimpressed. It was fresh and big ... but I didn't taste much payaya. I liked the Thai version more than the Laos version ... though I'd probably skip both next time.
- Angel wings - these were great. Caramelized with just the right amount of sauce and dripping with flavor.
- Fish cakes - can't go wrong with fish cakes ... though I would have preferred a dipping sauce that was more sauce and less chunks of fresh cucumbers.
- Tom Kar Gai (Coconut Chicken Soup) - massive bowl ... definitely enough to share, but so yummy you won't want to. Generous amounts of mushroom and meat.
- Moo Pad King (Ginger Pork) - Great combo of flavors and probably can be made super spicy for those who like it hot.
It was pretty much a perfect lunch. Fast, impromptu with friends, very very cheap and no drive bys.
Chose this place due to Yelp. 4.5 stars and over 100 reviews? Shit, it's gotta be amazing right?
Uh no. Props for having HUGE portions and friendly service. It is a very warm atmosphere.
Alas, the food we had wasn't that amazing. It was quite ordinary in fact. Judging by the other reviews, my group obvious ordered the wrong stuff (chicken satay, pad thai, a chili calamari dish, and a big ass bowl of noodles). Perhaps if we had gone with the Angel Wings and Nam Kao I would have agreed with all the other stellar reviews.
In short, not everything in this place will blow you away. Stick to what has been recommended and you'll probably be in culinary nirvana.
Nam Kao, Angel Wings, Curry Noodles, Pad Thai. Asian people are addicted to this place...that means one thing...Goooooooooooooooood!!!
Don't go too fast down 38th, you might miss it. Its in a random location
What a great find thanks to Yelp! We stopped here for dinner before the Warriors game last Wednesday. Nice little corner shop with warm and friendly servers that make you feel right at home.
We had the angel wings (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) and they were bomb.diggity. Not quite as good as Marnee Thai, but then again, what is?
I had the pad kee mao with chicken (http://www.yelp.com/bi...), and boy was that dish spicy. The kind of spicy that warms your tummy and makes you feel fuzzy all over. The best part is, the portion was so huge I had enough for dinner the next night!
We also had the red curry (http://www.yelp.com/bi...). Ditto re portion size. Still delicious the next day around!
Just a note: the prices on their online menu are a bit outdated.
Meh. I ordered red curry, which I found lacking taste and watery. I can't compare because I don't live in Oakland, but I was expecting more from all the 5-star yelp reviews.
Rice costs extra and there is a $15 min on credit cards.
Cute place, though, with a clean bathroom and I could see the cooks wearing gloves in the kitchen.
Huh. This is the new, hot place? It is kinda like when your little sister goes through adolescence while you are not looking and all the sudden, people are telling you she is a babe. Look, they have a website! Dang. OK, the review.
I have gone here for years, it is my cafe equivalent of sweatpants and a hoody. I came here after those Prop 8 freaks beat me up to remind myself that people don't have to be just like me to be a refuge. The owner is really kind, the food is comforting; it is nourishing on many levels. I dunno why people are saying it is not the 'hood. It is. That's OK, come during daylight the first time and get your bearings. Get the Larb and sticky rice. Use the condiments with abandon.
And be nice to the staff, you are literally a guest in their home.
Can anyone say incredible?!
I never really had Lao food but once and it was only okay so after seeing how well this place did I decided to give it a shot.
It is a hole in the wall kinda place but you can never go wrong with a place like this. I got the Nam Kao and baked sausage since everyone suggested it and I am very happy that I got it. I hate lemongrass and onions but despite that it was in my sausage and onions in my Nam Kao, I still enjoyed my meal. This is a great place to go for cheap Lao food.
By far, the best hole in the wall, I am totally emphasizing hole in the wall, and by that I mean, the customer base who come here, don't bother with Yelp because
a) they are authentic thai / laos / asian cultured people and do not care for this technology crap
b) they know where the good food is by word of mouth
c) they rather have happy and satisfied customers who appreciate their food as a passion.
been here several times...
egg rolls - dellllicccioussss
somtom -- delllicciouss x2
basil chicken - it was okay, pretty good but I expected more "basil" taste..
bbq chicken - a bit dry but then again im not a fan of real charboiled chicken...
eggplant -- soo good! If your an eggplant lover
pad see ew -- wonnderful
pad khee mao / drunken noodles - a bit disappointed, not enough flavor, but maybe it was just that night or what not...
fried banana = heaven....
i dont think the thai teas are bottomless, but it was still, very good.
