Cuisine type: Vietnamese, modern
Atmosphere: dim lit, modern decor
Meal: dinner
Overall score: 8.25
Nina
On one of those nights where you go “what should we cook today?” and then decide “nah, let’s just eat out,” we wandered to one place where we know choices are abundant - downtown Mountain View, Castro Street. The only problem we even find here is that there are too many choices, so sometimes it takes us quite a while to settle on something. This was of course, no exception, but we decided to eat at the slick looking Vietnamese place at the north end of the busy street, Xanh. It has a modern feel, with an interesting decor - chain link walls, a wall sized fountain with water just barely moistening the stone, very dim lighting and sectioned off rooms allowing each table to feel intimate, while the restaurant is quite large overall.
Their appetizer menu is domiated by Vietnamese spring rolls, so we picked two different kinds (kobe and shrimp) to try some variety. They looked the exact same when they came, so I had a moment where I wasn’t sure which one was which, especially since the meat was almost hidden among all the veggies in the rice paper. However, when I took a bite, it was clear that the juicy, almost creamy meat was the kobe, and the shrimp had its almost crunchy bite. Both rolls had clean and rich flavors, so I was pretty happy to have picked them, even though I’m not usually a huge fan of Vietnamese spring rolls.
My entree was dungeness crab and glass noodles, which was well seasoned though it came with little else on the plate. To be clear, I’m not complaining at all about the relative simplicity of the plate - the crab flavor was able to really come through (and the portion of meat definitely generous), and the finely shredded meat was well distributed into the noodles, so that each bite was well balanced.
The curveball in this meal (and the reason for a point or two deducted from the food score) was surprisingly the dessert. We picked the more authentic sounding one (figuring that we could get cheesecake and ice cream at any other place), the “DYI” Dessert Trio. The ingredients listed on the menu included tapioca pearls, yellow mung bean and coconut milk, so I was honestly expecting something that would present the ingredients in a somewhat disparate presentation, so that in the spirit of DYI we could combine them at will. Instead, there were three presentations that were each a somewhat flavorless combination of all three ingredients (except for the coconut flavor, which came through nicely in one of them) with strange gummy textures.
Overall, the subdued atmosphere, modern decor and creative food combinations of traditional Vietnamese with a twist coming together to form quite a nice experience.
Their appetizer menu is domiated by Vietnamese spring rolls, so we picked two different kinds (kobe and shrimp) to try some variety. They looked the exact same when they came, so I had a moment where I wasn’t sure which one was which, especially since the meat was almost hidden among all the veggies in the rice paper. However, when I took a bite, it was clear that the juicy, almost creamy meat was the kobe, and the shrimp had its almost crunchy bite. Both rolls had clean and rich flavors, so I was pretty happy to have picked them, even though I’m not usually a huge fan of Vietnamese spring rolls.
My entree was dungeness crab and glass noodles, which was well seasoned though it came with little else on the plate. To be clear, I’m not complaining at all about the relative simplicity of the plate - the crab flavor was able to really come through (and the portion of meat definitely generous), and the finely shredded meat was well distributed into the noodles, so that each bite was well balanced.
The curveball in this meal (and the reason for a point or two deducted from the food score) was surprisingly the dessert. We picked the more authentic sounding one (figuring that we could get cheesecake and ice cream at any other place), the “DYI” Dessert Trio. The ingredients listed on the menu included tapioca pearls, yellow mung bean and coconut milk, so I was honestly expecting something that would present the ingredients in a somewhat disparate presentation, so that in the spirit of DYI we could combine them at will. Instead, there were three presentations that were each a somewhat flavorless combination of all three ingredients (except for the coconut flavor, which came through nicely in one of them) with strange gummy textures.
Overall, the subdued atmosphere, modern decor and creative food combinations of traditional Vietnamese with a twist coming together to form quite a nice experience.
| Food | 8 |
| Drinks | 8 |
| Atmosphere | 9 |
| Service | 9 |
| Value | 7 |
Ben
A restaurant/bar with an almost club-like feel .. dimly lit, packed, and with staff all in-black, the crowd appeared a mix of after-work techies and informal business gatherings. The menu and food all has a good touch of style .. with “modern” vietnamese cuisine. We started out with a spring roll with kobe beef and shrimp. A classy presentation, but a bit of a ‘meh’ taste. I enjoyed the duck breast that I ordered - a simple but elegant dish of duck cooked to a perfect medium rare, topped with a cocktail of fruits and vegetables. Overall a very good dish, a dash of class in its simplicity. We ordered a dessert trio, tapioca pearls, mung bean, and coconut cream.. a unique and pleasant finish to the meal. The place is definitely a hip spot, maybe better for gathering with a group of friends / coworkers than for a romantic meal.
| Food | 8 |
| Drinks | 8 |
| Atmosphere | 9 |
| Service | 9 |
| Value | 8 |
