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Tag: closed restaurants (Page 2 of 4)

Mr. Bagel Cafe – San Leandro – Review

January 5, 2012 / / 0 Comments

UPDATE: THIS RESTAURANT HAS CLOSED

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Mr. Bagel is the cafe that replaced Planet Coffee on East 14th in downtown San Leandro.  The small cafe offers all sorts of coffee drinks, as well as lots of bagels and bagel sandwiches, some pastries and cookies and a full menu of hot and cold sandwiches ($5 to $7).  Best of all they have Vietnamese sandwiches as well.  My friend got one a while back and it was very yummy.

In the last few weeks Mr. Bagel has become my “to go” cafe in San Leandro when I want to have a private talk with someone.  I love Zocalo, of course, but it’s impossible to go there and not run into a friend or acquaintance and have an uninterrupted conversation with any one person.  Mr. Bagel, fortunately or unfortunately, it’s pretty much empty all the time so it’s a great place to meet.  It’s also quite comfy, their coffee drinks are great (I liked their caramel latte more than Zocalo’s zahlua) and the people who run it could not be nicer.  It’s really a gem of a cafe, and I really wish more people would stop by.

I still have to try their sandwiches – and bagels! -, I’ll make a point of it next time I visit.

Mr. Bagel Café
1423 East 14th St.
San Leandro, CA
510-351`-5527
M-F 7am – 5 pm
Sa 8 am – 5 pm
Su 8 am – 3 pm

Marga’s San Leandro Restaurant Reviews

Angelina’s Pastries – San Leandro

May 30, 2011 / / 1 Comment

Update: The bakery is closed, a hair salon has opened in its place.

Angelina’s Pastries opened a few weeks ago in the space previously occupied by Marita’s Sweet Potato Pie. I’m sad to see Marita’s go, but red velvet cake lovers need notdespair, Angelina’s has it too. Alas, the cakes are more expensive and smaller than those sold by Marita’s, and I haven’t yet tried them.

I did stop by Angelina’s the other day to take a look at their goodies. They mostly serve European-style pastries, the owner specializes in cakes and chocolate work. The do have some Mexican pastries and they also do cakes-to-order.

Camila and I shared a dessert that consisted of a white cake with vanilla pudding and chocolate fondant. The portion was large enough, and appropriately priced at $2.50. I thought it lacked umph, but Camila liked it. I am looking forward to trying more of their pastries, however.

Angelina’s Pastries
600 Dutton Ave, Ste C
San Leandro, CA
(510) 636-9470
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San Leandro Restaurant Reviews

Viva Portofino – San Leandro – Breakfast Review

February 22, 2011 / / 0 Comments

Update: This restaurant is closed

Sunday before Valentine’s Day a few girlfriends and I got together at this latest reincarnation of Viva Portofino for a “Galentine’s” day brunch (apparently still owned by Francisco). I had heard from others than Viva Portofino (the name it finally settled on) had improved so I wanted to give it a try. The verdict is mixed, at least for breakfast, while none of the dishes stood out, none of them were particularly bad either. Overall it’s an improvement over other local breakfast joints, but only because the competition on that front is so poor. I wouldn’t be raising there for breakfast again.

There were six of us and two (including me) had the strawberry crepes (~$6.50). The thin crepes were “stuffed” with a very thin layer of sweet cream cheese and were topped with sliced fresh strawberries and cream. It was good but nothing too exciting. I probably would have preferred a little bit more cream cheese.

Elektra had the eggs benedict ($8) and while she enjoyed the flavor, she was unhappy that they were served lukewarm. I can understand their difficulties getting 6 dishes out at the same time, but other restaurants manage to send warm food to the tables and Viva Portofino should as well. Katrina was also disappointed with her vegetarian crepe. She felt it was the sort of thing that she could have tossed together very quickly, and the vegetables weren’t tasty enough to make up for the simplicity of the dish. She wouldn’t order it again. Both Parker and Eloise had omelets, and they were much happier with their choices. They thought they were tasty and well made.

