Elijah is very personable, polite, and truly customer-service oriented. If only all customer…read moreservice personnel were as attentive! My favorite salad is, The Greek. Nothing better than a fresh salad. Thanks again, Elijah! Lisa

earns a star for: 1. fresh ingredients…read more 2. assortment of salads 3. friendly staff loses a star for: 1. higher price point 2. no public bathroom 3.early weeknight hours, hard to get there after work when i get off at 6

Everything, beef luc lac, duck slaw, and hot pot ingredients, were so fresh and amazing. I could…read moreeat this beef luc lac everyday and never get tired of it; it's that delicious. Kayla is the best and took such good care of us. We will definitely be coming back! Need to try the garlic noodle next time.

We came on a week day for dinner and was seated right away. The restaurant is in the Blanding…read moreShopping Center. Love the modern atmosphere and decor. We ordered the banh hoi with lemon grass tofu and mushrooms and salmon claypot. The banh hoi was tasty and fun to eat with the lettuce and herbs. The salmon claypot was full of flavors and so good with steamed rice. The portions were small, which was perfect for us but a little on the pricy side. Service was excellent. We will definitely be back and try other dishes on their menu.

This is a nice place to pick up banh mi sandwiches, rice bowls, or a drink. Most of their business…read moreis take-out. There's only 2 tables inside and a few tables outside on the sidewalk, but it's right in front of a bus stop. For that reason, I think to-go is the way to go. Their banh mi sandwiches have the perfect crispy-soft bun. They are a good size, filled with meat and lots of veggies, and quite reasonably priced. If you can't handle spicy, I'd recommend pulling out the sliced jalapeños in the sandwich. What I had: + Lemongrass pork banh mi - this was so good. The bun is hollowed out so all you have is a thin crispy-soft bun. The pork was moist and the pate added some creaminess. I really enjoyed all the aromatic veggies, though I had to remove 1 slice of jalapeño. + Lemongrass grilled chicken bowl - the chicken was tender and I enjoyed the sliced tomatoes, cucumbers, and pickled veggies. + Eggrolls - these were crispy and the filling was nice and moist. Not sure if it was user error, but I couldn't use the online ordering. When I got to the payment part, it didn't do anything. However, ordering in store didn't take too long. There is metered parking on Webster street, and I didn't have trouble finding a parking spot (maybe I lucked out). Overall, a great place for banh mi to-go.

Nice little banh mi and bowl shop that appears to be part of a chain (although this is my first…read moreencounter with them). Came for lunch with my husband while visiting the Pacific Pinball Museum nearby, and this is just a short walk away. Both my husband and I got the vegan protein banh mi that appeared to be a new item on their menu based on the signage, I think it was a lemongrass "beef" one, but they apparently also have a mushroom and tofu banh mi which I will have to try next time we're in the area. Sandwiches were pretty good! Veggies were fresh and the vegan protein was flavorful, and the bread was crispy on the outside and soft in the middle like it should be. The location seems well-kept and clean, and the staff at the register were friendly. There's very limited seating inside the cafe and only a couple of tables outside, so it seems more popular for takeout (and indeed several folks came by to order takeout while we were eating there). Given my husband's current interest in pinball, I suspect we'll visit the museum again and when we do, I expect I would like to come back here for lunch again!

Our friends took us here for a light lunch since we were planning to have a heavy dinner later…read more Ended up going with the honey wheat turkey sandwich and added red onions and pepper jack cheese. The sandwich was AMAZING, loved how they packed it with fresh ingredients and one sandwich was more than enough for my husband and I to split. There's also a place next door that allows you to bring your food over so you can enjoy a cold beer with your meal. Wishing we had a place like this in San Diego, will definitely be back.

Like the other reviews state--portions are sizable! The Chef Salad is hefty and I love it. I…read moreespecially enjoyed the beans (garbanzo + kidney) and sprouts they add. Lots of fiber and protein. LOVED the thick side of sliced bread!! Lightly sweet and very earthy tasting. The menu isn't very intuitive--the "salad" menu sign doesn't show the protein options; the proteins are under the "sandwiches" sign. I admittedly stepped into the line underprepared, but the staff here could be so much kinder lol. Latte was alright. A tad too bitter for my taste. They have extensive indoor and patio seating. Great place to meet up with a friend or two and grab a quick/easy food.

