Top Pan Asian Restaurant in Oceanside
Himalayan Bistro Oceanside
4225 Oceanside Blvd suite w, Oceanside, CA 92056, United States
We are Oceanside locals and have been patiently waiting for a Himalayan restaurant to open in our town.Theyve only been open for 6 days but theyve left a great impression on us. The service was fantastic and the food was full of spices and flavors which are hard to find around here.We ordered a goat curry (not pictured), garlic Naan, butter Naan, Chicken Momo, and Lamb Sekuwa, a himilayan specialty.My wife asked for the goat curry to be spicy and she was not disappointed. She told me when shes craving goat curry this will be her new go-to place. The spices inside the curry was a perfect blend. Sometimes when ordering curries it tastes like it was just the curry powder. Not this place. You can tell some love was put into it.I ordered the lamb. I believe it had been marinating due to the skewer holes gone right through the middle along with the intense flavors for such an unassuming piece of meat. I loved it and so did my daughter. It was cooked perfectly; not overcooked or undercooked. The slightly caramelized bed of onions it was sitting on had such epic flavors which embodied the entire plate. I added a squirt of lemon which came with the plate and it definitely set it over the top in the best way possible.My wife and I shared a plate of chicken momo, a favorite of ours when going to Himalayan food. There was a home made sauce in the middle which went great with it. It was so delicious we put it on our Naan bread too! We asked for some of the sauce to go because of how delicious and unique it was.The two Naan breads were standard for Naan weve had in the past. Tasty and meant to compliment the main courses.We got to meet the head cheff and, I am assuming, owner. He was very friendly and we learned he has been cooking professionally for over two decades. You can definitely tell because each dish was plated beautifully and the flavors were epic.We are happy this place opened up in Oceanside and I hope it gets more customers as word grows. They deserve it.The prices are very pre-inflation.Once Oceaside approves their beer and wine license, we will definitely be regulars here. Nothing beats a Taj Mahal beer with Himilayan food
Pick Up Stix Fresh Asian Flavors
125 Old Grove Rd, Oceanside, CA 92057, United States
I had been sick with a cold for a couple of days and I remembered that wonton soup always seemed to have medicinal qualities. Went to order from Door Dash, and the only place open was a local Pick Up Stix. Before ordering, I called to find out if the wonton soup had a lot of broth. I was told if I ordered the large one it would. I thanked the person, hung up and placed and order for two large soups. Turns out with all the ingredients in the soup, it was just the ticket. what I didnt expect was another container in my order with a note attached saying, gave you a side of broth just in case (smiley face) Enjoy! I.WAS.BLOWN.AWAY! Called this morning and found out that the person who did that was the manager of the store at 102 Old Grove Road, Suite 6 in Oceanside, CA and her name is Danielle! Please give her a raise, a trip to Hawaii or buy her a car! She doesnt even know me, but to be that thoughtful for a complete stranger, is such a breath of fresh air. From now on...my favorite wonton soup will be from Pick Up Stix!!! (P.S. Im drinking that broth right now in my insulated cup to keeps all that goodness warm!)