I'll have to warn that although this place DOES resemble champa garden, the area is a bit intimidating, but for all it counts, this place has been here for over 10 years, and nothing has happened. Just dont come too late at night w/ your fancy purses ladies!
and speaking of champa garden which is a service run by extreme teenages, this place is run by the complete opposite end, mom and grandma's who are limited in english but understand and respond to some english or by pointing at the menu.. not a long wait time for their food either..
Sitting at work, taking a break pondering whom it is I should review. This is my 100th review, you see, and I want it to be a good review, a complimentary one about someplace that I *really* like, that I *really* want other people to know about because it's special to me.
Of course, I've already written most of my 5-star reviews, at least, about places and services I know of. I'm sure there are more out there, those glimmering stars in the dark night of food and services in the Bay Area, but I needed to write this review *now*, it's burning a hole in my pocket!
And then I remembered Vientian Cafe.
I've started and stopped my review of Vientian a couple of times--on each occasion, I turned to my muse and she turned away from me.
"The time is not right, for you to write."
And I would shrug my shoulders and write a buncha crap about some dive bar instead.
Today was different--my dear, sweet muse shouted at me like a fisherman's wife "STOP THE PRESSES!!!" as I set down to compose a boring review of a bagel shop.
She was right--Vientian Cafe, I'm ready and willing to honor you.
I didn't "find" Vientian Cafe--it was shown to me. My cousin was up from Los Angeles, for a friend's wedding, and the friend happened to be Laotian and knew of an authentic Lao restaurant.
Now, I didn't know what that meant exactly, but I've never been disappointed in what my Southeast Asian brothers and sisters have been working up in the kitchen, so I went with little trepidation.
Is it a bad neighborhood? No. It's a "transitional neighborhood." If you're too scared to venture outside of your comfort zone for genuinely representative ethnic cuisine, then you should stick close to Rockridge and Piedmont. It's a mixed, lower-middle class neighborhood, not the freakin' Acorn Projects.
My cousin's friend is a long-time Oakland resident, so he told me the scoop about Vientian. Seems they used to be just a little takeout joint, as in you went up to the house and picked up some to go food. When the City of Oakland got wise and cited them, they shrugged and turned the ground floor of the house into a restaurant. The transition hasn't been complete--if you go to their (very clean) restroom, you'll walk past the kids' rumpus room, where they're usually playing video games.
First off, the place gets loud. You ever eat in some tiny little restaurant where it seems like all the diners know each other and there are kids running around and everybody's having a good time? This is one of those. If you want to look deep into your sweetie's eyes and whisper sweet nothings, you better get thee to one of the generic bistros sprouting around Uptown because this here joint can get rockin', especially around lunch and dinner time. And lots of other times, too. These are some noisy Asian diners, I tell ya.
Second, they take their condiments seriously. They've got--at every freakin' table--packets of Tamarind soup base, sweet Thai chilis chopped, some powdered chilis with salt and other stuff, plum sauce, fish sauce, soy sauce, Sriracha, chili paste, and this awesome chili oil with pasted chilis and maybe some fermented black beans in it. And salt. And pepper. You could order a plain bowl of white rice and season it like 47 different ways, the condiments up in here are crazy.
Oh, and they have food. I had their Larb (ground pork, tripe, and chilis) and it was my first experience with Southeast Asian finger food--it's served with leaf lettuce, mint, basil, and cilantro, and you scoop up a bit of everything, roll it up into your lettuce and have at it. It's also, of course, good form to whip up crazy condiment concoctions and dip and pour to your heart's content. From there, I went to the Nam Kao, and that's officially my dream food--deep-fried rice!? Brilliant!
