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I'm tired of hearing people say, "There are no good restaurants in Fremont." I think that what they mean is, "I don't like Asian food." Poor lost souls, they don't know what they are missing! I like spicy food and garlic and detest sugar or mayonnaise in entrees. I'm not watching my fat or sodium intake, I'm exercising instead. If you have similar tastes and know worthy restaurants in this area that are not mentioned here, please do send email. I'm particularly looking for good Indian or seafood restaurants, pho joints and gourmet ice cream in our area.
North China Restaurant, in the Raley's
shopping center, near Fremont Super Saver theatre, off Paseo
Padre between Walnut and Mowry.
This is the only tablecloth restaurant we patronize regularly.
The folks at North China understand well that "chili oil" and
gai lan are appropriate ingredients in Chinese food and that
"honey prawns" and celery are not. (Yes, I have taken some
Chinese cooking classes, since you ask.) Almost all the entrees
are good here, everything from the Szechuan whole fish to
hot-and-sour soup to mu shu. You can get away for $20 for two
people for dinner with beer even though you will be quite
full. Two entrees plus soup is way too much for two people to
finish. Service is reasonably fast, too, and the restaurant is
open later than most in Fremont, I think until 10PM.
Fu Lam Moon, on Albrae near Costco in Newark
and near the intersection of Dixon Landing and N. Milpitas
Ave. in Milpitas.
Fu Lam Moon is the best local dim sum successor to the
much-mourned Furama. The Newark location is more crowded than
the Milpitas one but also has a greater variety of food. We
haven't tried ordering from the menu yet.
China Chili Restaurant.
Why is this restaurant so crowded? The food is oversugared
and full of celery -- yuck. At North China you never have to
wait for a table.
Mayflower
Seafood Restaurant in the Milpitas Square
Shopping Center just south of the intersection of 880 and
237.
The well-regarded dim sum at this restaurant was tasty
enough, but it was also considerably more expensive than the
much-lamented Furama. The parking lot at Milpitas Square is
an incredible zoo, and the mob at the restaurant is
impressive. All in all Mayflower is a bit more trouble than
Fu Lam Moon.
New Tung Kee
Noodle House in the Fremont Hub near Jacks.
New Tung Kee is the best bargain of any of the places we
regularly visit. The restaurant offers a large variety of
noodle, soup and egg-cake dishes, from pad thai to chow fun to
pho to vermicelli soup. All are well-prepared, with little sugar
or cornstarch, and they taste great with the addition of the
chili oil, vinegar and pickled pepper condiments on every
table. The egg-cake dishes (flour, daikon and taro varieties)
taste like hash browns and eggs and are perfect for
breakfast. Entrees range in price from $3.50 to about $7.00, not
much more than what it would cost you to prepare these dishes at
home. Besides the entrees, the restaurant offers pearl tapioca
drinks and beer. Tea comes free with each meal. Service is
rapid and while the decor is spartan, the tables always look
clean.
Grand Orient restaurant, once near Barnes
and Noble and Starbucks at the intersection of Fremont and
Mowry. Grand Orient has unfortunately closed. Anyone know
another good local source of Peking Duck? We've had good luck
with Peking Duck on Castro in Mountain View.
Final word on Chinese food: Do you think that Mary Chung would deliver to California?
The 2000 census says that fractionally Fremont has the largest Indian population of any city in the Bay Area. Surely there must be an appealing Indian restaurant in the Fremont/Union City/Newark area; I just can't seem to find it.
New Taste of India on Warm Springs Boulevard near the Milpitas border has a decent lunch buffet on weekends.
Copper Chimney and Indian Palace seem always to be closed for private parties when we stop by. We've tried Indian Palace unsuccessfully 3 times; I can't figure out how to tell when it is really open. Meanwhile, reliable sources indicate that the vegetarian Udupi Palace and Woodlands Restaurant in Newark are worth a visit.