Top other services in Oceanside:
Joyee Dumpling House
3460 Marron Rd #107, Oceanside, CA 92056, United States
I went here on their second day open. The workers were very nice and the dining room was very clean. We placed our order and they made Szechuan chicken for me even though it wasn't on the menu, it was excellent and nice and spicy and a huge portion.My friend ordered sesame buns and Szechuan eggplant, we had to wait 15 minutes for the buns to be made. When I checked the order in the car the buns were missing and the girl had put egg and green onion on the receipt instead. I went back in and told them and they apologized and told us we could keep the dumplings for free, so we had to wait another 15 minutes for the buns to be made.When we got home we realized that the eggplant was missing from the receipt and bag. I'm not sure what the problem with the girl that took our order was but they only got one thing right on the order. It was nice of them to say you can keep the dumplings for free but they were almost twice the price of the buns.I will try this place again but not right now because all new restaurants have many issues when they're first starting out. The blonde does need more training and maybe should repeat the order to the customer.There were 2 things that I did not like about the place as I was waiting inside and that was, it was very cold in there and the music was extremely loud.Make sure you check your order completely before walking out of that store
Daiso
2435 Vista Way, Oceanside, CA 92054, United States
The kids and teens love this store. I think it is alright. This seems like an oversized convenience store you would find in Okinawa or mainland Japan, or pretty much most Asian countries. The majority of the store is home goods, the remainder is toys and food/drinks/candy selections. They have a pretty good selection of things most people like, but the prices are terrible. They are severely inflated, banking on the anime craze of America's youth. The stuffed animals are a better cost than many other places, but still price gouged at a 50%+ increase. The tags are only marked in yen and when asked, the staff said the store has its own set prices from yen to USD and that it does not follow the market value of yen. Of course they cannot keep changing the prices every single day, but a baseline should be kept, especially since the value of the USD and the yen seem constant with minor fluctuations. Attached are photos of two large stuffed animals of nice quality advertised for 1000 yen each, which is a little over $6 US. In actuality, they were about $12 each. This is just under a 50% markup in price from yen to USD. I like the quality of these items, but they should have some signs posted everywhere to illustrate the stores price list so there is no question. The selection of food and kid desirables could be better, much of the store seems very specific to Asian households. Then again, it is a Japanese store specifically marketing Japanese goods, so I get it. Overall, an ok store with fair offerings, especially since no one is flying to Japan for a day.
Dija Mara
232 S Coast Hwy, Oceanside, CA 92054, United States
WORLD CLASS! FOR FOODIES ONLY!!! Who would have guessed that you could find this in such a quaint, off-the-beaten-track, old-school dock fishing and surfer-cool town? It takes a lot of skill to find such a gem (forget mass rating sites like T, you need a natural wine app, and if you dont have one or dont love German Riesling, just stay away, please!We dont want to give away our favorite (especially to people who dont appreciate fine dining, sharing small plates and enjoying great wines & bar drinks, with a casual atmosphere! World class! The chef and his wife own Dija Mara (lived in/are from Indonesia, modern, South-East Asia) and were incredibly personal & friendly, as was all the staff. They even surprised me with the wines (we ask them to pair and not tell us so we can try to guess) and made me their own non-alchoholic cocktail!We will take our 3 kids there again as often as we can get all the way to Oceanside! (4,000 miles)Sure its not cheap nor do you load up on large, mexican-style food plates (nothing wrong with going cheap, especially if you just want a ton to eat and/or pay as little as possible).Just sit back, relax, order some great drinks or wines, and be sure to order each and every dish!! And dont tell ANYONE! ;-) I even embarrassed to be posting this review, but I cant help it- as grateful as I am! Chapeau, Rob & your lovely Indonesian wife!We parents went back just the 2 of us the very next evening to order the dishes we hadnt tried yet, as well as the Nasi Goreng style noodles (unreal) and as many of the others as we could eat- all of the dishes were instant favorites, with the whole family!! We NEVER do that, but here we just had to make an exception as nothing else within 30Min radius would be nearly as satisfying and memorable.Next time well try to fill the kids up on the Nasi and other carbs first, so that the fish and other sharing (tapas like) dishes dont disappear as quickly- it can be like a shark feed in our family!
Valeries Taco Stand
2213 El Camino Real suite d, Oceanside, CA 92054, United States
Valerie's Taco Stand in Oceanside is a great “hidden gem” that many locals enjoy without the huge crowds of tourists.It's location is just off of El Camino Real, in the parking lot adjacent to Target and across from WinCo.It's easily accessed from the 78 Hwy and has plenty of parking in the lot they share with other businesses.The interior has very simplistic decor that is inspired by Mexicali views and Oceanside and there's some seating for small groups of 4 max; but admittedly it's a little “crammed” inside and there's not much in the way of ambiance.I observed that most people took their order To Go.The service is excellent and their menu is huge and offers a large variety to choose from. They have tacos, nachos, burritos, asada fries and plenty of combo - bowl options.There's also Agua frescas or bottled beverages to drink.I ordered their papas tacos and they were actually pretty good for their pricing.But the magic truly happened when I got their El Jefé Taco which contained their fantastic Al Pastor & Bacon with all the fixings. Although it stood just under $5, the size was humongous and the flavor was phenomenal!I hear their carne asada fries are also a great deal too.Overall, this is a great place for those who value the flavor of their food, don't mind paying a medium price for it, do not require Gi-normous portion sizes and like to support small businesses who value traditional recipes.I recommend Valerie's Taco Stand when in the area.
