Reviewer: Foodnut.com Xanh Restaurant 185 Castro Street Mountain View, CA 94041 650-964-1888 |
Xanh Restaurant is an Vietnamese Asian fusion restaurant in Silicon Valley on Castro street in Mountain View. They – “fuse the culinary traditions of Vietnam with modern aesthetics and complexities” To survive on this street packed with tons of place, you have to have good food. They used to be located across the street in a smaller location. Their Lunch menu has more moderately priced items.
Decor, Vibe – Clean, fun, stylish modern decor with a big beautiful bar and lounge area up front. Sidewalk dining for warmer days. Decor you expect in San Francisco! Busy on a Sunday night with big parties, couples, some families, and many nearby locals were dining.
Menu Pictures
Picks:
Misfit Roll ($12) soft-shelled crab, sliced mango, fresh lettuce, cilantro, mint, and crispy shallots served with fresh cracked pepper and spicy vinaigrette looked and tasted great. Crunchy deep fried crab with the various ingredients fused together.
“PHO YOU, PHO ME” ($10) XANH’s spin on a Vietnamese classic braised filet mignon and rice noodles in a fragrant beef broth served with fresh bean sprouts, thai basil, lime, and jalapeno peppers was excellent. The beef flavored broth was awesome. One of the better renditions we’ve had. The presentaion on a platform was very nice.
Xanh Banana Leaf Sea Bass ($22) chilean sea bass, shiitake mushrooms, ginger, onions, and glass noodles was steamed in banana leaves, but was actually overdone. It was still juicy and flavorful but could have been even better. Straits Cafe’s version in parchment paper is better.
Pineapple Beef Shortribs (SUON NUONG) ($14) korean-style barbecue short ribs, pineapple served with a mix slaw of bean sprouts, chives, and red bell peppers. Large dish full of well spiced short ribs. Lots of bean sprouts on top.
Split Personality Sorbet ($8) with a mix of mango and passion fruit sorbetto with a heart of raspberry enrobbed in white chocolate and finished with chocolate drizzle was excellent. The sorbet was flavorful, the presentation gorgeous. The touch of chocolate was a fine accent.
Menage a Trios ($8) a XANH interpretation of a Vietnamese classic. DIY with miniature tapioca ‘seed’, sweet yellow mung bean and coconut milk was meant to be mixed up but was very good independently. Not too sweet and a nice warm ball of tapioca and mung bean.
OK:
Papaya Salad ($10) poached shrimp, green papaya, carrots, cu cai trang, sliced mango, cilantro, mint, caramelized shallots served with roasted peanuts and nuoc cham vinaigrette was an average version of this dish. Large quantities but not a lot of flavor.
Chicken Satay ($9) was 3 pieces of skewered chicken with cool looking candle warming base. Decent chicken and a zesty peanut sauce dip.
Pans:
Grass Hopper ($9) was their interpretation of a Vodka Mojito. Too much lime and not very balanced.
Xanh Restaurant had above average service with friendly servers. The food was very good, presentation was awesome, and the surroundings outstanding, making for a rare combination on the Peninsula.
This restaurant reminds us of Tamarine and even Slanted Door. The prices are more affordable and portions far larger here. You could easy just order an entree per person and get a darn good and reasonable meal. Wine by the glass from $8, bottles from $30, $15 corkage fee.
Restaurant Map:
2 Comments
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October 7, 2011 at 9:28 am[…] but flavor-intensive culinary delicacies of Vietnam. This place is similar to Slanted Door or Xanh in Mountain View. We find the food pretty accessible with many items for mainstream palates. Our […]