Need a replacement for Le Cheval in Oakland

[escargot3]

Every year, my friend comes to the Bay Area for a fundraising meeting (for a non-profit he works at), and stays at the marriott in downdown Oakland. We always would have dinner at his fave spot: Le Cheval.

I was wondering what might be a good replacement: not expensive, and comfortable to sit for a long pow-wow as we catch up on life.

How's the Oakland branch of Breads of India? Any other suggestions for any type of cuisine in that same price point? Thanks.

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Breads of India
948 Clay St, Oakland, CA 94607

[escargot3]

Dinner at Battambang was good.

Very nice use of spices. All very distinct, clean flavors. Perhaps not "gourmet", but good especially for the price. Definitely qualifies as a place I will go to and tiptoe down the menu.

Unfortunately , my friends are not adventurous eaters, so we had simpler fare:
- Soup: Sgor chrork: fabulous flavor of lemon grass + S.E. Asian basil in lime broth
- Curry: Kari Dong Kchei: totally yummy red-ish sauce with yam, young coconut meat, a couple o' string beans and chunks of chicken
- Banhkair Char Broeurng: prawns sauted with lottsa onion, fresh mushrooms, ground peanuts, and more of that great sweet basil + lemon grass.

AND they have brown rice.

Next,I'd like to go back and try frog legs with ginger in garlic. Also interesting: spinach noodles and seafood ... or tripe, pork or...

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Battambang
850 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94607

[vulber]

the desserts there are also some of the best i've had at traditional southeast asian restaurants...they go well beyond the usual selection of fried banan or mango/sticky rice; the jackfruit pudding wrapped in banana leaf is especially good

[vulber]

pho 84...

[ML8000]

Why not check out B Restaurant, gets positive reviews and around the corner from the Trappist.

[Robert Lauriston]

B is great and a comfortable place to hang out, but a step or two up in price from LCX or Battambang. Same goes for Bocanova.

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Battambang
850 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94607

Bocanova
55 Webster Street, Oakland, CA 94607

LCX by Le Cheval
1019 Clay St, Oakland, CA 94607

[escargot3]

Thanks, Robert, for being sensitive to price restrictions.

[chompy]

Battambang (Cambodian) is very close to the Marriott and I liked it a lot when I used to go there pretty often - but that was about 6 years ago. Maybe others can chime in about how it is lately?

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Battambang
850 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94607

[vulber]

Used to go to Battambang regularly up until two years ago - phenomenal food - about on par with Angkor Borei in SF (which I also happen to love), although I give Battambang the edge for better desserts. However, the ambience/service is like your typical standard Asian restaurant, and does not have the more upscale feel that Le Cheval had that lent itself to events.

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Battambang
850 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94607

Le Cheval
2600 Bancroft Way, Berkeley, CA 94704

[Robert Lauriston]

Battambang is good, but not a place to have a leisurely meal and hang out.

As I read the original post, this isn't an event. escargot3's friends is in town for a meeting and afterwards the two of them are getting together to catch up.

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Battambang
850 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94607

[escargot3]

I was thinking about Battambang as an alternative. I haven't been there in years and was wondering how the food is now. Perhaps we'll go there and then somewhere else afterwards for a drink. Group of 4, by the way.

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Battambang
850 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94607

[Robert Lauriston]

The Trappist is a very cozy place to hang out if you want to drink beer. Liege is a very comfortable bar. Bocanova's a good place for drinks as well.

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The Trappist
460 8th Street, Oakland, CA

Bocanova
55 Webster Street, Oakland, CA 94607

Liege Spirits Lounge
481 9th St, Oakland, CA 94613

[escargot3]

Great suggestions. I'll let the guest choose one of them.

[Robert Lauriston]

Bocanova also has good desserts.

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Bocanova
55 Webster Street, Oakland, CA 94607

[chefj]

Breads of India is truly awful in my opinion.
Bình Minh Quân on 14th is good. Has most of the dishes that LCX offers. Staff can be a little put offish but if you engage them they will offer suggestions and help. Portions are a bit skimpy but still a decent value.

[Robert Lauriston]

Are you speaking from recent experience at Binh Minh Quan? That used to be my favorite Vietnamese place in the area, until there was a chef or ownership change and the food went downhill. But I haven't been there in several years.

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Binh Minh Quan
338 12th St, Oakland, CA 94607

[chefj]

Yes with in the last 4 months or so. Not stellar but good, there really are not many choices.

[Robert Lauriston]

That's a major change, the menu used to have 134 items. What's good?

[chefj]

No, I meant many choices for Vietnamese restaurants.
We liked;
Canh chua tôm
Gỏi Ngó Sen Tôm Thịt
Bánh hỏi
Chả giò
of course with the caveats mentioned above.

[bbulkow]

I thought breads of india was decent when I ate there about a year and a half ago. I am no fan of the berkeley version; oakland was OK, although not special. I might have to seconds Vos.

How big is the party? If around 8, you might consider Plum. It's completely different, but comfortable and local to the marriot. Lends itself to a certain hanging out.

[Robert Lauriston]

Plum's a couple of notches up in price, and I find the backless benches and stools not so comfortable.

[chefj]

We got dragged there by a friend because it was close to the Trappist.
The food was truly bad.
Vindaloo, thin brown, no heat, no tart just a generic garam masala flavor.
A south Indian Chicken again nothing of not in the spicing and hardly any coconut flavor. No mustard seed, curry leaf or discernible chili.
There were a couple of other dishes that I can't even recall.
When we reached our car we both agreed it was one of the worst Indian meals we have had.

[Robert Lauriston]

You know Le Cheval reopened as LCX down the block?

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LCX by Le Cheval
1019 Clay St, Oakland, CA 94607

[escargot3]

My understanding is that since the new place is so much smaller, they hurry you out even more than before.

[Robert Lauriston]

Maybe Vo's. I think prices are similar. Menu's online.

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Vo's Restaurant
59 Grand Ave, Oakland, CA 94612

LCX by Le Cheval
1019 Clay St, Oakland, CA 94607

[escargot3]

Have you been to Vo's recently? A few of us went about 2 years ago and it was dreadful.

[Robert Lauriston]

I'm not sure when the last time I went there was. Whenever the happy hour stopped being crazy cheap. Might have been a little over two years.