Wu Lan Ramen Tap House
4645 Frazee Rd, Oceanside, CA 92057, United States
To those of us North County people who would drive down to Convoy/Kearny to get good Ramen, the drive is over. The ramen wave has hit us like (poke, burgers, pizza, beer already have).Historically in North County Teri's had the best noodles and pork, but lacked the broth, but their noodles could be taken home and like every real ramen lover, their love came from home cooking and something too easy to not attempt at home. We've all had too many failed attempts to get ramen at Japanese restaurants we eat at but we forget Japanese could mean sushi, could be izakaya, could be ramen, could mean teriyaki, it's way to broad. After a few of those we just stopped and committed to getting our fix at proper spots.Service is excellent, I've never had a bad experience here service wise and I'm pretty sure I've been served by everyone. Décor is great, very cool hand drawn chalkings, but the lighting which looks like little death stars that expand and contract (I still like my picture the most “deathstar underskirt). The décor is warm and inviting despite the naked windows. I waited and waited and waited to write this after they got their beer & wine license, but 10 months is too much, they now have bottled but do not advertise, so the empty taps are still empty. Portions are good, be careful with ramen because it expands more than other carbs. Wulan is their standard offering, mega pig is their sort of double pork offering with both chashu and smoked pork belly. Both use the tonkatsu style creamy pork broth. Blank Knight is similar to Wulan, but with mayu or black garlic oil (ultra fried) adding another element. They don't keep toasted sesame seed oil on the table which I'd like to see. Their miso used in hot chick, miso hot and skinny chic is a great building block. The hot chick does have some kick. I love the wood ear mushrooms they are a nice contrast versus bamboo shoots which most places use. I wish they offering the Hokkaido style butter addition. I expected corn to be a non add on. Their eggs are barely marinated, but never overcooked.The takoyaki is light on the sauce which is nice, the firecracker shrimp is good without all that breading. The pork bun is good and actually a very under eaten dish I think many people will be more apt to try as their apps are limited. Soft, warm, doughy, light, but great umami with the bold pork.The honey sriracha wings are ok, I really prefer the malay chicken wings from compass when I'm trying an “Asian” style wing. At least it's not baked like some places. The Chashu bowl is sort of their version of a bibimbap and a little naked. I expected more considering they do well by offering lots on their ramen as the colors and flavors make things pop. If you have picky kids this may not be the greatest place as they don't offer a chicken and rice dish, though they can modify things the menu again is pretty limited. If you aren't here for ramen, and you shouldn't if you aren't, then you may find fault in them, when it really is within you. The whole sit down versus order thing is only because the 2nd door is unmarked (they really should say enter through other door to properly guide people through the process)Prices are affordable with $9 being the base for wulan, chicken, skinny and that's about all you'll need, most people don't get apps like I do. Surprisingly they take home well too if you order for pick up. I love the hand written messages on the paper bags make you feel welcome and cared for in a way. The bottled carafe water service is really niceFor now your late night ramen needs can still only be filled further south, but you won't be left wanting during normal hours here in Oceanside.
