1007 Clay Street, Oakland CA 94607
(510) 763-8495
Parking: street parking and pay parking in nearby lot
Hours: M-Sat 11am to 9:30pm, Sun 5pm to 9:30pm
http://www.lecheval.com/
Last Visited: January 29, 2005
Food: 4 stars
Atmosphere: 3 stars
Service: 3 stars
Price: $ to $$$
Open since 1985, Le Cheval is a bright and open restaurant with high ceilings and large windows. Enter Le Cheval and you see the large dining room with the wood bar in the rear. The windows bring in a lot of light into the room during the day. The walls are a creamy pink color with more dark colors on the light background. There are pictures of horses, plants hanging from the walls, paintings, and Asian panel art throughout the restaurant walls and columns. Light fixtures and large fans hang from the ceiling. More light fixtures are also placed throughout the room. The rear of the restaurant contains several wood bars. One is for the cash register. Another is dedicated to the full bar. The ceiling is painted black. Greenish-yellow foam rectangles are placed on the ceiling in a checkerboard pattern, most likely to absorb sound.
The tables contain short glasses flipped over, a napkin with a fork and spoon. Chopsticks arrive later with a pitcher of water. The chairs are dark wood with green cushions.
For lunch today, we were also given a complimentary soup as soon as we arrived. The soup was yellow with carrots and onions, with the main ingredient being potato. The soup was very filling. It would have been better if they had give us soup after ordering (this wasn’t consistently practiced with all tables – some received it before ordering while others received it after) so that people wouldn’t be deterred from ordering the soup available on the menu.
- Le Cheval combo – This combo comes with a pork kebab, prawn kebab, fried chicken drummets, an imperial roll, and French rice. French rice is rice cooked with butter and tomato sauce so that it has a reddish texture. The flavor of French rice is light, and tastes okay, but I think I prefer white rice. The pork kebab from the grill is great. The slight amount of fat on the pork gives it a softer texture and the flavor is sweet and salty. Very good. I would order pork kebabs on their own in the future. The prawn kebab contains three prawns. I found the shell to have been slightly tough, making it harder to remove from the shrimp, but the meat is still juicy and tender. I still preferred the pork kebab more. The imperial roll is deep fried until crisp and golden brown. Inside is roll is ground chicken, bean threads, mushrooms, and carrots. The roll is crispy and has a meaty texture, but is in a form that is unexpected. A side of cucumber slices, pickled carrot and turnip strips, shredded lettuce, and nuoc mam (sweet dipping sauce) accompany the meat and roll. This is a great way to sample multiple items in small quantities and try out the excellent flavor. $8.25
- Steamed fine rice vermicelli with beef kebab. This dish is really fun. You receive a platter containing fresh carrot strips, bean sprouts, cucumber slices, green lettuce leaves, two beef kebabs, rice vermicelli topped with a mixture of stir fried shallots, green onions, and peanuts, and a stack of rice paper wrappers. Nuoc mam is served on the side, and you receive a large soup bowl which they fill with hot water. You dip the rice paper wrapper in the water and when the wrapper is hydrated, it’s ready for you to fill with the different vegetables and as much meat as you like. You can continue wrapping as long as you want, or just eat the items on the dish by themselves. It’s a lot of fun playing with the various combinations. The beef is grilled until just right and has a great grilled flavor. Excellent. $10.95
The service as a whole is fair. There was one server who was very pleasant to us when we asked for extra napkins, otherwise the service rating would have been 2 to 3 stars. It’s very rough service from the moment you come in to the moment you leave, but this may be a cultural thing. Our check came midway through the meal before we had even touched the second dish. This unnecessary rush interrupts the meal. If we had wanted dessert, it would feel like we had missed our chance. Even though one of the hosts was sitting near the exit, she seemed to stare off into space as she sat staring at the dining room when she could have been giving a goodbye greeting to the patrons leaving the restaurant. These simple touches don’t go unnoticed. Unfortunately, she was not interested and in her own world.
The four star atmosphere was downgraded due to the noise level. The lunch hour had reached beyond its halfway point and the dishwasher must have just finished a load since there was a lot of noise related to organizing the silverware. There was a lot of shaking of chopsticks and preparation for the next shift. Since its presence was more than noticeable, the atmosphere rating was reduced.
If you want some good quality food, try out Le Cheval for a nice atmosphere and wide selection.
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