Top Asian Restaurant in San Pablo
Huong Tra Restaurant
12221 San Pablo Ave, Richmond, CA 94805, United States
I had high hopes for this place, especially since they made their prices super reasonable. But, it was all pretty bland unfortunately.I got the spring rolls with peanut sauce. Bland, & the only think I could reccomend to them to make it not so bland, maybe a bit more salt/msg in the peanut sauce, maybe toast the peanuts? Idk Im not a Vietnamese chef, but flavor is Def lacking.. which is sad because these were priced at $6 for 2 pieces cut in half so, 4 halves. They made up for the fact its cheap by making them rather small in size. But I wont complain about the size, if I want more Id order more @ $6/order.Next was the fried spring rolls that came with a sweet chili sauce. The spring rolls also $6, and also rather tiny in size but, $6 is cheap for an order of spring rolls so again, I see why theyd did this, I have no issues with it. The spring rolls theirselves, also kind of bland, but not as bland as the fresh spring rolls with peanut sauce. The sweet chili sauce is super run of the mill prob right out a bottle, I wish they used that sweet vinegar sauce most Vietnamese restaurants give with their fried spring rolls.Lastly I got the chow fun, $13, and more than ample portion. But again, lacking in flavor... it looked like theres ton of sauce and color, Im not sure why it lacks so much flavor.... as in, all I really tasted was the vegetables.The staff was nice, theres plenty of seating in the restaurant. But I dont think Id come back here for the food, unfortunately.The 4 star rating is because if you wanted just to be filled for a reasonable price and you dont care about big flavor, this would be a just fine place for that. Ie; most born and raised Americans would think this place was top tier because they are terrified of real authentic big bold flavors.
Le Pho Vietnamese Restaurant
2501 San Pablo Ave, Berkeley, CA 94702, United States
Pho soup contains MSG and got rashes but I guess it is common to add MSG in Asian restaurants. Shrimp roll doesn’t have MSG and it tastes good and fresh with the sauce. In total I would recommend the restaurant, the seating is spacious and high ceiling makes a nice dining vibe.
Royal Indian Restaurant
Smart & Final Shopping Plaza, 13112 San Pablo Ave Unit b, San Pablo, CA 94806, United States
Decided to try this place out for dinner during Valentines Day. We tried to get sushi and Mexican food but both restaurants parking lots were full. Ended up here at Royal Indian and the place was empty. The place was brightly lit, and had incense burning near the TV playing hip Indian music videos which was quite fun to watch and to listen to. The staff was surprised we decided to dine in. We ordered the saag paneer, chicken tikka masala, an assortment of naan and a vegetarian burrito. Total cost including tip was about $60. Everything came out to the table fairly quickly and I could not complain about the food. Everything was delicious. Naan was light, slightly crispy, and complimented each of the entrees. Saag paneer was outstanding. Paneer chunks were generous and the entree was packed with flavor. The chicken tikka masala was my sons favorite. He was forced to join us and didn't want to be there but the food completely changed his mood. I even overheard another customer dining in speaking to one of the staff members on how he enjoyed everything he ordered.They've only been open for two weeks so understandably there were not many customers. I used to have a favorite Indian restaurant which is part of a grocery store nearby but the flavors recently changed, keeping us from coming back. Royal Indian is definitely our new favorite spot. They have an Instagram account too with a few photos of some of their dishes.The ambiance feels as if you are eating in a school cafeteria with the bright white fluorescent lighting. So it wasn't quite the place to be for Valentines Day but the food was so good, we had no regrets. I wish them the best success and hope they are here to stay.
Silver Ocean Restaurant
3340 San Pablo Dam Rd suit F, San Pablo, CA 94803, United States
We were too lazy to cook, so we decided to order some Chinese food and weirdly sushi. We ended up ordering bbq fried rice, spicy pork ribs, cheung fun beef noodles, and California rolls. The fried rice was hard and not very flavorful. The cheung fun beef noodle was a bit better than the fried rice by a whole lot. The spicy pork rib was just sad... it looked like there was a lot in the box, but when you start reading, you realize that its just a whole bunch of bones with very little meat... it was like each piece had 99.5% bones and 0.5% meat with some fat and chewy connective tissue. This dish looked like they used all the leftover pork after they took out the meat for other dishes. I would never recommend this dish to anyone... its that bad. On the bright side, their sushi was pretty good. The rice was warm and fresh, and the filling was not half bad either.A few weeks after the first initial order, we decided to try this restaurant again. We pursed a couple of Chinese dishes, mainly the bbq fried rice, beef cheung fun and wonton soup. We also ordered california rolls, Mexican roll, and another roll that I forgot the name of, but it had spicy tuna and cream cheese inside. All the sushi rolls were huge, and they were tasty. I would definitely order the sushi again, not so much the Chinese food.
