Your Only Bet for Vietnamese in Los Gatos
Written: Jun 18 '01 (Updated Jun 24 '01)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Food is fairly tasty, reasonable prices, wonderful atmosphere, friendly service most of the time
Cons: Poorly presented dishes, the hostess, some bad flavor combinations in some dishes
The Bottom Line: The Green Papaya may be your only option for Vietnamese in Los Gatos, but at least it's a good option. The food is good and the atmosphere is even better.
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| Razzmatazz's Full Review: Palo Alto |
I know this isn't a review of Palo Alto, but I can't write any more reviews under the Bay Area or San Jose category... bear with me.
The Green Papaya, a new restaurant within the ever-changing downtown Los Gatos, has found its niche as the only place in town for Vietnamese food. Despite the label it may receive as being a "last resort" for Southeast-Asian cuisine within downtown, its relaxing environment and fairly well-presented and flavorful food has earned itself esteem among many residents of the Greater San Jose Area, including myself.
The Environment
The last time I ate at The Green Papaya, I seemed to be reminded of summer. Despite the fact that the walls are made of deep, darkly finished wood, the open feel of the entrance gives it an airy charm. Doors that are constantly open and ceiling-to-ceiling windows afford for beautiful views of the mountains in the backgrounds and light shining through all day. At evening hours, the restaurant is quite often dimly lit save for a few softly glowing lamps and candles, and it makes for a very laid back and comfortable feeling, which some find rather romantic.
The decor is very simple and unpretentious-- a few potted plants, some small statues-- but at the same time the feel of the restaurant is somewhat elegant. Most importantly, it is kept spotlessly clean all the time, and though it might seem like a give-in, it adds to the character of the restaurant immensely. Perhaps my favorite part about The Green Papaya is you can choose how to make your evening there, whether you wish to dress up for an elegant date, or show up in shorts and a T-shirt, for a quick and tasty dinner.
While there are children there, the flavors are fairly "grown-up" and there's no children's menu, and screaming children are not taken too well among the very-quiet diners hoping for a bit of peace at a romantic dinner.
The Cuisine
The Green Papaya has most definitely hopped on the bandwagon of fusion cuisine, with its combination of traditional Vietnamese food along with some French and European flavors, as well as a few specialties unique to the restaurant. All in all, the type of food served is very light, very healthy, and very refreshing. In other words, you'll most likely feel better after dining there.
Starters
The last time I ate at The Green Papaya, my mom, sister, and I dined on three courses, starting with appetizers and working our way up to the main entrees. We ordered the meat-filled Imperial Rolls and the vegetarian Spring Rolls to start off. The Imperial Rolls are a filling way to start the meal, and are served with a sweet ginger dipping sauce. The flavor is very smooth and rich, and paired with the sweet sauce it makes for an interesting combination.
The vegetarian Spring Rolls are also tasty, but the dish has much more of a refreshing and light flavor. Composed of crisp vegetables wrapped in rice paper with noodles at the center, they serve as a great palate cleanser after the Imperial Rolls. They're served with a very thick plum sauce, which I skipped, since it's much too overpowering for the light flavors of the vegetables.
Next, we ordered the Saratoga Salad, named after Los Gatos's neighboring town. Many of the salads there feature seafood, meats, and fruits alongside mixed field greens. While salads there are usually served as a main course, my sister and I split ours amongst ourselves. The salad, composed of mixed field greens, cherry tomatoes, pan-fried prawns, and a vinagrette dressing got mixed reviews from both of us.
I thought that the salad was fair, but that the flavors were poorly combined. In an attempt to create a nicely presented salad, the tomatoes and prawns were primly lined around the greens, and I couldn't really taste all three flavors together. The vinaigrette was also very weak, but I liked the prawns on their own. My sister was also a big fan of the prawns, but the mixed field greens turned her off, so that's all she ate.
The Entrees
That night we were all in the mood for soup-- so all three of us ordered Pho, a deliciously delicate soup served in a vast portion. My mom orded the Pho Ga (chicken soup) while my sister and I both opted for the Pho Ba (sliced beef soup). While I've had Pho at many other restaurants, I like The Green Papaya's Pho best because it allows the diners to alter the flavor of the soup as they wish. While the soup is already seasoned when served, we each also received our own personal dishes of seasonings, herbs, sauces, and vegetables to add to it-- including green chilis, plum sauce, chili sauce, basil, and green onions-- therefore allowing anyone to make their soup to fit their tastes.
Other times there I have tried the Garlic Prawns, which are enoromous prawns pan-fried in a garlic butter sauce and served on a bed of noodles. While I loved the buttery flavor, the presentation was basic if not nonexistent, and the manner in which the prawns were cooked made it hard to remove the shell.
Another good seafood dish is the Pan-Fried Salmon, which is flaky on the inside and crispy on the outside. The salmon itself is delicious, but the vinaigrette field greens which accompanies it are sub-par.
Service
The service is very basic, but the waiters and waitresses there are extremely warm, if not a bit slow. The emcee who usually runs the show and hosts at dinner on the evenings is a petite old Vietnamese woman who quite often speaks French loudly throughout the duration of the night. Be forewarned though, she has been known to lose reservations and turn people down even if they have reserved a table in advance.
The Price
Dinner for three, with three courses (two appetizers, a salad, and three entrees) plus drinks ran a bill of eighty dollars. Not bad, considering the amount of food we ate that evening.
In Conclusion...
The Green Papaya is an ideal place for a relaxing and romantic dinner. While it may be the only place in town for Vietnamese food, surprisingly enough it surpasses many of the other restaurants in the town, with its fairly tasty food and awesome atmosphere. Give it a try.
The Green Papaya
137 North Santa Cruz Avenue
(near the new Williams-Sonoma)
Los Gatos, CA
(408) 395-9115
Reservations recommended for dinner on Thursday through Saturday if you plan on dining after 7:00 PM.
Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Couples
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Epinions.com ID:
Razzmatazz
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Member: Jonathan
Location: Bay Area, CA
Reviews written: 21
Trusted by: 4 members
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