Those are the standouts. I'm also a big fan of the sticky rice--again my cousin's Lao friend came to the rescue when it came time to eat the stuff. You just dig some out with your hands and roll it into a tight little ball. Then--remember that crazy condiment mashup from before?--dip it in there! It's awesome.
Um... the duck fried rice is excellent... the curried pumpkin is delicious... uh...
Look. It's all pretty damn good. I'm not usually into their curries, but I like my curries suuuuper flavorful and spicy, and I can dig how not everyone rolls that way.
I would ordinarily deduct a point because they don't serve alcohol. However, I just love the combination of homey, friendly, delicious, hidden, and authentic that they've manged to create here. Somehow, I don't miss the booze.
it's my go-to spot for dinner with my mom, too. We both love exposing people to this place, and I guess I wanted to go ahead and do my part to spread the word. Martin W, out.
Kudos to Betty H. who recommended this little neighborhood joint that I would never have found otherwise.
Can I say here that Champa Garden is within walking distance of my house, and yet I would prefer to come HERE.
My husband is a huge Vietnamese pho lover so he was surprised to experience Lao pho ... big difference, with little chunks of roasted garlic and a mellow, hearty broth. Yum.
My favorite dish was the Nam Kao ($5.95), "Deep-fried rice mixed with ground pork, coconut, and our special sauce. Served with lettuce and mint leaves." You roll it up and stuff it in your gaping maw!
Our waiter was a very cute young guy. I mean "distract you from the food" cute. Mmmm.
My only reason for not giving 5 stars is that they brought out the food in the wrong order; the appetizers came after the entrees. But boy was it good.
After a year of enjoying the food at the Viention, it's time to share this little gem with you.
In a very unlikely location sits this quaint little restaurant.
I first became aware of the Viention from the notorious Tsada K.
Yesterday my good friend Leslie H. and I enjoyed a great lunch.
We sat by the front window and watched all the action outside.
There was a butterfly that flew by, a flower was just starting to bloom, a little girl jumping rope, And a little boy learning how to ride a bike. .No bulletproof vest needed.
We ordered our lunch.
Deep Fried spring roll.
The spring roll plate had perfectly cut noodles, to fit in the lettuce
They came with a little basket filled with red leaf lettuce, cilantro sprigs, and mint sprigs. Served with a sweet and sour sauce. OMG.
Lunch special
BBQ chicken
Served with a sweet chili sauce
BBQ ribs
Served with a spicy sauce.
We both had the sticky rice.
The rice is served in a little basket with a lid. Cute.
Our server noticed the two of us really had no idea on how to eat our spring roll , so she came over to give us a lesson. She was so great.
The parking is easy and free.
Okay, now that the Viention secret is out. (sorry Tsada) I hope you all enjoy it as much as we do.
And they take American Express.
kasoy
padthai
angel wings
papaya salad
kabiet
rice ball salad thing.
the best
kasoy is kinda greasy but pretty good on a rainy day!!!
angelwings have a tasty sauce but they should…
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Okay so let's get this out there first... I am working on diversifying my palate and by no means am an expert on Laos cuisine.
With that said..I cannot claim to be a fan of the papaya salad. The aroma of the dish did not sit too well with me and I couldn't eat more than a few bites. Hey...at least I gave it a shot!
The catfish dish and ginger chicken were nothing really spectacular.
An extra star for being in Oakland and having the "hot spot of the moment" vibe.
Great customer service and the mango sticky rice is fantastic with the coconut ice cream.
This place is truly my favorite kind of restaurant - a hole in the wall.
This place reminds me of Champa Garden, in that it's located in the middle of a residential area in Oakland, with the exception that Vientien has much better service and food.
Vientien offers all types of South East Asian food, but they specialize in Laotian food. We ordered the Lao Sausage, Angel Wings, Pad Thai, and Big Spicy Noodles with Minced Pork (not sure if this is the correct name of the dish).
The Lao Sausage, although intimidating to look at when you cut into it, was absolutely the best sausage I've ever eaten (that's what she said.). It was pan-fried, crispy on the outside and savory on the inside. It tasted similar to the innards of an imperial roll at Vietnamese restaurants. I would definitely try this if you go here. They recommend eating this with their sticky rice, I think I'll try that next time.
