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Tour Eiffel (Vietnamese cuisine)  $$

 8.5
JaT Rating

200 State Street, Los Altos, 94022  (Directions)


650-917-1328


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French-infused Vietnamese cuisine in this clean, upscale, business.


Reviewer: Jason
Total Reviews: 1020
Reviewed: 12/6/2006
Rating: 8.5
My photo gallery 		We walked along State Street looking for a bite to eat and ran into Tour Eiffel. I initially thought we were going to be chowing on french food but looking more closely at the menu, it was 90% Vietnamese with scattered French items. Interior of the restaurant isn't exactly your pho house, Tour Eiffel is way too clean and nice in appearance. I almost had doubts they could cook an authentic Vietnamese meal.

Terry ordered some weird tomato seafood pho dish and I decided on the beef and chicken vermicelli. It's basically a bowl of rice noodles with grilled chicken/beef, and mixed in are lettuce, cilantro, mint leaves, cucumber, tomato, bean sprouts, peanuts, and finished off with a fish sauce. My pictures hardly do justice to the vibrant colors in my bowl. The veggies were served raw adding natural flavors and crisp texture with each mouthful. I don't think there is a special way to eat the dish but mix the noodles with the veggies/meat and top it off with the orangish-fish sauce (fish sauce + vinegar + carrots). Wonderful meal to eat. The portion size is adequate for even the largest of eaters and it only costs $8.

High quality food and quick service, Tour Eiffel is an excellent choice for a tasty meal. My vermicelli noodles is a dish I can reorder again and again. It was sooooo good and recommended trying it on your visit. If you're looking for an upgrade to your hole in the wall Vietnamese restaurant that doesn't break the bank, I know of place in Los Altos :)
 


Reviewer: Terry
Total Reviews: 738
Reviewed: 12/6/2006
Rating: 8.5
My photo gallery 		We were walking in downtown and were just looking for any place that sounded interesting today. We had already hit up Satura and wanted some solid food to go with the dessert we already ate.

There were a couple expensive looking restaurants we passed, and then we saw Tour Eiffel. At first glance I think Jason thought it was French so instantly thought it to be a good idea. Upon closer look we saw that it was Vietnamese, and I got excited. We entered and it looked like the place was a cross between a vietnamese restaurant and a european restaurant (what with the big chimney in the corner). Menu had a euro feel to it as well.

I decided to go with the seafood pho and a thai iced tea.

The iced tea arrived quickly, and while the menu claimed it to be something special, it was your normal thai iced tea. Nothing better or worse than the norm, except no refills. lol.

The pho took a bit longer but when it arrived I was impressed. It had some chicken broth base, but it also had PLENTY of tomato base in there as well. A pleasant change from the normal pho. And this was pretty darn spicy as well. Spicy, tomato, pho. Awesome. There were big chunks of tomatoes in there as well. High quality large prawns were diced and thrown in there, along with imitation crab and other fish chunks. The low point was the imitation crab for sure, but the rest was solid. The vermicelli noodles were well done, standard pho stuff. The accompanying vegetable plate looked freshly washed and clean. They didn't provide as much quantity of vegetables in the accompanying plate, but it looked like top notch stuff, every shred of it. Usually I dump a lot of sracha in my pho, but I didn't need to here. It was definitely spicy enough for me. I finished the entire soup (a large) and I felt it was a bit of a small large. Without the dessert of Satura, I would still be hungry. So an appetizer might do you well at this place.

Prices are higher than normal no doubt, but the dishes are different enough from the norm, to keep your palette interested. I wouldn't mind returning here to sample more from the menu. If you want some Vietnamese french food, you would be hard pressed to find a place more clean and pleasurable.
 
8
Agent Rating


Reviewer: wchane
Total Reviews: 147
Reviewed: 1/6/2007
Rating: 8
My photo gallery		 Swung by for a late lunch yesterday, it was about 1:30pm and this place was still full of people. After a brief 5 minute wait we were seated, it took them another 5-10 minutes to bus our table, bring us menus and glasses of water.

My friend had the beef & chicken vermicelli, I had the grilled lemongrass pork on rice, both were $8 a piece. The vermicelli arrived first, causing a 5-8 minute wait for my order.

A neat upside down bowl of rice at the edge of the plate with greens on the other, the grilled pork was arrainged down the middle, complimented with a small clear tub of fish sauce. Although the pork was a bit on the thicker and tougher side it was still very delicious; the lemon grass was not overpowering and really just a hint unlike most places I've visited. The fish sauce was a clear orange color, not the aged, stale amber/brown color and had no fishy smell or unpleasentness about it.

Clean restaurant, white table cloth with glass covers, utinsils over chopsticks, and a relaxing location. I'm glad to re-discover this restaurant.


 
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budbandit ate...

Lemongrass Beef

“Service was surly and sour, pho was OK, lemongrass beef used pho beef, not cubed. Spendy and small portions, reasonably tasty but poor bang/buck ratio and not very welcoming service.”

12/18/2006 10:25:20 AM