I actually haphazardly stumbled upon this place a few months back after hanging out at a brewery…read morenext door. After scoping out the vibes of the place and the menu, I told myself to make sure to give this a shot. The place is in a redeveloped corner of Alameda right next to the bay. Probably used to be Navy base grounds back in the day. But now there's a couple of blocks worth of hip warehouse-y type of buildings, mostly restaurants, beer spots, some lofts and a little retail commerce. Very happening even though the surrounding area is a ghost town. Dining area not too big, maybe a couple of rooms that can hold about 20-30 heads each. Think there's another room for a private party/overflow. Decor pretty minimalist and stark. Service on the upscale side but in my stay, matched the decor, very minimalist and stark. Efficient enough but a little terse with little emotion. But I know service personality can differ from time to time or person to person. Just my obsy for one out. Daily Crudo ($20/4*) I think this rotates daily. Our choices that day was hamachi or a house smoked sturgeon. The sturgeon really piqued my interest but then it really wouldn't be a 'crudo' anymore would it, since I relate crudos to something 'raw-ish'. So I chose the hamachi. Very pretty plating, I love symmetry and balance. The thin slices of hamachi were indeed fresh, sitting in a stealthy pool of yuzu and olive oil. There are some fresno pepper slices and microgreens that garnish and a delicious nori cracker to break and accompany the crudo. This went really well with my glass of Fume Blanc. Caeser ($17/4.5*) We split this salad as their version sounded super cool. A miso-tinged Caeser dressing, lots of rustic garlic croutons and feathery soft grated parm and a soft-boiled egg. I love properly made Caesers and this was one of the best and unique versions I've ever had. The umami punch and the diverse textures just hit with me. A tad salty for a salad, but the crunchy and refreshing lettuce was able to absorb the salt blast. Huge salad too, like ideal for splitting and ridiculously large if for 1. Beef Short Rib ($43/4*) This was on special that night, and since I wasn't feeling Steak Frites (their only other beef entree option) this kinda fell on my lap. Very heavy and hearty dish. The short rib part was impeccable, super tender, gotta be sous vide. Perfectly seasoned with braising elements completely penetrated into the meat. There was a coarse gravy/sauce that covered which was okay, may have been the braising liquid just pureed. Served atop a huge pile of some risotto that I didn't inquire about. This risotto is what made the dish especially heavy. I ate most of it and it put me in a heavy carb coma. Lol. But there was a nice serving of perfectly cooked broccolini which helped balanced out the rich beef and carb heavy risotto. Chocolate Bar ($13/4.5*) Shared this for dessert as I really couldn't take more than just a few bites after the filling entree. But was this impressive, like high end dessert quality. Whoever does the desserts here definitely has some pedigree. The precision cut bar consisted of 3 layers. A brownie layer; a Bailey's mousse; and a salted caramel layer. I was loving the texture of all the different layers playing on one another. And every flavor was distinct without being overly sweet, which hit the right chords with me. A thick ganache garnished off to the side, which was good but just seemed a bit overkill with the already chocolate dominant bar. I think a cream element would have been a better contrast instead of rich chocolate on rich chocolate. But very minor quip on an otherwise skillful dessert. I finished the last few sips of my glass of Rhone with this dessert, and it left me one happy camper. I would definitely return as their style with flavors hits an accord with me. A little French, a smidge of Japanese and a lot of California. Rounding to a fiver, as this place made me more happy than not.

The food was as visually beautiful as it was a party in my mouth. Emily was a fantastic server…read morewith her welcoming smile and positive demeanor that kept just the right amount of attention on us. We had the buratta, the mixed greens salad, the duck and the pasta. We finished up with the chocolate bar dessert. This was the most incredible culinary experience I've had in a really long time and I was so happy to have it. The fresh pasta with the fresh English peas in the carbonara sauce was so light and flavorful. The duck was crispy and moist. The salad was gorgeous with edible flowers sprinkled in. It was just a treat all the way around. Thanks so much. Heather

Amazing. My friends and I were in the area for a car meet and popped into Firebrand to check out…read moretheir pastries and use the bathroom. First off, it's spacious. Between the inside seats and the outdoor bench seating, there's plenty of space for a lot of people and when the weather is nice, it's even better. The pastries display was absolutely amazing. Not just their bread offerings, but also their croissants and bombolinis, my gosh it's hard not to throw caution into the wind and order a little of everything. I opted for the matcha croissant, blackberry cream cheese danish, passionfruit bombolini, and vanilla bombolini, and all were amazing and not too sweet. The topper was the ube latte that I got along with everything. Overall, a great pit stop if you're in the area or if you just want to come here because of this place. It's sure to be a good, delicious time.