Ocean Thai Cuisine
2455 Vista Way F, Oceanside, CA 92054, United States
At Vista location. You want to keep customer of 15 years, you should have fulfilled request of giving us the empty table we requested for medical reasons that we never ask for before. it was a special request. Restaurant was not busy. We only needed table for 45 min. Server would not give to us, and so we left. And when I called the other location (mission) to complain to someone who may care or speak to owner, reply from person who answered phone was yea eat at another restaurant, where they treat you better. Ok, then. I will. I think that comment from employee at the mission location, upset me more than the experienceOh, okay apparently business is so good, that, you can stand to lose a customer. Ok.Too bad, Ive had many good experiences at ocean Thai. But remember business owners, it only takes one bad experience to ruin a reputation. Ok, I will go elsewhere unless an apology is issued personally by the owner. My name is Robert. We have been loyal, 15 years. We dont expect everything, I dont even want a free meal. I will not accept a free meal, I want an apology from the owner by telephone, if Im ever to patron your place again. I dont want anyone fired. But I want an apology. Loyalty means something to me, I hope it does to you. People need to understand that a small request would have cost you nothing. You had other huge tables to seat large parties. This was not a very large table, it was in corner, bigger than average but not very large. We only needed it for 45 min, at 430pm, not even dinner time yet. So restaurant was no very busy. Such a small request to lose a customer over, bad business practice. Businesses need to learn small request, especially for loyal customer, is worth larger goal of repeat customer.Since nobody to speak to that helps, since owner not available, my complaint goes here. I will take down if apology is issued.
Rim Talay Thai Cuisine
508 Mission Ave, Oceanside, CA 92054, United States
Ordered the Ladd Nah and the Wontons. I didnt mind that there was some confusion over the order because the staff was friendly and afterall it was a call in order. Things happen right? The restaurant is beautifully decorated and within walking distance to the beach -hence the 2 stars. The food was beyond awful. The wontons were not crispy and tasted a bit odd. I thought that it was because they were made with the origninal (incorrect) order. The Ladd Nah on the menu was described as pan fried flat noodles topped with brocolli and a garlic gravy so I was a bit surprised when I was handed a container of what appeared to be soup. When I arrived at my destination I opened the container (will post pictures if I can) it looked like soup - a lot of watery soup with a few pieces of broccoli, sliced green beans, a few carrots, and bean srpouts. There was no seasoning. It was very bland so much that even adding salt was useless. The noodles (contained in a separate box) were slick, greasy, overcooked, bland, and stuck together. I thought it I put them in the soup like container it would be much better. Sadly, it was worse. The layer of oil, soup like mixture, and bland vegetables were a very bad combination. I dont know what they cooked it in, but it was beyond bad. I wasted 23.60 (25 if you count the 1.40 tip). Its a wonderful place to sit and people watch or enjoy the sunshine but a horrible place to eat. Maybe they were having an off day but I wont be back.
88 Ranch Marketplace
4131 Oceanside Blvd, Oceanside, CA 92056, United States
OPENING DAY busy as hell. The store claims its an international store and carries products across various cultures, and it does. If youre looking for East Asian and Pacific Islanders ingredients. A very strong focus on Vietnamese, Chinese, Korean and Japanese foods and snacks. A good thing since the amount of stores with that focus in North County are few and far between and usually limited.Price wise, it is slightly pricey especially for the meats. But they carry some specialty cuts that the other groceries dont. If you want to shop around; some of the [snack] stuff they sell you can potentially get at Daiso cheaper by about 1$-50 cents. But you pay for one-stop shopping too so yeah.Considering the year and the problem of a pandemic and a need for social distancing; they inherited what has to be what was the SMALLEST Fresh & Easy in Oceanside and with them cutting a good amount of floor space out for the seafood and meat butchery; its hard to move around in that area because folks want their fresh meats.Same for checkout, it was opening day; 10 am when I arrived the checkout line was long. I stuck around about 45 minutes longer (1 hour 30 minutes) than I wanted out of a misguided need for the line to shrink. Didnt happen; and again because its a small store, opening day and EVERY ASIAN AUNTIE was stopping by; no distancing is really possible. Also there were some empty shelves; but I cannot be certain if they were intentionally empty in some part of the store or if it was purely because everyone bought it out two hours before I arrived (they have bread goods right at the doors and 95% of the bread was cleared out and in folks carts). So if you like pan de sal; get there early.Overall; a solid store that Oceanside sorely needed. After the first month I hope the crowds mellow out and the growing pains ease; until then 4 stars out of 5.