California Thai Restaurant
3873 San Pablo Dam Rd, El Sobrante, CA 94803, United States
This restaurant is convenient, so we have been there at least five times. Unfortunately the food is only average for a local Thai restaurant. The portions are on the small side, so dont expect to bring home leftovers. Parking can be tight when the restaurant is even 2/3 full. The lighting in the booths was stylish, but designed in such a way that there was a lot of glare. OK overall, just not a favorite.
White Lotus Thai Cuisine
843 San Pablo Ave, Albany, CA 94706, United States
My cousin and I live in Santa Cruz County. We had never been to Albany prior to 3/12/22, my birthday, when we attended a gig at the Ivy Room across the street. We hadnt eaten all day so we were STARVING. The White Lotus was nearly closed but served us an ample meal, plus kept the kitchen open for our dessert orders an hour after closing time. We had Pad Thai with Tofu, Sweet & Sour (sauteed) Shrimp, fried calamari, egg rolls, and took plenty of food home. We had mango sticky rice and fried bananas and coconut ice cream for dessert. Forgive my menu choices but I loved fried food. They had pages and pages of other choices. Service was excellent and our orders were delivered quickly and accurately, i.e. no green pepper on the sweet & sour shrimp. We were there until 10:20 even though they closed at 9pm, and never chased us out. Awesome staff, clean restaurant and facilities, food was presented beautifully with large wedges of fresh oranges. Delightful! Now we know where to eat in the East Bay.
Yoshio Sushi
10889 San Pablo Ave, El Cerrito, CA 94530, United States
When we arrived the waitress asked us if sitting at the bar would be okay; it was just me and my BF so we said yes. Little did we know that meant we wouldnt be checked on, not once, by the waitress nor sushi chefs. We ordered a Sprite, some tea, and chicken teriyaki bento boxes: his with a California roll, & mine with tuna nigiri.The miso soup came out first. Okay, (1) in my experience... miso soup does not have mushrooms, (2) the fish flakes were still in the broth and they were too dark of a brown--meaning the fish broth was overcooked, and (3) they used soft tofu. Overall, I didnt like it.Then his Sprite was delivered with a cup of water... no tea. We waited for 15 minutes, no one came by to check on us. When our bento boxes arrived, we were unpleasantly surprised to get lunch sized portions with dinner prices. The chicken had cartilage, the spring salad didnt have a miso dressing, the rice was overcooked to the point of being mush. My tuna nigiri was warm and had a weird after taste; it also smelled fishy and was chewy. The orange slice was the equivalent of one half of one slice... and it was dry.The ginger slices were fresh, the teriyaki flavor was a nice balance of sweet and savory, and the California roll was good. But I had yet to get my tea. My BF had to grab our waitresss attention to remind her for my tea.Now, I realize that you cant control the kind of patrons you get, but the entire time we were there, one family was obnoxiously loud... much more than the rest of the full restaurant combined. Meanwhile, the one Asian customer sitting literally one seat right of me was given a hot towel to clean her hands; no one else, not one other customer, was given this courtesy. And she was checked on regularly.I eventually got my tea and it was extremely hot but lacked deep flavor. The chopsticks were cheap and had splinters, even after I discreetly rubbed them under the counter. Its sad indeed when the highlight of your meal is the mint they give you with the check.By no means is this place anywhere near comparable to Manpuku. For the price that youre paying, the food is not worth it; they charge special rolls far too expensive but they cook their rice to mush.
Sala Thai
15501 San Pablo Ave suite f, Richmond, CA 94806, United States
As I lived in Southeast Asia for 4 years, I love Thai food.My favorite Thai restaurant in the Bay area is #SalaThai in #Richmond.I really enjoy the mango sticky rice there and the combo appetizer, everything is good. I prefer the Thai dumpling, a kind of Asian vol au vent, which is delicious and the presentation is outstanding. I’ve never found this dumpling in any other Thai restaurants I tried in the Bay.I’ve been to this restaurant several times and have been happy with the service.The food is fresh and they are cook it after your order, so if clients have to wait this is a good sign.