One other “minus” for Viva Portofino is that they don’t have much on the way of coffee drinks to go with breakfast (they do have plain tea & coffee and lackluster mimosas, $6). This is not necessarily a problem if you remember to stop by Zocalo on the way, as Katrina wisely did, and getting your caffeine of choice.
On the plus side, service was good and professional and prices weren’t unreasonable – we ended up paying $14 each after tax & tip. Still, I’m left hoping someone else will open a better place for brunch.

Viva Portofino
599 Dutton Ave.
San Leandro, CA
(510) 553-1343
http://www.vivaportofino.com

Tuscany Restaurant – San Leandro – Review

February 15, 2011 / / 0 Comments

UPDATE: THIS RESTAURANT HAS CLOSED

February 2011 Review

La Bella Italia, the restaurant that took over the old Prings’ space, is back under a new name: Tuscany. After years of trying to make a go at it, including multiple renovations and the addition of an Indian food menu, the Indian-American Italian-food loving family who owns the place had finally said “enough” and leased out the facilities to a couple of wanna-be restauranteurs who opened up an Italian restaurant they called Bardelli’s in the location. Apparently Bardelli’s didn’t do so well – I never tried it, so the food might have been a problem, though I suspect highish prices and a lack of promotion figured into the equation – so they closed and returned the restaurant to the Bella Italia owners, who have apparently decided to have a new go at it under a new name. Unfortunately, that’s all they seem to have changed from their previous incarnation.

My friend Aamani, Camila and I decided to go there for lunch yesterday. We got there around noon and we were one of two parties. Their lunch menu consists of a handful of cold sandwiches, pizzas, pastas and soup/salad (the same stuff they had before). If I well remember they are mostly in the $7-9 range. Lunch is served with a nice warm dinner bun and butter and a small bowl of soup. Yesterday it was some bean and pasta soup, tasty but not too interesting.

We had about an hour for lunch, not enough time to order the pizzas, so Aamani went for the Prosciutto sandwich (fresh mozzarella, parma prosciutto roasted peppers and artichokes). She thought it was pretty good. She liked the bread and was happy with the ingredients, though she wished the prosciutto had been warmed. Still, she wasn’t doing handstands over it. I had their lasagna bolognese and was disappointed by the lack of seasoning. The whole dish was very bland, some salt would have surely helped, perhaps a cheese beyond ricotta.

On the plus side, lunch was pretty cheap and the waiter was gorgeous (albeit very young). Still, I don’t imagine I’ll be back anytime soon.

La Bella Italian Inn
15015 E. 14th St.
San Leandro, CA

Marga’s San Leandro Restaurant Reviews

Harley’s or JDs Burgers & Mexican Food, San Leandro, CA – Review

February 12, 2011 / / 0 Comments

UPDATE: THIS RESTAURANT HAS CLOSED

March 2012

This restaurant has once again changed names and, perhaps, ownership.  I think it’s still Mexican.  I haven’t tried it but given all the bad experiences we’ve had at that location I won’t go there until someone swears to me on their puppy’s life that it’s the best restaurant in San Leandro.

Feburary 2011

Harley’s Burgers has changed ownership and concept and is now a Burger & Mexican food joint. It sort of changed names, it’s menu claims it’s now “JDs Burgers & Mexican Food” but the Harley sign still remains. So does the modest building, and small dining room, though it seems to have been brightened up. Still, this is as modest and divish a restaurant as you can get in San Leandro, and that is its “charm”.

In its previous incantation, Harley’s served OK food at relatively low prices – we went once and though we live a block away, we never felt the need to return. Still, it served the worker and customers of nearby auto shops well. That can no longer be said. We went there for lunch today and I can honestly say that my 8-yo would eat a head of broccoli before eating one of their burgers again. The plain cheeseburger had a small, dry, tasteless beef (we presume) patty, covered in some weird cheese sauce and smothered in some kind of Thousand Islands type dressing. It tasted of nothing but the dressing and the weird cheese, it was just disgusting. The accompanying fries were fine, cooked in oil that was just about to go stale, but steal edible. Camila had a cheese & bean burrito ($3) which she did like, so perhaps their Mexican offerings are better. I still wouldn’t trust them.