While in the area for the Downtown Alameda Art & Wine Faire, we came by Firebrand Artisan Breads to…read moreto grab some coffees and a snack. I love this area of Alameda, populated with so many fun breweries and family-friendly spaces. This was our first time at this spot and we noticed a sign (see below) for the best English muffins in the Bay Area so we had to grab one toasted with butter. Would love to try it as a brekky sandwich, but we didn't want to ruin our appetites for festival food lunch..the brekky menu looked amazing including biscuits & gravy, churro French toast sticks, lemon zest French toast, brekky pizza, and the pork & jam (crispy pulled pork, house made blackberry jam, fried egg, honey-buttermilk biscuit with country fried taters...sounds delish!!) They also have a beautiful selection of baked goods, pretzels, packaged breads to-go, lunch AND dinner options including soups, salads, pizzas, kiddo menu, sandwiches, sliders, and more. I had no idea! Service was quick, hours kickoff at 7:30a, and there's indoor/outdoor seating. Plenty of parking outside or across the street if needed. Can't wait to come back soon!

Went to their corner store and had great service, super fast turn around, and a stellar Wimpy…read moreBurger and Baby Fries. Took it to go but just as easily could have enjoyed the outdoor parklet seating. Definitely coming back!

Scolaris is incredible. If you've never had the blueberry burger you're in for a real treat. It's a…read moreflavor bomb to the taste buds. Highly recommend if you are looking for something different that's pleasantly delicious. I also got the truffle fries which were excellent as well but, they did not come out freshly fried.

First time here. Came here with a group. Patrick, our server was excellent. He provided us with…read moregreat recommendations to try. We ordered the corn fritter, Trip's Triple, Butter mochi and their pour over coffee. The corn fritters with the strawberry jam were excellent. Who would of thought this combination would work. Those crunchy corn fritters with the strawberry jam made for a very tasty combination. The Trip's Triple of pork, beef and chicken with a side salad, was very tasty and tender. Using slow roasting and not being smoked meats, the natural flavors of the meats came through. Very tasty flavors, each one of them. The side salad was light but worth a kick of jalapeno peppers. So watch out! We finished with the Butter Mochi and pour over coffee for dessert. The mochi with the pineapple was light and took me back to Hawaii. I was told by Patrick, this was the executive chef's grandmother's recipe. Oh, was it really good! You all need to order this dessert as well as their pour over coffee. Smoothest coffee I've had in a long time. Parking can be difficult since it is street parking. Prices can be high depending on which entree you order. This place would be great for business meetings or treating out your special person. It is a casual place with a tropical theme. Overall this place deserves their Michelin recognition. If you want to taste a Michelin recognized restaurant without the astronomical prices you see at other Michelin restaurants, you must give this restaurant a try. Very highly recommended.

Another great find in Alameda! We came with a party of six around 7 PM and had a reservation. I was…read moreactually surprised the restaurant wasn't busier. The place itself is pretty casual--nothing fancy--but the menu looked really interesting. We started with several appetizers to share: corn fritters, rainbow rice, Chicken Lickin', chicken fat rice, bacon edamame, and pickles. For our mains, we ordered the black pepper beef, Trip's Triple, bone burger, and pork roti. The Trip's Triple was definitely shareable, and overall, the portions were pretty generous. The drinks were tasty too, and I really enjoyed my michelada! All in all, everyone enjoyed their meal. Great food, generous portions, and lots of interesting dishes to try. We'd definitely recommend checking this place out!

So glad to have visited for a weekend brunch. It has a nice family setting and easy access private…read moreparking lot with a handicap parking space available for seniors. Service was great and I love the matching plates and coffee cups to enjoy our meals .

We came here on a Saturday afternoon for a late lunch and we waited about 20 minutes. None of the…read moreservers acknowledged us for 10 minutes till my friend finally got a hold of one of them to put our name down. She got the caprese sandwich and I got the fried chicken (silog). She thought her sandwich was lacking. I got the fried chicken and it came out very crispy and hot. I had hoped for my rice to be a little more flavor of garlic and wish it had that crisp taste. I had a lot onions which I'm not used to for a silog but thought it still tasted decent. I'm not sure if I'd come back if I ever visited the area but it was nice to try the place one time. Perks to this restaurant is that It's close to the ocean where there is a visitor center.