Vientian Cafe (Oakland, CA)

THURSDAY - FEBRUARY 17, 2011

VIENTIAN CAFE
3801 Allendale Avenue

Oakdale, California 94619

(510)535-2218

M-F: 11AM - 9PM

No website, just yelp it! (www.yelp.com/biz/vientian-cafe-oakland)

WHAT WE ORDERED:

1. Cha Gio (Top Right, $6.95) - I've had one a many of Cha Gio rolls in my lifetime. I don't like mine chopped up but they were really, really delicious anyways! It came with a side of noodles and the usual sweet chili sauce which paired excellently together! =) An excellent dish!

2. Thai Style Papaya Salad (middle left, $5.95) - This was also excellent, it ALSO came with noodles and the vegetables with the noodles were a fantastic mix together. Although the giant wedge of cabbage served to be an obstacle between me and the salad, i'm sure it would have tasted well with the entire mix. I would definitely recommend this salad to all omnivores! =)

3. Thai Style Chicken Fried Rice (middle right, $5.95) - This was very good fried rice as well but nothing stellar, if you're not overly adventurous about super ethnic thai-lao-vietnamese foods then this is a solid and very safe pick. You won't be disappointed and the portions are great =)

4. Fresh Spring Rolls w/Chicken (Not pictured, 4 for $5.25) - These spring rolls were very, very good. You could taste the freshness and the peanut sauce was also excellent! =)

THE REVIEW:

Walking into this restaurant was like a throw-back to my Taiwan days! Let me tell you I think this is someone's house with the downstairs area converted into a restaurant and the family probably lives upstairs. Honestly, the restaurant is located in a neighborhood, not even remotely a business district. I could see the kitchen from where i was sitting and it looked like mama, papa, nana, grandpa, sister, brother, uncle and auntie were all coming in and out of the kitchen, ha! This is what you call a real down "hole-in-the-wall" but the food was soooo good and authentic! I haven't had authentic Thai-Lao-Vietnamese food like that in a really loooong time. I eat a lot of really good Thai Food in the city, but this was a whole other type of experience. Go if you wanna experience what its really like in an asian household, lol! =) I totally recommend this place, it is toooo bad they aren't located in NYC, I would be a regular.