To add insult to injury, Harley/JD’s prices are pretty high. A cheeseburger is $7, $8 if you want it with bacon. You can get something a hundred times better at Boulevard Burger for less. Our lunch (well, I did not eat, but Mike and the girls did) of two burgers w/ fries, one bean & cheese burrito, two sodas and one orange juice came to about $20.

Needless to say we will not go back, at least until a new owner chef takes over.

JDs (Harley’s) Burgers & Mexican Food
2170 Washington Ave.
San Leandro, CA
510-667-9040
M-F 7 AM – 7:30 PM

San Leandro Restaurant Reviews

Villa Portofino restaurant – San Leandro – review

September 9, 2010 / / 1 Comment

2013 Update: The restaurant is now closed

Feb. 2011 Update
Villa Portofino is now Viva Portofino. I went there for breakfast on 2/11 and it was OK. Full Review.
December 2010 Update
Villa Portofino is open once again, serving Italian food. A friend went for breakfast and said it was basic but good.
September 2010 Update. Villa Portofino seems to be in the process of being remodeled. The restaurant has been closed for a while now, and it’s packed by still-in-wrapping brand-new chairs. They also seem to have painted the walls (badly). It seems to be under the same management than before, and it’s anyone’s guess what it will try to re-invent itself as.
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A couple of weeks ago (late August 2008) Mike and I finally had the opportunity to try Villa Portofino, the new Italian restaurant in San Leandro that occupies the space on the corner of Bancroft & Dutton previously occupied by Viva Pancho Villa and Francisco’s. I’d have tried it sooner, but it’s not open for lunch.
The restaurant hasn’t changed too much, but it does have a slightly more upscale look now that there are tablecloths and cloth napkins. Still, it can’t really escape its architecture and it’s can’t really get beyond being a casual place for dinner. Indeed, I’d say that it doesn’t quite aspire to be much more than that, but for the $140 bottle of wine in their menu! Mike had to ask if it was a misprint, not just because it seemed out of place in a restaurant where most dishes are in the mid-teens, but because it was designated in the menu just as a “cabernet sauvignon” – no indication as to winery or vintage. Weird. I think we had soft drinks.
Villa Portofino’s menu features Italian-American classics, focusing on pastas. They have several well priced daily specials (low to mid teens for pastas), and when we visited we both ordered from the specials menu. Mike had a sausage risotto while I had a rigattoni with some kind of tomato sauce I can’t quite recall. My dish was good and hearty, with al-dente cooked pasta and familiar flavors. It wasn’t gourmet or particularly delicious, but quite satisfying. I wouldn’t make a point of going there to have it again, but I’d order it if I was craving something homey. Mike was quite happy with his risotto. he liked the combination of flavors and the creaminess of the rice.
The dessert list is very prosaic, tiramisus and so forth, and I had the creme brulee. It was a good sized portion, and I appreciated that it was served warm. There is nothing as off-putting as cold creme brulee. It was quite good, though the layer of caramelized sugar was too thin. Still, I’d order it again.
Service was a bit fluky, the waitress seems to be new to the profession and did not pay enough attention to our table (at least look at me so I can flag you to get my bill!).
In all, it was a pleasant dining experience, and I’d go again – albeit not for a date.
Villa Portofino
599 Dutton Ave @ Bancroft
San Leandro, CA
(510) 553-1343
Open for dinner only
San Leandro Restaurant Reviews
Bay Area Restaurant Reviews

The Vine Wine & Tapas Bar – San Leandro – Review

August 13, 2010 / / 1 Comment

UPDATE: THIS RESTAURANT HAS CLOSED

July 2011 Update

Mike and I had a quick “date night” a couple of weeks ago.  We had an hour sans kids before a meeting, and while we would have usually headed to Boulevard Burger (my favorite cheap place in town), I wanted something nicer – so we headed to The Vine instead, armed with a restaurant.com coupon.

We got there around 5 PM on a Tuesday, and the place was deserted, though people started coming soon enough and taking advantage of their outside seating during such a lovely day.  Service, needless to say, was very prompt and good.

