Straits Restaurant in San Jose

This is a great spot for a weekend dinner, featuring a dimly lit atmosphere and lively party music. We ordered chicken lollipop and pad thai with chicken, both of which were quite satisfying. The prices are reasonable considering the ambiance and attentive service they provide.

I liked the fusion food, it tasted quite different from what Ive tried. Also loved their purple cocktail. The atmosphere is more club like- too loud for my liking. It also took us a while to get our tables despite having a reservation.Overall the experience with the food was good.

Straits had nice decor and a huge bar but the food we had was somewhat lacking. The only item we chowed down on so fast we almost hurt ourselves because of how fresh off the kitchen and temperature hot it was was the roti prata. It was crispy and flaky on the outside but delectably soft on the inside. Dipping sauce was good but a tad salty.Now comes the not so good part. The char kuey teow was kinda overly moist. This dish should be ‘charred’ somewhat dry. It was a small serving in a small dish for $24. A little on the pricier side.The Hainanese chicken rice was mixed. My husband said my chicken rice was better. I really like the tenderness of the chicken. It was cooked t perfection. The biggest disappointment was the sauce that accompanied the dish. The chili sauce didn’t appear or taste home made and was severely lacking. The grated ginger was ok. The soy sauce tasted like it came straight out of a Kikkoman bottle and was thick and salty. It should have been diluted with the broth the chicken was cooked in and have a slight sweetness to it. Any spilled soy sauce on the rice and chicken turned those into salty bites and ruined it.Then came the curry laksa. It is definitely not Malaysian style curry laksa. It is more like Singaporean curry laksa. The noodles used were the type you normally use in Malaysian asam laksa. Overall, the flavor was good. Shrimps and chicken were nicely cooked and not overdone.In summary, the experience was a mixed bag leaning more on the not so satisfying side. I really wanted to like this place but unless they change the sauces on the Hainanese Chicken Rice, I will not be ordering that again. The roti and laksa were keepers. Char Kuey Teow not so much.Oh, I almost forgot about the dessert. I got the ube cheesecake. It was not sweet and completely mushy tasting nothing like a cheesecake. Presentation was beautiful though but what a disappointment.

Decent Happy Hour menu for light dinner. We liked the Tuna Tartare, oysters, soya tofu. Would skip the Belly Pork Sliders as the meat was dry in Hawaiian King Buns. Limited drink options. Would go again to have light food and drinks with besties !

This place can get very crowded in the evenings, even during weekdays. We sat outside which was quieter but it was at an awkward 2 seater table. The waiter took long to ask what we wanted to drink/appetizers, maybe more than 20 minutes. We ordered samosa, coconut shrimp fried rice and banana salmon. For some reason, the rice came out first and we had to wait for the salmon. By the time we got the salmon, the rice was cold. Both items are very delicious but not hot in heat to enjoy. Again, the waiter took a long time to attend to us. I definitely recommend going for the food but expect slow service. The price is very high. Will sparingly visit again.

Very good service. Our server helped us through the menu and gave good recommendations. Food was great drinks were okay. Atmosphere was loud inside. We sat in patio. Will come again.

The chicken in my laksa was pretty dry. My friend got Hainanese chicken and some of it was pretty dry too. Everything else was very good. The soup and the noodles in the laksa were good. And the roti prata was good!

A wonderful Sunday brunch with girlfriends today! Superb service from Shannon who attended to all our needs, shes just natural and warm personality. Food are great - crispy calamari, garlic noodles, prawn salad, and esp. the chicken satay!!! Love it all, will be back!!!

Went here for New Year’s Eve and also brunch recently and both experiences were great. The brunch, menus, unique an office, great Asian and islander influenced dishes.

Update: 5 starsPros: Spacious and pleasant indoor and outdoor, nice and attentive staff, great presentation of food, delicious foodGreat customer service: my daughters salmon was raw inside. The manager came to the table, took the plate to show to the kitchen. They took the food out of the bill.Cons: the server didnt care enough to light up the birthday match after wind blew it, and just left. We had to call him again and he looked unhappy having to light it up again.2 starshigh prices for small portions, low quality food; crispy calamari was spicy. butter chicken did not taste like butter chicken at all.Service was awful; not available for questions and orders, long wait time after ordering food, not knowing English very well