Top Asian Fusion Restaurant in Millbrae
Ben Tre Restaurant
219 El Camino Real, Millbrae, CA 94030, United States
If I could give this place zero stars I would. I don't know how they got all these good reviews but I will describe my experience here in depth and othersCan judge from there.I came here with my Son on a Monday evening—I had came up to pick my son up from SFSU to come home for the summer (we live in San Diego), so before heading back down, we stopped here because of all the good reviews. We were seated fast, but from there it went downhill fast. My son ordered well done steak and well done brisket pho—he got raw meat instead. I ordered a hot tea—the table across from us had ordered some and I saw that they got it in a tea pot. Mine, however was served in a tall drink glass so since it was glass, it quickly heated up and burned my hand when I even tried to pick up the glass, let alone drink from it. I had to ask for a mug or something with a handle in order to get something appropriate. They finally brought out the tea pot like the other table, but only after I burned myself and asked. My son'sLemonade was 3 sips of lemonade and the restIce. We also saw that our table didn't have hoisin sauce like the other tables did—we had to ask for it TWICE before getting any. When my soup came, the bowl was sitting on old torn order Receipts from the night—basically they sat my bowl of soup on top of their trash and served it to me. I don't know where that would have been appropriate ANYWHERE. I also had to ask for the rice that came with my meal rather than it being served with my meal.Lastly, I noticed that every other table didn't have the same issues as we did and the service to those tables was up to par, despite how we were being treated—-which deeply concerns me. My son and I were the only non-Full Asian or non-white customers there and the service to us was below sub-par.It's really a shame because in San Diego, we frequent Thai and Vietnamese restaurants a LOT and have never experienced a restaurant treating us this way. By the way, we are half Asian, half African American so it was extremely disappointing.So I'm posting this review as a STRONG WORD OF CAUTION TO ANYONE WHO THINKS ABOUT FREQUENTING THIS PLACE ESPECIALLY IF THIS TREATMENT WOULD BE UNSATISFACTORY TO YOU IF IT WAS YOU AND YOUR CHILD.
Sugandh Indian Restaurant & Bar
333 Broadway, Millbrae, CA 94030, United States
Oh. My. God. Stop the presses. Holy hello. This place is un-bloody-believable.. I pass this place hundreds of times, its literally blocks from my house and Id tried it years ago for a group lunch with my dance class (under different ownership), a Himalayan buffet, and was underwhelmed. It used to be lackluster. I grew up eating Indian food, my Mom drying chilies in the sun, making everything from scratch, meticulous and my Dad a chef in Indian restaurants, sister-in-law Hemalina, cooks Indian food extraordinaire, my husband raised in India--we are picky. And we know our Indian food. Id honestly written this place off, but a colleague mentioned that he drives from S.F. to eat at Sugandh--its a destination restaurant in Millbrae. Seriously. We figured we should give it second chance, and went in for a late lunch/early dinner. No reservation, and when we walked in, it looked like the place was deserted, the front empty, but as we walked to the back and were seated, a beautiful interior, warm wood bricks, colorfully painted with artwork and gorgeous copper lighting sconces on the walls. We sat in one of their booths and ordered 6 dishes: 1.Tandoori lamb chops (3 double chops and a triple rack of lamb huge portion. 2. Garlic naan--fresh out of the tandoor oven, sprinkled with fresh garlic chopped and drizzled with butter and cilantro. 3. Chicken tikka masala--Chicken breast white meat in a tomato cream sauce with flecks of fenugreek. 4. Bhindi--okra perfection nirvana, chopped onions nicely browned with a symphony of spices all in balance and smoky tomato, charred. 