We were both hungry so we decided to sample several items on the menu. Most of the stuff was good but not exceptional, and definitely overpriced at their non-discounted prices.

We started with their Parmesan Cheesecake ($5), which was basically a cheese log mix to be eaten on crackers.  It was very subtly flavored and, while not unpleasant, not particularly compelling, I wouldn’t order it again.  The meatballs ($6) were more flavorful, but I found them rather dry and a bit overseasoned. Again, not something I’d bother with again.  The Gorgonzola crusted filet mignon ($13) was better, though the meat is prepared medium which means the beef is nowhere as juicy as it should be. It was very tender and it had a pleasant flavor, though it didn’t taste very blue cheesy.  It was a pretty small portion given the price, but I might order it again.  The patatas bravas ($6 regularly – but $3 during Happy Hour) were nicely seasoned and steaming hot, and I enjoyed them more than most of the other dishes.  The real winner, however, was the Point Reyes Blue cheese platter ($7). It came with a nice portion of absolutely delicious, creamy cheese, bread slices, dried fruit and caramelized walnuts. The whole combination was great.  I’ll definitely order this again.

For dessert, Mike and I shared the chocolate lava cake ($6), which again was pretty tasty but not extraordinary. I might have it again, but would try something else first.

We had some complimentary rose wine with dinner (“like” The Vine on Facebook for occasional promotions), which was just sweet enough and very refreshing.

In all, it was a very nice meal. We paid about $35 total, including tax, tip & the restaurant.com coupon price which was a good deal, but regular prices are too high.

December 2010

I’ve been to The Vine several times in the last few months. I find it a nice place to have something light to eat and a reasonably priced glass of wine. Their tapas menu has expanded somewhat and they now serve desserts (which we haven’t tried). Most of the tapas I’ve tried are good to very good. I particularly enjoyed the croquettes ($7) and the Spanish omelet ($5). However, my half-Spanish friend Paz wasn’t as complimentary. Their wines, though, are almost universally good. They seem to no longer be open on Sundays, by the way.

August 2010 update

Well, I finally went to The Vine with a few friends a couple of nights ago and we had a very nice experience. The Vine has a limited selection of wines – two sparkling wines and no more than ten white and red wines – but what we had was good. I had a glass of the Cava and a glass of the Malbec. The Cava was light and bubbly, not too dry and easy to drink – I quite enjoyed it. The Malbec was very nice balanced, substantial without being tanic, a very good all around red.

A couple of my friends had the French something or other, it tasted like a cab and was deep and earthy. Also very enjoyable, though better with food, I’d think.

We only had a couple of their few tapas. The garbanzos were an all around favorite, I enjoyed them even though I’m not a garbanzo person. I thought the patatas bravas were fine, they basically were large chunks of country style potatoes served with a tomato-based sauce and a light creamy sauce. Other people were less impressed

The room is very nice, quite sophisticated for San Leandro. Service was attentive and the waitress told us that they will be expanding their menu (and hopefully serving desserts) and may expand their hours as well.

The Vine Wine & Tapas
135 Parrott St
San Leandro, CA
(510) 969-7477

http://www.thevinewineandtapas.com

Tu – Sa 4-10 PM
Su 11 AM – 6 PM

San Leandro Restaurant Reviews

July 20th, 2010 blog post
The Vine, the new venture from the owner of The Englander, has finally opened. This cute spot is located next to The Englander (they displaced an old-time hair salon to do this, which is not very nice at all), but it’s quite a bit classier. I stopped by to take a look, but I haven’t eaten there yet. I’ll report when I do.

For now I can tell you that they offer a variety of wines by the shot (2 oz, about $4), glass (around $7) or bottle (in the 20’s) as well as beers. To eat they have pizzas ($5), a couple of cooked tapas (such as Spanish tortilla, $5) and simple things such as cheeses, cold meats and olives. Clearly they are focusing on the wine, not the food. No desserts, as far as I can see, which is a bummer as it’d be nice to have a place for dessert in San Leandro
They have limited hours, they’re open 4 – 10 PM Tuesday through Saturday, and Sunday 11 AM – 6 PM – which is a further bummer as I like having places to go late. But it’s definitely a good addition to the San Leandro culinary “scene” .