Next came the angel wings. The angel wings here are not what you would normally think of when you think angel wings. These wings were not stuffed with anything, they were merely deep fried and topped off with some honey with chili and sweet and sour sauce. They were really good! Still nothing compared to "The Wings" from San Tung in the city, but they were perfectly cooked and very very tasty.
Next came our entrees. The Pad Thai was pretty good. Not comparable to Lucky Thai in Berkeley, but still pretty good. It was on the saucy side. I would probably order this again.
Finally, the big spicy noodle. This noodle soup dish came with flat rice noodles, minced pork, chili oil, chili flakes, in a soup base. I cannot eat spicy foods so I spooned away most of the chili oil on the top. Afterwards the soup was more bearable. The broth was very very tasty. I can't exactly figure out what was in it, but it takes on the flavor profile of most asian soups. I will definitely order this again. My only wish is that they put the spicy sauce on the side, but they make the soup in advance and I guess none of their other noodle soup dishes share the same broth.
Anyway, come here if you're looking for some authentic hole in the wall that serves good South East Asian, more specifically Loatian, food!
The best LAO restaurant I've ever been to.
That's right folks...this place serves LAO food. The food that LAO people eat....from the country of LAOS.
$6 Khao Pieak Sien (rice powder noodles in chicken broth) $6 Khao Poun (Rice Vermicelli in curry sauce) and their PAPAYA SALAD is helllla good.
Next time I'm in EAST OAKLAND, I'll be sure to hit up this place again.
Cousters (Cousin-Sisters) + Angel Wings +Papaya salad Laos style & lots of water + Pad Ke Mao + Pad See Ew + Green Curry + four take out boxes = Good times & breakfast for tomorrow =)
They specialize in Laotian...So, of course they're not going to do the greatest pad see ew...
Anyways, I like how the place felt like a family home! It was as if I was invited over to a friend's place...nothing pretentious or unnecessarily ornate.
The food was delicious. I wish I felt better (health wise), but the simple steamed veggies, rice, FRESH orange juice was yummy. The group I was with headed straight for the soups, which they said were definitely good picks.
4 stars for the great food I was able to get, maybe 5 stars next time I try more choices on the menu....
Looking to try Thai? Make sure you visit Vientian Cafe, there's a bunch of delicious dishes you can get here, I come here all the time.
I usually start off with Giao, a fried spring/egg roll cut into pieces, along with a side of leaf salads and some vermicelli noodles, I dip it in the sweet and sour sauce that it comes with,
I love soup, so for my main dish I get the Kaopiak, the Asian version of chicken noodle soup, this is what I call THE HANGOVER REMEDY.
There's other great dishes like the papaya salad, the larp, and curry.
There's a bunch of other Thai places you can go but this beats the rest, STOP READING GO TO VIENTIAN. DON'T FORGET THE HOT OILLLLL!!!!!
The best hole in the wall I've ever had. Literally. I drool and think about this place all the time. I probably would not have known which specialty items to get if it weren't for my best friend, who is Laos. So, I tried to order the same papaya salad and larb salad on my own, but when the lady asked me how many peppers I wanted, I didn't know what to say.
I thought I could handle 10 peppers because I tend to like spicy food, but boy was I wrong. I began sweating profusely and knew that I was going to get it when it came out the next day.
So the next I went, I decided that I would stick to 5 or less peppers. That was just right for me.
Remember to keep in mind about how many peppers you can take because the Laos folks take their peppers serious and they are SPICY!
Best Papaya Salad and Duck Curry!
I always eat here b/c it's really close by. I recommend the laht nah, pad see ew w/ shrimp, yellow curry w/ shrimp, & last but not least, my favorite dish from this whole place is the..... ANGEL WINGS!!!! mmmm.... Oh and their thai ice tea is on hit & comes in different sizes!
Their prices are good & the portions are good as well. This place is off the hook so give it a TRY.
I love the Angel wings, they are my favorite and only from this particular place. The thai tea, could be better. More than half my drink was nothing but ice. Service isn't great, they only come when you call them.
