straits

san jose, ca

website

straits is purportedly a singaporean restaurant. lennon, an actual singaporean, warned us that the food bares little resemblance to real singaporean food. so we've avoided the place for nearly a year. but we were doing some christmas shopping at santana row, got hungry, and the steakhouse was completely booked. that's how we ended up at straits for some fake asian food.

there is nothing singaporean about the fried calamari, especially the chinese takeout box they serve it in. but it was edible - slightly spicy, well-fried, and served with delicious dipping sauces. the murtabak, roti stuffed with minced beef, is just weird - nothing like singaporean/malaysian roti should taste like. the whole striped bass was fried to death and doused with a too-sweet sauce. the indian street noodles were similarly over-sauced with sticky sweetness. if you're forced to eat here, get a cocktail and the calamari and call it a night.

village bistro

san jose, ca

website

santana row is a massive outdoor shopping complex located in san jose, california. in addition to the shopping (standard mall fare), there are hotels, spas, restaurants, and even apartment complexes. although derek remarked that living above a shopping mall would be like living in disneyland, removed from reality. palo alto gets pretty sleepy at night, but santana row is always buzzing. village bistro, which refers to itself as a "california bistro" did not look inviting. it looked fancy and stuffy. but once inside, the atmosphere was fun, light, and vibrant.

too bad the picture is terrible, because the food was amazing, some of the best that we've had since we moved to california. fantastic cocktails. in typical california style, all of the ingredients are local and sustainable. i had wild salmon - perfectly cooked, buttery and delicious. the sauce was spectacular. derek ordered the burger (of course) - he loved it. we went back again and ate outside on a sunny day and had fantastic make-it-yourself bruschetta. they serve crunchy grilled crostini with a selection of housemade ricotta, roasted garlic, tomato marmalade, and candied olives. mmmm.