The Vine Wine & Tapas
135 Parrott St
San Leandro, CA
(510) 969-7477
http://www.thevinewineandtapas.com
Tu – Sa 4-10 PM

The Englander – San Leandro – Restaurant Review Updates

June 15, 2010 / / 1 Comment

UPDATE: THIS RESTAURANT HAS CLOSED

August 2011

We’ve been to the Englander several times this year (including for the initial Copa America game), and we’ve been overall satisfied with the food and service.  The tall waitress with the long blond hair, in particular, is amazing: super helpful, efficient and quick.  The prices are still high, however.

Yesterday we stopped for a quick dinner during the Farmer’s Market.  Mike had the linguiza burger, and the combination just didn’t work.  Linguiza has a strong flavor, and that’s all he could taste.  It’s a huge burger.  Mika had a plain burger, and she thought it was fine.  It was still happy hour so I decided to have a couple of appetizers (all $4 from 3PM – 6 PM on weekdays).  I soon discovered why they were so cheap: the appetizers are tiny.  The order of onion rings was about 1/3 the size of that of the regular portion ($8) and the one nachos probably 1/4th ($11 for the regular).  So, happy hour appetizers are just not a good deal.  The onion rings were good, the nachos not so much.  They didn’t have enough cheese, and the cheese didn’t rich the lower nachos.

Restaurant.com occasionally has coupons for the Englander, so it’s worth checking before you go.  You can usually find a 15% off coupon at Open Fence.

June 2010
The Englander is our favorite place in San Leandro for watching World Cup Games. It’s close to our home, the food is fair, if expensive (their onion rings, for one, are quite good), and it has a great soccer-watching atmosphere. So that’s where we headed last Saturday morning to watch the Argentine-Nigeria game (Argentina won 1-0) and where we stayed for the US-England game (tied 1-1). In all, we spent 7 hours at the restaurant – my kids are saints. I’m not planning to go there for the 4:30 AM Argentina – South Korea game on Thursday (and I doubt they’ll be open anyway), but I will probably catch the Argentina – Greece game there next week.

Anyway, all of this is to say that the Englander will be open for most games (at least the 7 AM ones) and do offer breakfast for the morning ones. The morning buffet consists of French Toast, scrambled eggs, sausages and country potatoes and it costs $10. The food is quite acceptable, I really liked the sausages, and it’s not a bad price given that you’re really paying for watching the game. The breakfast buffet is set in the small room by the bathroom, it took us a while to find it last Saturday.

If you go there for one of the 11 AM games and are planning to have lunch, you may want to sign up for Open Fence, which allows you to print ONE coupon for a 15% discount on two entrees. Not much, but it’s something.

Service, btw, was great on Saturday. I don’t really know how those waitresses were able to handle the dozens and dozens of orders they got once the US – England game started (the place was PACKED), but they did. Good for them!

—

December 2009 Update

We went back to the Englander about a month and a half ago, to participate in the Eat Out for Education program, through which San Leandro schools get 10% of the check at participating restaurants (with a coupon). Once again I thought my dish, a steak sandwich, was mediocre, but Mike was happy with whatever he had and my friend Desiree raved over her burger. The onion rings, as usual, were pretty good. I’m sure we’ll be going back to the Englander again and again once the World Cup starts this summer.

—

July 2009 Update

According to a letter in yesterday’s San Leandro times, The Englander is looking to expand into the space of its next-door neighbor, a beauty salon. It’s great to know that even in this economy The Englander is doing well – though I find its food quite average, it’s a nice place where to watch soccer championships. And I really like its new front patio (I’ll take a picture next time I’m around). But I find it sad that it is pushing out what seems to be a successful business, one with a clientele that seems to care about it.

I wish the owner would go about this a different way. Instead of expanding The Englander, how about starting a new restaurant? Perhaps an Irish pub? They do have the space at the present location of Ploughman’s (a breakfast joint that we visited once and never again) and then there is the old Casa Maria – etc. etc. site. Neither is too attractive, however.