Usually the best food come from hole in the wall places and this place definitely fits into that category! Neighborhood is far from Piedmont like, but if you don't really mind I would recommend coming here. If you order a Thai Iced Tea here make sure you ask for a large because they give you a super sized cup and is a way better deal than the regular size. Trust me on this one!
We ordered the BBQ Chicken, Fried Fish Cakes, Pad Thai and Nam Kao (Pork and fried goodies wrapped in lettuce). The BBQ chicken had a nice char and the flavor was good, but was a tad bit dry. Over all it was still good. The Fried fish cakes were descent. Pad Thai was good. The Nam Kao was awesome!
This place is pretty darn good!
This place is SO effin good, that I was able to fully enjoy my most recent meal here despite old dude 5ft of us who obviously did not feel the breeze on account of his plumber's butt.
Yes crack is wack, but even that's not enough to keep me from coming back!
Yelp needs to add an honorary SIXTH STAR for this place!!!!
If you haven't gone, plan to do so, like 5 seconds ago.
It is been my go to place for those sunday…
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Wow, I finally found a Laotian joint in the USA (that doesn't hide behind Thai cuisine.) Thanks Yelp! Started with the Lao sausage which was wonderfully spiced. Then ate chicken larb with sticky rice. They asked how spicy (always the trick question) and I said a little. Next time, I'll go for medium, I have a high tolerance. I wish the larb had a bit more sauce for dipping the sticky rice.
The folks next to me had noodle dishes and they looked very good. Please get some Beer Lao.
I'll try and come back next time I go to the Fox.
I really really enjoy this "hole in the wall". There's a lady that's there every weekend (cause that's when I normally go) who works the cash register and takes orders...well she's always smiling, real sweet very very nice and attentative. I love their kao piak and their papaya salad (lao style) one thing I would suggest is for the papaya salad to NOT be TOO salty...the crab paste they use is too much and overbearing sometimes.
Their lao sausage is yuumo (but i think they can give bigger portions). i'll definitely recommend this place for authentic Lao food!
Ordered the chicken pad see ew and it was not good. I've definitely had better. This was like Americans attempting to cook Thai food. I also picked up the deep fried rice crackers in the bag and they were stale. Boo.
Other times though, this place was actually decent.
Some To go tips for my lovely Yelpers.....
#1 Don't bring a date here unless he or she is fond of the fresh fish sauce smell. Don't get me wrong, this is a clean place. However, one of their most popular dishes happens to be Papaya Salad Laos style and they use home made fish sauce aka Pa dak. Not to mention, your date is not gonna wanna make out with you after you eat that.
#2 When you order Papaya Salad, make sure you tell them the exact amount of peppers you want. They screwed up my order thanks to my unreliable cell phone and put 15 peppers in my to go order instead of 7. Boy what a difference 8 peppers make!!! I had flames coming out of my ears, tears running down my face, snot coming out of my nose. It was sweet torture - I tell you. I guess I'm a glutton for punishment and I promise you that Thai chili peppers are hotter than habaneros.
#3 When ordering Kao Piak Sen (Chicken Noodle Soup) to go, tell them to not cook it for you and separate the noodles. Otherwise, you'll have a starchy mess of a soup. It doesn't take long to heat up the broth and add the noodles yourself at home.
#4 I'm addicted to the Chicken Curry Noodle soup. I eat it religiously and order to go all the time. Use the same method as #3 when ordering to go. Make sure they give you a box when ordering soup. The soup is pretty hot and it could melt plastic and can fall apart and make a devastating mess in your car.
#5 It's cool to bring your kids here too. There is no ambiance and they could be as loud as they want. The ladies in the back that do the cooking get a kick of my half Filipino son singing a Laos/Thai song for them too.
I love this place. Everything I've had on their menu has hit the spot. Please don't ever close.
Thank goodness for this place!! This is the only place besides my Mom's house that makes authentic… Read more »
Angel wings + sticky rice. The angel wings are very crispy even if you order it to go, just let the lady taking your order know that you want the delicious wing sauce on the side.
Yes, the neighborhood is a little scary, but the food is really good and the ladies who work there are so nice! I'm a fan of the pad thai, pad se ew, papaya salad, and mango sweet rice. I hope to sample more of the menu in the near future.
