east bay

If you're looking for a great place for Vietnamese food, during your lunch hour or for dinner, go to downtown Oakland's popular Le Cheval. This place is usually packed during lunch hour, so it’s a good idea to get there ten minutes before noon or ten minutes after 1:00, especially on Fridays. The menu is quite varied and includes beef, chicken, tofu, mixed vegetables, stir fry noodles, shish kabobs and salty prawns. The variety is great and, for a spicy food fanatic as myself, I would most definitely suggest the additional entrees over the lunch specials that they offer.

Some of the lunch specials are undeniably delectable; a definite favorite is the famous Le Cheval combo with prawn and pork kebabs, fried chicken drummettes, imperial rolls and french rice. These imperial rolls are probably as good as spring/egg rolls get; I very highly recommended them, as well as the french rice.

For someone who hasn't tried much Vietnamese food, this place was so impressive that I went back again and tried a few other entrees. An appetizer recommendation is most surely the tom rang muoi (salty prawns). These are lightly battered prawns pan-fried in salt and pepper, and you can have them with the shell or without. Another starter that you wouldn't want to miss-out on is the mui xao mang or calamari with bamboo shoots. The combo of bamboo shoots and calamari makes for a truly divine, exciting and unique Vietnamese introduction for those who like seafood and want something a little different from typical deep-fried calamari. Those more adventurous, and out on a quest for a spicier calamari dish, should try the muc xao mang (calamari with mixed vegetables). This dish a wondrous blend of soy, hoisin sauce and seasonal mixed vegetables. I ordered a spicy entrée: ga xao rau thap cam (chicken with mixed vegetables)this was probably one of the spiciest and most delightful entrees I've had at Le Cheval.

Le Cheval is something a little different from Chinese, Mexican or Thai food. You're missing out if you don’t go. Le Cheval, 1007 Clay Street, Oakland, 510.763.

-- Mukhambika Mona Adapa

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