But even then, what I would love to see is a cafe-pub. A place that would stay open late, serve appetizers and desserts, and both coffee drinks and alcohol. AND, not having TVs. Basically, following the concept of Horatio’s lounge – but providing an alternative to it.

—
May 2008 Update

After strolling through the new downtown farmers’ market in San Leandro, we were hungry and ready for dinner. The logical thing would have been to eat at Meyers BBQ stand, where you can get huge hot dogs and teriyaki sticks – but for some reason Mika wanted to eat at The Englander, so that’s where we headed. Other people seemed to have the same idea, as The Englander was buzzing last night – I heard they had to bring extra staff. In any case, it was a very warm day, so eating outside was very nice.

I wish I could say the same thing about the food. I love The Englander: the concept, the beers, going there to watch Argentina lose in the World Cup and the Americas cup, but the food just isn’t very good. And last night was an example of it. Perhaps it wouldn’t be so terrible, if it wasn’t so expensive as well. Dinner (with one appetizer and no desserts) for three adults and two children came up to $84 after tip.

Kathy got the tri-tip plate ($11), and she was disappointed. The meat was tender but it tasted as it’d come out from a bucket of Lloyd’s BBQ. She didn’t like the coleslaw either.
I got the fish and chips ($12). The fish had a very thick batter which was undercooked, merging the fish with what felt like raw batter, it had a creamy, not pleasant, texture. The fish itself was unseasoned and had no flavor. The chips were OK, coated.

Mike did like his bangers, chips & beans ($14). The sausage was fine and the beans were good.

The onion rings we ordered (~$9), were grossly overpriced but otherwise good – they were a little bit on the brown side, but I loved their sweet flavor. The Englander makes some of my favorite onion rings in town.

Both kids got the Mac & Cheese ($5 each) – and the portion is large enough that I really should have ordered just one. They ate only a tiny bit of it, but they can be finicky so that doesn’t mean much.

I have to say that at least the portions at The Englander are generous – as they should be for those prices.

As for drinks, Mike and I had cokes ($2.25 with refills), Kathy had a cranberry juice, which she didn’t like at all ($3) and the kids had chocolate milks ($1.50 each), which they did enjoy.
Service was good and efficient, though the waitress was clearly busy.

I’m sure I’ll go back to The Englander for the next championship – and the place is great for events – but I think I’ll keep away from it until then.


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Original Review
San Leandro Restaurant Reviews

The Mutt Hut

October 3, 2009 / / 0 Comments

Update: The Mutt Hut closed, which is pretty sad because it was such a San Leandro institution.

I just realized that I have never reviewed the Mutt Hut, a humble restaurant with an exclusive menu of hot dogs, which is just around the corner from my house.
The Mutt Hut is a small place, they have 3 or 4 tables inside and perhaps a couple outside. They have hot dogs, polish sausages, hot links and a couple of other varieties. There are a variety of toppings (cheese, bbq sauce, etc.) but not much more. You can get chips and drinks and that’s about it.
The hot dogs are good, but not extraordinary. This is basically a convenience place, where you can get a quick, cheap lunch. The owners are very friendly, there is always a newspaper around to peruse while you wait/eat, and the place is very clean. We come from time to time.
The Mutt Hut
1904 Washington Ave
San Leandro, CA
(510) 352-7794
M-Sa 11 AM – 5 PM

Marga’s San Leandro Restaurant Reviews

Vo’s Restaurant – San Leandro – Review Update

December 27, 2008 / / 0 Comments

Vo’s has closed. Lotus Leaf has opened in its space.

January 2011
I just went to Vo’s for a late lunch with my friend Elektra. I hadn’t been there for a while, and once again I was not overly impressed. The food was fine but not exceptional, and even at discounted prices sort of expensive for what it was.

Elektra and I shared the chicken wings appetizer ($3.50, usually $7). There were five or six lightly spiced wings, deep fried, that were well cooked but completely unremarkable. They came with a very nice peanut sauce which was better by itself than on the wings.

