Month: June 2007

I love Vietnamese food.  There’s something about the mix of textures, tastes and spices that really makes it both soothing yet exotic. I usually prefer the hole-in-the-wall places that serve either pho (noodle soups) or classic Vietnamese crusty sandwiches with pickled veggies.  I have never been a fan of Slanted Door.  Too expensive for the kind of food you get, way overhyped, and totally overrated. So my friend and I decided on Tamarine in Palo Alto on University Ave. for something different from the standard Vietnamese. 

My first impression wasn’t promising.  The two hostesses at the front were completely shallow and cold.  Hardly welcoming and not exactly the best first impression, no matter how blond and attractive they were.  Fortunately, that’s where the negatives ended. 

The waitress serving us had a genuine smile and had a delightfully caring way about her that made us forget the idiot hostesses right away.  We were served our refreshingly tart yet sweet limeades, and waited for our dishes.

First, we started with the Honey Roasted Quail that was seasoned with five spice and stuffed with sticky rice and gingko nuts.  It was delicious.  The quail’s thin skin was crisp and roasted to perfection.  The meat was cooked perfectly and the sticky rice wasn’t overpowering.  It complemented the rich moist quail meat very nicely.  The dipping salt and pepper mixture with a squeeze of lime was good and worked with the quail, but was almost unecessary. 

Next up were two dishes.  First, the Citrus Brined Pork Chop served with cabbage and bacon.  The brine of citrus and apple cider infused the pork with a subtle and distinctive flavor, almost like it lightly perfumed it.  It was delicious.  Loved it, with the exception of the meat’s texture.  It had been left on the grill just a minute too long.  If the meat were moister, it would have been a perfectly executed dish.

We also shared the Tamarine Crab and Garlic Noodles.  The dish was garnished with a heavy dose of cilantro, which cut through the heavy flavors of garlic, soy, and dungeness crab.  The crab was slightly drier than I’d like and a bit disappointing.  However, they didn’t skimp on it, and it did add flavor and texture.  Overall, the dish was still quite good with all its varied flavors.

We ended the dinner with the Banana Beignets served with coconut ice cream and a light caramel sauce.  They were fresh and hot and full of banana flavor.  The pastry was crisp and perfect.  However, the caramel was so light, it was flavorless.  But the coconut ice cream was just the opposite.  Perfectly light yet sweet.  It was a nice creamy complement to the beignets.

Tamarine was a delightful surprise with it’s accomodating waitstaff (with the exception of the atrocious hostesses), stylish, sophisticated, yet comfortable decor of dark woods and lighter accents, and truly innovative Vietnamese food.  The flavor combinations in each dish and the varied mix of ingredients made for an overall enjoyable experience.

Tamarine – 546 University Ave. – Palo Alto – 650.325.8500

Nothing urks me more than paying too much for a mediocre meal (except paying full price for something that goes on sale two days later, but that’s a whole different subject).  Unfortunately, that’s exactly what happened last night.

I visited the new Mint Leaf Restaurant on University Ave. in Palo Alto, right next door to the Borders bookstore.  They label themselves as an Asian noodle house, and since the Zao Noodle Bar’s food down the street is barely edible these days, I figured I’d give them a try.  But the moment I sat down and read the menu, I had a feeling I was in for trouble.  There were barely any noodle bowl dishes except for the few pho options and couple of Thai stir fry noodles.  Most everything was an a la carte dish that would require a separate order of steamed rice.

I’ll start off by saying that the service was good.  The two ladies working there made sure our food was alright and kept our water glasses full all through our dining experience.  The space is very airy, contemporary and clean.  A bit cavernous with its high ceilings, so it could get noisy (if the place ever got full, which it wasn’t).

We started with the Crispy Tofu appetizer, which was very standard.  Good crisp crust but the tofu was pretty ordinary.  The dipping sauce didn’t seem to fit the dish.  It was too sweet and would’ve benefited from something a little more salty and fresh (maybe a fish sauce with chilies and lime?). 

We then went on to the Drunken Noodles and Thai Basil Chicken.  All the dishes were a blend of Thai, Chinese, and Vietnamese flavors all thrown together.  A bit of a muddled mess, though I think they were going for a “fusion” vibe.  They were good, but all the flavors competed so heavily with each other that it just ended up tasting too salty, too sweet, and just plain over seasoned.  And there was nothing new or inventive about their flavors.

The meal wasn’t terrible.  But when we got the bill I knew I wouldn’t be back.  We had two small entrees and a tofu appetizer…and the bill came to $30 (w/o tip)!  We didn’t even order any drinks or steamed rice!  And the food was hardly authentic.  Now, I don’t want to seem cheap, but an authentic Asian meal, be it Thai, Chinese, OR Vietnamese, would’ve easily cost us $20 w/o tip.  Even a trip to Zao Noodle Bar (which has more noodles on the menu than Mint Leaf) would’ve been 20 bucks flat w/o tip.  If I’m going to pay more, I expect a complete experience, like at Betelnut or Sino.  But a hole in the wall Asian place that was posing as a “fusion” joint didn’t warrant the steep prices or a return visit.

You’d be better off going to Krung Siam restaurant just across the street.  That’s what we should’ve done.

Mint Leaf Asian Noodle House – 452 University Ave. – Palo Alto – 650.321.7888