5. Bengan Bhartha--smoky eggplant redolent of masala spicing mild. 6. Salmon pakora--this was a first, out of hundreds and I do mean hundreds of Indian restaurants later--we had salmon in chickpea flour--moist, fresh, tender perfection. Most pakoras use some form of white fish, which is okay but not as hard to do. Our second visit, I asked our server to put double the amount of methi ( funugreek, a spice with bitter undertones) in our chicken tikka masala and also raise the spiciness level up a notch--wasnt sure what to expect. Damn, did they ever deliver: perfection, smoky, layered flavors. This was a 5 star experience, and if Yelp had 10 stars, Id in a heartbeat, crown it with 10 of those damn stars. FANTASTIC--the quality, the preparation, the freshness, the quantity, the service, I can wax rhapsodic on and on. They have three levels of heat: mild, medium, and spicy--the beauty of this place is even though we ordered everything mild, they preserved all the complexity of spicing of the Indian dishes and managed to have flavors exploding in our while removing offending chilis and heat (my colon thanks you :-) This is exquisitely hard to do for Indian food: preserve flavor and complexity while removing heat. The service prompt and efficient, attentive, my husbands water class continually refilled without us asking for it. They were sincere and sweet, kind and generous. The price point btw., could not be more reasonable: huge portions for this quality..if they were in S.F. and had fancy marketing juggernaut, theyd be charging twice as much. See photos for the decor and food. Fyi: Sugandh in Hindi means redolent aroma :-)
Tasty Place
1625 El Camino Real, Millbrae, CA 94030, United States
Ugh... I hate leaving negative reviews but I have to be honest. I walked by this place last month because it is maybe half a block down from Yummy Szechuan which is On Point delicious Szechuan eats. They had pictures of their menu out of side the door which was one of the reasons why I wanted to go back and try. Im a big fan of lotus root and I saw two ways that they prepared there. I have an old faded Michelin 2019 taped on their window before you walk in as does Yummy Szechuan and being that the Bay Area brings on the best of the best Chinese food I thought I would give this place a try. When we sat down I was looking for a Lotus root on the menu and the waitress told us they dont have that on the new menu. We had ordered some hot tea which they basically put in plastic cups of hot water which Im not a fan of but hey it was our first time there and just getting to know the place. Had we not ordered the tea before I found out the menu had changed we would have left. But I feel obligated to try out a new local joint. They had a squid with tentacles Hot Pot that I wanted to try so we stayed. And I always judge a Chinese Szechuan place by their mapo tofu bc I like the real deal mouth numbing Peppercorns in my mouth got that dish has to offer. We ordered the spicy dumplings which came out with a medium warm center very average in flavor. I should have sent it back but I figured I would just take it home and reheat it. The squid tentacle Hot Pot was very disappointing it was really heavy on the celery and the squid tentacles were underwhelming in quantity but it was the texture was really alarming for me...... it was like the squid tentacle concoction was sitting in something for a long time and had been overcooked because there was no chew to it and you couldnt even call it tender it was very disappointing to say the least. The Mapo tofu food was probably the best thing we ate... Not the best but it would be considered good if it was outside of the Bay Area. And we got the spicy Dan Dan noodles that were okay maybe they were better but I was just disappointed in the whole experience. It was like a bait-and-switch having the pictures of their menu items in a Michelin 2019 when it seems like it was Under New Management and youre tricked into walking to the place expecting something and being forced to order what you think is going to be at least good Szechuan in the Bay Area but it was far from it . They really should take down the photos of The Many Items they dont have anymore because it was the only reason I went back to that joint. The waitress was nice but she was pretty laid back and didnt check up on us and it wasnt that busy. I hate leaving reviews like this but if youre a foodie says one person like I am this is not the place to go to.