Elektra had the Vietnamese peppered beef sandwich ($4). It was described as beef sauteed with green peppers and onions, so she was disappointed that most of what she found in the bread was cucumber and other light veggies. She also wasn’t fond of the cheap-tasting baguette the sandwich came with. I got a chicken sandwich for Mike and he had similar complaints, he found there was too much bread, too little chicken and not enough flavor.

Elektra had the banana and mango dessert ($5, I think) and she thought it was pretty good, she liked the tapioca sauce which had a generous amount of coconut milk. I had the fried banana with ice cream (also $5 or so) and while it was good, it wasn’t exceptional. There were two pieces of banana wrapped in eggroll skins and a very so-so ice cream. I’ve had a much better version of this dessert at other restaurants.

In all, it was a nice lunch, but not good enough for $40 after tax & tip.

Nov. 2008 Review

Last night, Mike took me out to dinner at Vo’s to celebrate our brief childless status (we do miss the kids, though). I had been there last a few month prior with the girls, and I’d had a pretty good meal. This one, however, was lackluster – the food seemed tired and lacked shining flavors. Part of the problem may be that Vo’s seems to specialize on seafood (its specials menu featured only one meat dish), and that the choices for non-seafood eaters are very limited. After a few visits to the restaurant, you would have tried them all. I think it’s time that they revamp their menu, at least vis a vis meat choices.

Mike started with the crab puffs ($8, I think) – five or six little purses fried and filled with crabmeat. He liked them, but in particular enjoyed the mustard sauce. I had the crispy rolls ($8), an old favorite. I had loved the very light and crispy skins and the flavorful filling. This time, the rolls tasted like egg rolls in any other restaurant. They lacked flavor, and even the dipping sauce couldn’t help them much. I wouldn’t order them again.

My main dish was the caramelized pork & shrimp ($14). I’d had this dish before, and I think I’d enjoyed it, but this time it was pretty average. The caramelization hadn’t added much sweetness to the dish, and I think the meat was underseasoned to begin with. The sauce was very one-dimensional. It wasn’t bad, indeed it was perfectly acceptable – but there wasn’t much of a reason to eat it other than being hungry and having ordered it. I wouldn’t do it again, either. Also, the portion was on the small side (something I’ve noticed to be an issue with Vo’s from the start) – if you came in moderately hungry and haven’t had an appetizer, you’ll still be hungry after eating it.

Mike had the lemongrass catfish filet ($16) from the specials menu. He didn’t think it was that great. The sauce was too viscous and bland, but at least the catfish was properly cooked. He wouldn’t order it again.
Probably the worst part of the meal, however, were the desserts. Mike had the caramelized bananas with ice cream ($7, I think), and the dish consisted of perhaps half a banana sliced and covered in caramelized sugar, it was served with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream. The banana slices were nice, but again, nothing special. And given how small the portion of bananas they serve was, the dish was grossly overpriced.

Worse still was the cheesecake ($8). I knew that they didn’t make the deserts on site (with the exception, I imagine, of the two banana dishes) – but they really need a better dessert provider. This cheesecake ($8) was flavorless and had been badly defrosted. While part of the cheesecake had the unpleasant texture of ice crystals, the other was thawed to the point of almost melting it. I’m not sure if they did it in the microwave, or how they managed to mess it up so much. The portion was pretty small for the price, but in this case it really didn’t matter as the whole thing was a waste of calories. If I do eat at Vo’s again (and I may very well do so, if I go out with friends who insist on going there), I will make sure to avoid dessert here.

Service was adequate (though the waitress did not ask how our meal was), but the timing of the dishes was off. Our entrees came before our appetizer dishes had been removed from the table. In all, it felt like it was a pretty rushed meal. Which is strange, as the restaurant was almost empty on a Friday night.
Dinner came to about $82 after tax and tip. I used a $25 gift certificate that I got at restaurant.com for $3 (they are usually $10, but they were running a special) – but I felt that even at $60 the dinner was overpriced. Too bad, because I like Vo’s, or at least the concept of Vo’s – somebody just needs to get back in the kitchen and shake things up a bit.

Vo’s Restaurant
277 Parrott St.
San Leandro, Ca.
510-357-6600
Original Review

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