Of late we have tried three Pakistani halal restaurants, Shahi Kabob in Union City on Alvarado-Niles near Decoto, Pakwan in the Irvington section of Fremont, and Shalimar in the shopping center on Walnut near Paseo Padre. Pakwan and Shalimar have satisfyingly spicy curries, but all three restaurants present meat dishes in a way that seems odd to Western diners. Rather than offering small pieces of meat cooked in a sauce (what I expected), or even large pieces of meat that need to be cut up, the curries and masala dishes have bones with small adhering pieces of meat. The food tastes perfectly fine but picking something inedible out of your mouth with every bite gets tiresome. Kabobs at Pakwan are truly boneless. Perhaps the chops offered at Shalimar are a better bet. Pakwan and Shalimar are quite noisy inside although Pakwan has a pleasant outdoor seating area. Not surprisingly, none of these restaurant serves alcoholic beverages. Portions and prices at all three are quite reasonable.
Yuki Restaurant, on Driscoll Road at Paseo
Padre, in the same shopping center as Longs Drug.
While
the menu is short, there are a number of unusual items, like
mirugai kushiyaki (moist roasted clams on a skewer) and
"mini-don." Many dishes are smaller, inexpensive portions that
are readily combined with other a la carte items. Based on half
a dozen visits, the fish quality is reliable and the prices are
reasonable. The specials are always creative presentations like
the burdock, carrot and sesame salad and not some ridiculous
cream-cheese-and-hot-sauce roll.
Kioku Restaurant, in the Lido Supermarket
shopping center on Newark Boulevard just south of Route 84 in
Newark.
We've only been to Kioku half a dozen times and are very
impressed. Kioku positively stunned me by using real crabmeat
not only in sashimi, but also in sunomono and in the little
dish of salad that came before the meal. The other food we
had was delicious, especially the Hawaiian-style poke roll.
Mirugai sashimi was pleasingly crunchy and was a large
serving for the price. Our total for dinner for two with sake
was about $34, and believe me, you could pay more than that
for far inferior sushi in scores of restaurants. The
atmosphere is soothing, as the restaurant is carpeted and has
piped-in jazz. Major thanks to Neoncap for recommending we
try this place.
Ichiban Restaurant, on the east side of
Foothill Blvd. in Hayward's downtown area, near the
intersection of Foothill with A Street.
For years, this was my favorite Japanese restaurant, but now
I'm torn. The fish is ultrafresh, the selection is excellent,
and the presentation is lovely. Ichiban is our favorite
special occasion restaurant. I prefer the chirashi sushi,
which is a big bowl of rice with a nice assortment of pickled
vegetables and fish on top. The bento boxes are also a
bargain. We have never had any suspect fish here even once
despite repeated visits. The service is fast, although you
will have to wait for 15 minutes for a table on a Friday or
Saturday night. Two people can have a big meal with sake for
about $20-25.
Koma Restaurant, in the Fremont Hub Shopping
Center, on the west side of Fremont Blvd between Walnut and
Mowry.
[As of 6/2004, Koma is gone, along with the whole building
and Helen's Pho, too. We have yet to try the new sushi place,
Sushi Harbor, next to Bed, Bath and Beyond.]
Yuri Restaurant, near Starbucks and Barnes
and Noble Bookstore and Noah's Bagels, in a shopping center
on the south side of Mowry Ave. just east of Fremont Blvd and
west of Mission.
Like Komasushi, Yuri suffers in comparison to Ichiban. Unlike
Koma, Yuri doesn't seem to have quality problems on weekend
nights. We have never had to wait at this restaurant, and the
service is always fast and friendly.
Sushi Lovers' in Milpitas we found to be indifferent, not as good as Koma or Yuri or Ichiban. We have been to Sei Sho Sushi in Irvington only once since we got some smelly fish there.
East Bay
Thai near the intersection of Thornton and Cedar
Avenues in Newark, in a shopping center at the southwest
corner of this intersection.