My worst experience here involved a to-go order of pumpkin seafood curry. When I arrived home and unpacked the food, i noticed there was a plastic bag around the plastic container with the curry and most of the curry was in the surrounding bag. That's because the container melted and broke. After moving the curry into a different container there were still little bits of plastic from the previous container in the food. It was not good. And I don't understand why the staff put my curry into that sort of container if they knew it would break through...
This place is so close to my house, and the reviews on yelp are so positive, I decided to give the place another try and I haven't had a similar experience since.
*Edit* 4/22/2009
Went there last night for desert. The place wasn't that busy but I had to wait about 20 minutes for my order (which was just mango sticky rice and thai iced tea) and another 20 for the food. I would definitely recommend customers to call in orders before-hand.
i tried their pad thai and it was really good. they give you a lot too yup. i'll write another review when i go there again for their angel wings and papaya salad.
I don't do Oakland. Seriously. I'm chicken shit! lol, jk
It has to do with a lot of history and 'now that i'm a mom' stories..but bottom line, all of my 28 years of my life living in the bay area, I've been to Oakland maybe 10 times..and that doesn't mean cruisin' the streets of Oakland. It's just to go somewhere and leave immediately after I'm done.
So, some people, esp. those that live there might not like how I started my review. But at least I'm being honest about being cautious of..well, Oakland. I don't think it's a bad place...I just think bad things 'can' happen to me if I'm not careful or if I happen to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. LOL
Anyways, I was in Oakland this past weekend. :) I went specifically to eat at Vientian. I was craving Cambodian/Laos food and my friend suggested (& offered!) to drive me to a spot he had tried before. OMG! I couldn't contain my excitement as we were driving there! LOL
We weren't sure how busy the place would be since the place is not so big. I am currently handicapped(broken leg) so I was praying that the floors were dirty(vs. just mopped) and that there was room for me and my crutches! Well, we got lucky because there was a group leaving just as we got there so we ended up with great window seats!
We ordered the egg roll (lettuce wraps w/mint leaves), papaya salad w/6 peppers ( I love it hot!), the kao soy, sticky rice, the boiled eggs and pig ears. EVERYTHING was DELICIOUS! Too much food for just 2 people but my belly was happy! :)
I saw that other people were ordering buffalo wings..I'll have to try that next time! Yes, I'll be back, Oakland!
A couple of friends took me to this place to try out for the first time. I haven't remembered the name of this place for the longest time until I seen another yelp it. It made me pretty excited to finally find it again.
I'm a HUGE fan of papaya salad and their papaya salad here is amazing. I think it was off cambodian style and pretty spicy too. I don't usually eat much spicy food but I really did sacrifice my taste buds this time for this amazing papaya salad.
Next, we had the pad thai and man oh man, that was delicious too! I still liked the papaya salad more but that pad thai was great to cool my tongue down from the spicyness of the papaya salad. Lastly, I tried the angel wings and those were really good too. I cannot remember the angel wings as much since I was so stuck on the papaya salad and pad thai. And one more I forgot, their Thai tea is awesome.
The neighborhood is not that great but those things never really bothered me. I went in and ate and came out in one piece. I don't think there's much to worry about. If you really want to, come at lunch. Other than that, awesome place to eat something a little different.
ventian cafe is a true hole in the wall eatery. the corner of the storefront is broaded up, no doubt to alter the feng shiu of this business.
when i started to review vientian, it was lao cuisine, now they also offer thai and vietnamese.
samplings:(mostly take out)
-fresh spring roll:(5.50) 4 incomplete rolls of rice vermicelli, lettuce, bean sprouts, mint leaves. w/ hoisin suce and peanuts. skin too small, the contents fell out. tasted ok.
-beef noodlle( 5.95): 2 beef balls with sliced beef in a beefy broth woth pho noodles. hard to republicate this at home. not reviewable.
-panang seafood(9.95)shrimp, mussel squid is spicy panang sauce
seem weak.
-pad thai chicken (6.95)-dry nothing spectacular kind of sugary.not recommended.