Top other services in Millbrae:
MQ Healthy Food
420 El Camino Real, Millbrae, CA 94030, United States
Ive been wanting to try MQ for some time now. Looking on Yelp, I was interested in the healthy options this fast food joint had to offer. We finally made it here for lunch. The location is right on El Camino and there is a parking lot. MQ also offers drive-thru. There is plenty of space to eat there. We opted to order and eat there in the small outdoor dining area.Upon placing my order by scanning the QR code in store and placing it online, I asked about the free can of sparkling water that comes as part of checking in on Yelp.Lance, the owner, said he would bring it right out to me. A few minutes later, Lance came to our table with three cans of sparkling water for us. He was super friendly and truly showed an interest in how we heard about his place, what city we live, our names, etc. He went onto give us an overview of their mission as far as serving up healthy, good quality food and plans to expand to a larger menu with beer and wine. He said the pandemic impacted them quite a bit but business is slowly picking up again.Our food arrived fast. Everything was tasty and fresh. I cant wait to come again and look forward to seeing more menu options in the future.Kearra B.San Bruno, CA2811332858/24/20223 photosA hidden gem!We tried MQ Healthy Fast Food today and we were pleasantly surprised! Lance helped us at the drive thru and was super friendly. Lance guided us through the menu since it was our first time.We tried the salmon & the chicken. Both exceeded our expectations! Both dishes tasted super fresh and delicious. We also loved their unique lemonade!We cant wait to come back!Sabrina V.Elite 2022San Francisco, CA241773428/15/2022This place doesnt look like much when you first walk in, it clearly was a fast food restaurant at first, now transformed into a healthy dining spot. Indoor and outdoor seating available, even a drive thru.The menu options are pretty affordable considering the food being healthy, and I like how they tell you how many grams of protein/carbs youre getting on the online menu. I really do appreciate the goals and values of this restaurant, and I think theyre doing a great job and making great effort with the messaging behind their food.The chicken was really crispy and wasnt greasy at all! Had great breading and the chicken was still juicy. However, the ginger sesame dressing was unnecessary for me. It had a strong and overpowering taste that didnt compliment the light meal, so I think next time Ill try a different dressing. I also really like the potatoes and yams included.I think Id come back if I was in the area. I dont feel like a gross grease blob after eating this meal, so I like that.Stephanie R.Millbrae, CA03311/19/20221 photoI had only heard good things about this restaurant and since the remodel, I was very intrigued to finally check it out. I was very surprised to see how they had completed transformed what used to be Burger King, you cannot tell whatsoever that it was one before. The decor and overall aesthetic initially caught my attention but even more so was the caring staff. Everyone was very attentive towards my friends and Is wants and questions regarding the menu. The food was absolutely delicious and made me feel good about my choice of lunch since it was tasty and actually good for my body! I had the salad bowl with chicken katsu and a mango smoothie. I loved my first experience and am looking forward to many more!S1- Crispy chicken breast salad
Millbrae Pancake House
1301 El Camino Real, Millbrae, CA 94030, United States
My mom ate at this place a long time ago and I was convinced to go. I wanted to taste their pancakes, thinking it would be better than fast-food or Jacks restaurant. The moment we got there, it was packed and there was no parking. The moment we went inside the place, the atmosphere was terrible. It was packed and the workers wanted people to go and leave without giving them time to set in or order.When we finally sat down at a table, already the server wanted us to order right there and than without going through the menu. The server was nice but she seem to rush me and my mom and wasnt really engaging towards us. She even convinced my mom to order bacon even though she told her that she didnt want any.And the moment that we got our food, it was sloppy and it smelled. I didnt expect the food to look so bad. The pancakes were like crepes. Im not sure that was the style but I thought they would be fluffy which they werent. I order the banana pancakes which I found very sad looking and the taste wasnt nothing special. It was okay but not good. The bacon was really salty and the eggs were plain. The harsh browns were the only thing I liked but there were some parts that were wet which I found concerning. With the butter, it tasted odd especially the one with berries in it, it tasted bad. The drinks were the only thing that was highlight and I know they didnt make it.With the pricing was bad, my mom paid 55 dollars on food that later on got her and myself really sick and the heat didnt help and the place made it really tight. The bathrooms were to small. My mom also found paper on the floor that had poop on it. Also, a guy went inside the girls bathroom and nobody didnt say anything about it.Overall, never going to Pancake House ever again. I was disappointed and my mom never wants to go there again. I was looking forward on good or great pancakes. And knowing what happened with the incident of the man getting unalived and ate there before he died was really disturbing. Never going there again.