The food at this restaurant is quite good, the decor is nice,
and the service is lightning fast. If you order the daily
dinner special, you may be served within 10 minutes even if
the restaurant is crowded. Alas, East Bay Thai is not open
for lunch on weekends. About $15-20 for two with beer.
Kinnaree Restaurant is at the corner of
Stevenson and Mission Blvd near "Huggy Bear" or whatever that
day care place is called.
Kinnaree is the latest venture by the owners of Krung Thai,
apparently a popular San Jose restaurant. Kinnaree falls
somewhere between EBT and Banh Thai on the drool-o-meter but
has improved since its opening in November 2001 or so.
Portions can be a bit small. Avoid the fish soup.
Banh Thai in the Starbucks/BarnesNoble
shopping center at the intersection of Mowry and
Fremont.
This recently opened restaurant has a somewhat more varied
menu than EBT. The vegetables in the stir-fries are
deliciously crisp and the noodle dishes are especially tasty.
Banh Thai seems never to be crowded, so please go there and
give them your business!
As of 6/2004, Raffles has become Pakwan, a halal Pakistani restaurant. The Banana City Cafe in Walnut Plaza in central Fremont is not Singaporean but Malaysian.
Kum Kawn Restaurant, on the left side of
Fremont Blvd just southwest of the confusing Five Corners
intersection in Irvington.
Gone alas! as of 4/2002, replaced by the also-Korean "House
of Tofu," which based on one visit, has similar food.
Manna Restaurant, in Newark in a strip mall on
the south side of Mowry School Road, across Albrae from
Chevy's.
We've only visited Manna only once but were
pleased. The barbecued meats were tasty, the portions were
generous and the decor was far more attractive than the slightly
dingy Kum Kawn.
Helen's Pho, in the Fremont Hub shopping
center, on the west side near Argonaut Way and
Koma restaurant.
[As of 6/2004, Helen's is gone, along with the whole building and Koma, too.] Milpitas has Huong Lan and Lee's Sandwiches; who has a banh mi or pho place to recommend in Fremont?
No discussion of eating in the Tri-City area would have been complete without a mention of the Nagata Brothers farmstand at the intersection of Mission and Stevenson Boulevards. Alas, Nagata disappeared on Halloween 2003 in a big trick on everyone in the neighborhood. Ever since I've been visiting the Irvington Farmer's Market. The produce choices at the Farmer's Market are not much different than 99Ranch and the prices are only fair but the freshness is clearly superior to supermarket fruits and vegetables. The atmosphere of the market is intoxicating: the milling crowds, the strange patter and the exotic smells transport you from suburbia to the Pacific Rim. The best buys I've found so far are Prevedelli's wonderful heirloom variety apples. Other hard to find items include Concord grapes, bouquets of Thai peppers, jujubes and Afghan bolani bread. Usually there's some live music.
Consider 99 Ranch (on Fremont Boulevard near Thornton), Marina Seafood (on Alvarado-Niles at Decoto in the El Mercado Center) or Lion Food Center (at the Warm Springs/Mission intersection). These Asian markets have the best selection of fresh fish and the nicest butcher shops in the Tri-City area, plus the expected exotic ingredients. At 99 Ranch I highly recommend the "Express Chinese Gourmet" pre-made salads, with tempting combinations like cuttlefish and gourd strips, or spicy mustard, tofu and peanut, or crunchy sweet-and-sour cabbage, daikon, carrot and ginger. These salads are so addictive that I suspect that they contain human pheromones. I challenge anyone to find more healthful and tasty takeout food. Still, if you want to buy bleu cheese, you'll have to go to Trader Joe's or Safeway. The local Raley's (Paseo Padre near Walnut) has a rather poor produce and butcher selection but does carry bulk items like bulgur wheat that are unavailable elsewhere.
