| About: | The decor is of a colonial villa in Saigon. The food is Vietnamese: some traditional (Pho or Rolls), some with the French way of cooking (Duck Confit, Beefsteak, Calamari Salad); some revisited (No-Broth-Noodle-Soup that brings flavors of street stalls into your bowl, or the vegetarian Monk's gourmet dish that would satisfy the most picky veggie eaters). Co-owner Thuy Nguyen is a Vietnamese native and a French citizen. Food is her first passion and second career, after a stint in health care field. Her knowledge on Health has shaped her choices for the food she serves at Tao Cafe as well as the Parisian Tao Restaurant in the past. The Savoir-Faire in Cooking of Chef co-owner Trang Luu comes from her passion for food, completed with years of cooking and a recent training in a San Francisco culinary school. Our Wine List of Old and New World bottles has a special pricing policy on the Wine-By-The-Glass (with 33% off on a second) and is a wink to our wine-lover customers. |
| Hours: | Monday 5:30 PM - 10:30 PM, Tuesday 5:30 PM - 10:30 PM, Wednesday 5:30 PM - 10:30 PM, Thursday 5:30 PM - 10:30 PM, Friday 5:30 PM - 11:00 PM, Saturday 05:30 AM - 11:00 PM, Sunday 05:30 AM - 10:30 PM |
| Categories: | Vietnamese Restaurants, Restaurants |
| Parking: | Street |
| Payment: | Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover |
| Specialities: | Casual Dining |
| Amenities: | BYOB, Banquet/Private Rooms, Beer, Personal wines welcome (corkage fee applies), Wheelchair Access, Wine |
| Chef: | Trang Luu |
| Cuisine: | Californian, Vietnamese |
| Ambiance: | Casual, Family Friendly, Romantic |
| Feature: | Great Beer List, Great Wine List, Healthy Options, Private Rooms, Take Out, Take Out |
| Reservations Policy: | Accepted |
| Smoking: | Non-Smoking Restaurant |
| Dress Code: | Casual Dress |
| Price: | $15 - $20 |
| Other Contact Info: | Fax: (415) 821-1460 Email: thuy@taocafe.com |
Unbelievable food! a must for everyone: I'm trying not to hype this restaurant too much, but the food was fabulous. We orderd the calamari appetizer, lamb, and finished off our meal with the bananna tart. The calamari was a combination of fresh calamari and vibrant, clean vegetables. The quality of the lamb was extremely pleasing as it was not burnt and the flavor was very strong. (and of course delicious). Finally our deserts were the perfect ending to the meal as the tart was complimented very well by some coconut ice cream.
The restaurant appears to be small, but the decor is very proper and elegant. The staff is attentive and they do not hold anything back in their effort to make sure your meal is enjoyable. We even had a chance to talk to one of the owners who was personable and polite. I would recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for a nice but not too expensive meal. Great place for a crowd (six people) and for couples.
Great food: Excellent choice. The fish claypot is delicious. Service was a little bit slow when busy. I love to go back there again and again.
Food nothing special, lousy service: The food at this place is all right, but you can definitely do a lot better in this neighborhood which is chock full of excellent eateries. The service here is lousy. Even in the Vietnamese cuisine genre, plenty of other choices. Do yourself a favor, and look around.