Aangan
856 San Pablo Ave, Albany, CA 94706, United States
Aagan is a fantastic Nepali restaurant that offers a delightful culinary experience. From the moment you step inside, youre greeted with a warm and inviting ambiance that reflects the rich cultural heritage of Nepal. The menu features a wide array of authentic Nepali dishes that are sure to satisfy your taste buds.One standout dish at Aagan is their mouthwatering momo, a traditional Nepali dumpling that comes in various fillings such as chicken, vegetable. These dumplings are perfectly steamed or fried to perfection, accompanied by a flavorful dipping sauce. Another must-try is their aromatic and fragrant Nepali curry, bursting with exotic spices and tender meat or vegetables.The service at Aagan is exceptional, with friendly and attentive staff who are always ready to assist you with recommendations and ensure a pleasant dining experience. The restaurants cozy atmosphere and traditional decor create a welcoming ambiance, making it a great place to enjoy a meal with friends and family.Overall, Aagan is a top-notch Nepali restaurant that offers delicious cuisine, warm hospitality, and a cultural immersion. Whether youre a fan of Nepali food or eager to explore new flavors, Aagan is definitely worth a visit.
Wojia Hunan Cuisine
917 San Pablo Ave, Albany, CA 94706, United States
Overcoming my initial disappointment on the closure of V- pot, one of my favorite quick Hunan soup spots, I was at first struck with the care taken to changing the interior, and totally rebranding the restaurant. Not sure what happened, but the place seems a little more upscale, and has a number of traditional Hunan dishes not often available on this side of the bay. (Like Aorta of ox)In the chinese food culture, and especially in Hunan cuisine, there is a strong snout-to-tail element, using bits and pieces of meat not generally liked by westerners. And many of the dishes on the menu reflected this, Pig intestine, tendon, and other offal are all featured.I opted to try one dish Im very familiar with, and one that I was not. I ordered Dan Dan nodles, (# 7 on the menu) a Hunan favorite, and was surprised to find that they came without pork, which was a slight oversight by a new cook, which was quickly taken care of once I pointed it out.Like Dan Dan noodles, are supposed to, they were covered in spicy chili oil, with some crushed peanuts and cilantro over some very fresh tasting noodles. It was delicious.The main course, (# 12 on the menu), spicy beef combination in clay pot, was a revelation.I used to come to this restaurant for the Mao Cai, spicy Hunan combination soup, which often came with noodles, in a large bowl. The version here came in a heavy steel bowl, and was quite a bit more refined, and less salty then its predecessor here under old ownership.Spicy, fragrant, and very subtle, with numbing peppers, and several different cuts of beef including tripe, skirt steak, and tendon, the combination came together beautifully in a soup that I highly recommend. Ill be coming back here to try out the other Hunan dishes, with the great waiter, Eddie, from Oakland.Give this place 4 out of 5 stars, and love the quiet atmosphere. its not cheap, but not expensive and definitely a special place to bring someone.SECOND VISIT: as fate would have it, I met a man waiting in line at the local produce store, and overheard him having a conversation about how he was the chef at Wojia Hunan.Sensing an opportunity I introduce myself and asked him if he knew how to make JaJang noodles, since it is difficult to find them prepared in the traditional Chinese way. He invited me down to the restaurant, and today I ordered so JaJang noodles, and the sauteed Hunan beef, and the noodles knocked my socks off. Simply amazing noodles. I noticed the place bustling with customers, and speaking with a Hunan native outside in the parking lot he explained to me how difficult it was to find authentic Hunan food, and that the name wojia itself means my home he was there with his entire family, proving once again, that when you are looking for Superior Chinese food, one only has to follow the local Chinese Community to the best spots. Wojia is an amazing place, with an amazing chef, and I look forward to getting outside of my comfort zone and trying some exotic stuff Ive never had before.Third visit: I tried the delicious steamed spareribs, covered in some combo of sticky rice and corn and the Chopped Bak Choy Both great. No misses here yet.Check it out! You will not be disappointed. (Never had an Ox aorta before. lol)