The Mission Valley Coffee Roasting stores feature fresh beans prepared right on the premises. MVCR has lighter roasts than S******ks. Besides the beans, there are pastries, comfy chairs, patio seating, a variety of fancy coffee drinks and a selection of teas. However the best reason to patronize MVCR is Gael and Don Stewart's support for the arts in our local community. They serve refreshments, often for free, at events from Ohlone College to Central Park. As of 9/2005, there is only one location, on Washington Boulevard near Ellsworth.
An altogether different topic! For brewpub advice visit Ken Papai's page. I generally agree with his rankings although I would place Mendocino Brewing and Pacific Coast Brewery higher and Anderson Valley and Humboldt Brewing much lower. Ken's somewhat outdated web page doesn't mention the Ukiah Brewing Company at all, which is too bad since the place has delicious food and frequent live music in addition to fine beers. The Sierra Nevada Brewpub in Chico, on the other hand, is the Central Valley branch of Heaven. Fremont Brewing Company has reopened as Jack's Brewpub in the Fremont Hub, but unfortunately the hefeweisen is the only decent beer we've had there. The india pale ale and amber ale were nearly undrinkable at Jack's and the pub grub is way overpriced. Consider having a pitcher of margaritas at Chevy's in Newark instead. Or travel to Mr. Mike's on Main Street in Niles and survey the Tri-Cities' best selection of bottled beer. Sousa's Liquor in the shopping center on Washington Boulevard near Paseo Padre has a large if idiosyncratic selection.
Münchner Haus is a deli specializing in German items. A variety of unusual sausages, cold cuts and salads are for sale alongside German beers, breads and sweets.
Only open until 6 PM, Münchner Haus is located on the east side of Fremont Boulevard just south of Mowry. It cannot be seen from the street.
Chaat Cafe in central Fremont features a variety of freshly prepared and tasty Indian items. The tandoori wraps are delicious and yet easy to eat with one hand. Breads (pakoras, samosas, puri and bhaturas) are a specialty.
Chaat Cafe is located in the shopping center at the intersection of Mowry and Fremont Blvd., right next to Starbucks, Noah's Bagels and Barnes and Noble.
Huong Lan and Lee's Sandwiches in Milpitas for banh mi Vietnamese sandwiches. Banh mi are composed of barbecued pork, sliced jalapenos and pickled vegetables on baguettes. They are cheap, filling and tasty. A number of other items (spring rolls and dumplings) are available hot. Both places also sell a variety of prepackaged goods like puddings and sticky rice.
Huong Lan is in Milpitas on Serra Way, just east of Calaveras Boulevard on the north side. Lee's is a bit west although still east of 880, directly on Calaveras and also on the northern side.
L&L Hawaian Barbecue in Union City has quite edible fried seafood (shrimp, scallops and mahi mahi) plus a bunch of starchy looking items I'm not inclined to try. L&L is on the Union Square side of the Safeway shopping center at the intersection of Alvarado-Niles and Decoto.
Since people always ask, I'll explain that we rarely eat at Afghan restaurants since I find the food a bit bland.
Fine Asian cuisine is what we have here in Fremont/Newark; there's no point in fighting it. We do also like Fremont's Habibi Restaurant in the Irvington Five Corners shopping center near Safeway and not far from House of Tofu. Habibi has all your favorite Lebanese dishes (dolmas, falafel, shawarma, baba ghanoush, tabbouleh), the service is charming, and the owners have a liquor license. The prices are quite reasonable and the food is mostly healthy. Hey, what's not to like? And last but not least, we like New York Pizza on Fremont Boulevard near Roberts in the Five Corners neighborhood of Irvington. New York Pizza has the best basic thin-crust pizza we've had on the West Coast, and it's dirt cheap.
Jason and Terry have a comprehensive and well-illustrated guide to Fremont restaurants. Helen has taste similar to ours. Have a look at Adam Paul's Tri-City restaurant recommendations or Marga Lacabe's Bay Area Restaurant Reviews focusing on San Leandro and environs.