-lunch special: pla ka pow(basil basa fillet fish with rice 8.95) fish fillet wiith fresh jaleapenos, fresh garlic, onion, and sweet basil. very tasty and spicy. not hella hot but spicy enough. curious the server asked what kind of meat i wanted with this. i told him fish.
-red curry(7.95) kind of mild
-basil chicken(6.95): ok
leftovers
-vientian cafe has undergone vietnamzation since i started eating here. i.e. adding viet dishes. a jack of all trades but a master of none?
-sit in tastes better than take out.
-lao dishes taste better than thai or viet dishes.
-lunch specials a good deal., 8ish
-gets crowded at lunch.
-many laotians eat the egg rolls, lao sausage with their hands.
-they take american express
-definitely repeatable.
For me, this restaurant is 3 1/2 stars, not quite a 4. Overall, good restaurant.
We ordered:
angel wings - must order!
Thai style papaya salad - must order!
pad thai noodles - good (had better elsewhere)
fried banana w/ ice cream - good
sweet rice w/ mango - ok
I've been eating at the Vientian Cafe a couple times a week for the last three months, it definitely is one of the top two Laos/ Thai restaurants in the Bay Area. I stick mainly to the stir fried noodle dishes in the "chef''s special" area of the menu.
The Pad Thai, Phad Si Ew, and Phad Kee Mow are all delicious and you can choose any meat/ seafood combination you want. I especially like the Phad Kee Mow, its spicy, has great texture, and is really refreshing due to the amount of perfectly cooked vegetables in the dish. The noodles in these dishes are always cooked to perfection (soft and soaking up all the flavors) and the amount grease/oil is right where it should be.
The prices are reasonable for the amount of food you get, a combo noodle dish runs around $7.50, and is more than enough to create a couple meals. The service is always friendly and accommodating, especially compared to Champa Gardens.
The menu is extensive and has approx. 70 items listed on it. I will update this review after I branch out into the curries, soups, and appetizers.
This place is also dream for chili pepper lovers. I highly recommend the Phad Prik Sod (Jalapeno Pepper Beef) if you can take heat. This dish has layers upon layers of heat, my eyes watered as I drove around with it in my car.
OMG, so amazingly good! We had the nam kao (rice salad) and it was our favorite just bursting with fresh flavors. The larb was also excellent. We forgot to order the sausage during dinner so had them do a take out order to take home. Needless to say we dug in pretty much as soon as we got to the kitchen. That pushed me from a 4.5 star to 5. Must have dishes! The server also recommended angel wings which I normally avoid. It was tender on the inside, lightly crispy on the outside, and bathed in a sweet sauce. Well done, but for me kinda paled in comaprison to the other dishes. My husband really liked it, thought. Also got the Lao style papaya salad, and just a personal preference but I enjoyed this dish the least. It was very fishy tasting, and not in a fish sauce way I enjoy. I really didn't want to ask waht was in it. I do really like the salad thai style made w/ the salted crab, but this was fishier than that.
We can't wait to go back.
I really enjoy this place. It was open for years before I even noticed it...and I live a few blocks away. Whenever I go I always order the Pad Thai (extra spicy since it can be a tad bit bland), Fried rice (again, extra spicy), Papaya salad (6-8 peppers), Thai Ice tea, and the sticky rice with Mango.
I never eat in because its super small and I live close enough to where I can just walk over and pick it up. The prices are reasonable but there is a bit of a wait for the food to come. This is because they make everything fresh, so that a good kind of wait. :)
Fair price.
Great food. Nam Kao is excellent!
Will surely go back there.
Very tasty. We had green curry vegetables and the wide noodles in gravy with broccoli. Hot tea, rice. It was very good, a bit salty but tasty. They also have lots of to go snacks - fried platano chips, pig ears, big rice cakes that look like rice crispies and I am still too full to break into.
Will be back for more.
Neighborhood: East Oakland
Category: Thai
Neighborhood: East Oakland
Category: Thai
Neighborhood: East Oakland
Category: Thai
Neighborhood: Lower Hills
Category: Cambodian
Neighborhood: East Oakland
Category: Thai
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