Social Eatery
102 S El Camino Real, Millbrae, CA 94030, United States
6/26/22 - Ordered the spicy cumin lamb, sizzling garlic noodles and fried dumpling. Bowl size is a good amount unless you have a large appetite. Price wise I would say its a bit on the higher end than compared to a typical noodle restaurant. The vibe is nice though with jazzy version of popular songs.4* - the cumin lamb was pleasantly flavored and not over powering or overly salty. The biang biang noodles were al dente which is how I like these types of noodles. The only complaint would be the lamb was a bit on the tougher side and a little chewy. Other than that I would definitely order this dish again. $15.493* - sizzling garlic noodles was good but not great. It didnt really stand out as a dish as its basically garlic noodles with biang biang noodles. The garlic flavor was subtle, I would probably order this again only if I was craving something garlicy but not buttery like other garlic noodle dishes at other places. $11.994* - fried dumplings...they actually do a good job as they are actually crispy and hold their crunch. The mayo dipping sauce also paired well with it. Only complaint would be that it only comes with 4 pieces. Would order again. $5.99Service wise you seat yourself and order from the qr code at the table. There are staff wandering around of you have questions, but I could see it being difficult if it got busy. When we came here it was about half full so flagging someone down wasnt am issue.
Paris Baguette
655 Broadway, Millbrae, CA 94030, United States
My first visit to the Millbrae Paris Baguette Cafe.Only one, single, solitary tongs available for customer use. Kind of surprising given the signage on every pasty case door and sneezeguard over six different areas advising the customer to use them. Weirdly confusing Im the way the a politician says things they do not really believe in.Everything here has a sweet and sticky coating. Not my idea of the perfect croissant. If you are looking for a plain excellent croissant the look elsewhere. But if you want the sweet coating then at least the croissant itself is good.The cappuccino is decently passable. But then it was fresh madeHowever, coffee here is lukewarm at best. If you are a coffee person I advise you to have coffee at some other location. I hung around for a while and never saw the coffee area serviced. The coffee area itself needs to be laid out better as well. I pity the person who might come here during a rush in the morning. They will be in a human traffic jam.The cheesecake here is not bad at all. It Is a slice that has a light and even texture topped with fresh strawberry half and raspberry. The size is kind of small for the $5 price. When served it comes presented on a big standard paper plate. The lack of a Chinese option destroys the presentation. So I put the overall value somewhat sub-par for slice of cheesecake on the peninsula.Paris Baguette Cafe also one the few businesses serving average pastries and cakes (cheesecake) with signage telling the customer not to take pictures. Could it be related to the lack of tongs?One thing at Paris Baguette Cafe the is simply the worst is the WiFi. Its supposedly available. The WiFi password is the same as the phone number. But the local authorization portal is not setup. So there is really no public WiFi access at all.Overall Paris Baguette Cafe is not the worst business of its type have been to. They even get my vote as a passable alternative for a croissant over almost every other chain name business. But they have areas needing improvement. Even so, give Paris Baguette Cafe in Millbrae a try.
Stick & Steam
350 Adrian Rd, Millbrae, CA 94030, United States
I had only one visit to this restaurant. I would return. The food is pan asian-fusion.I enjoyed a fried chicken dish. It was elegant in flavor. I liked very much.Rice and vegetables were good as well.
Tai Wu Restaurant
300 El Camino Real, Millbrae, CA 94030, United States
Last time we visited we had a dispute between what we ordered and we were charged. We were 8 people party so we checked in the dim sum order sheet and I guess it is normal I wont ask around what you and you and you order so basically my point is that other than what I ordered I didnt know what the other people ordered. At the time we checked out, we checked on what we ordered to compare what they stamped according to the size of the dim sum they delivered. We found there was one extra SM dim sum difference. Before raising the question to the restaurant we asked each other at that time if we ordered anything extra not in the dim sum order sheet but we didnt. Next we told the waiter and then the waiter brought that up to the boys lady. What we were surprised the boss lady reacted quite rude saying that it happened again I dont know if she meant this happened again from particularly us or she meant this happened again in general. Long story short, we found out that SM dim sum in question was put down by one of the workers during the time and we basically didnt even know if maybe any of us ordered. We did ask the boss lady to charge it anyway before we found out. We also told her that after we understood whats wrong. What we felt bad was that she sounded like we were trying to cheat. I really dont think it should be our job to remember what to order especially we have so many people and order so many. What they should do is to ask their worker to cross check while putting down the dim sum to make sure we did order in the sheet. Pretty disappointed how they handle the dispute.