Are you hungry for some Asian food? Where better to go than to these three local restaurants right in the right of Bay Area's city of Oakland . These top three selected restaurants are affordable and yet, give you an authentic taste of Vietnamese dishes without having to travel all the way to Vietnam. Of course, it is awesome to be able to get a vacation to Vietnam but for the rest of us who have the urge for some Asian dishes and yet do not have the leisure for a vacation yet, head on over to these restaurants and you will have a splendid time. First on the list is Le Cheval restaurant which is located on Clay St in Oakland. The exact address is 1007 Clay St. Oakland, CA 94607 and the restaurant's phone number is 510-763-8495. The is a statue of a giant horse right in front of the restaurant showing its more French style elegance. There used to also be a carriage on display which is now removed. The restaurant has a French/ Asian d©cor to its layout. The restaurant is slightly dimmed. Located by Oakland's city center, the restaurant is crowded with many customers during lunchtime. Many office workers stop by for a delicious meal during their lunch break. Dinner time is also packed as well and sometimes it's best to get an early reservation or else there would be no space for large dinner parties. There is a large selection of dishes ranging from rice to noodles as well as specialty dishes from the heart of Vietnam. One of my favorite is the Le Cheval Bird's Nest $9.75: crispy or soft egg noodles sauteed in soy, hoisin and tomato sauce w/beef, chicken, calamari, prawns, and mixed seasonal vegetables. The fried noodles are very crispy, the sauce is just right, and I love eating the mixed beef and seafood with some vegetables. This combo of different meats and seafood satisfies my preference for eating a variety of meats and seafood. I get to eat a little bit of each in this one dish. Of course, do not forget the yummy soup. Preferably the Hot And Sour Snapper Or Prawn Firepot which come in three size large for $26.00, medium for $21.00, and small for $16.00. Another choice is the choice of prawns or snapper in pineapple flavored broth w/celery, sprouts, bac ha (taro shoot) and tomato. Tasty soup which comes in three sizes depending on how much company you have with you. Delight in this tasty Vietnamese blend of Fish or Prawn and an assortment of specialty vegetables. This soup is popular with the Vietnamese community so you got to try it. The Ginger Crab: pan fried w/ginger a green onion is another must try dish. Prices are seasonal. If you are a seafood lover, you should try their crab. The aroma is very appetizing and you can enjoy the whole meal in a nice elegant restaurant. The waiters and waitresses here are quite young, perhaps college students working part time jobs. They are friendly and make do their job well. Shrimp Rolls (3) are priced at $6.75. The stuffings of the rolls are steamed prawns, rice vermicelli, mint leaves, lettuce, wrapped in rice paper and served w/peanut sauce. Do not forget to try their appetizer, I prefer the Shrimp roll which contains shrimp wrapped with vermicelli and lettuce dipped into some tasty peanut sauce. If you are allergic to peanuts you may want to opt for their Imperial Rolls which is also as tasty only I prefer shrimp to chicken meat which is what is put inside the Imperial rolls. I also like the Banh Hoi Bo Nuong which is steamed fine vermicelli with beef kebab. This dish comes with lettuce, bean sprouts, mint leaves, cilantro, and shredded cucumbers, topped with peanuts, green onion oil, fried onion, fish sauce, and rice paper for wrapping the stuffing. This dish is a favorite because you usually eat the Banh Hoi on certain worship days or weddings. It is a traditional dish. In the Vietnamese tradition or culture, the Vietnamese people usually wish for something and after their wish comes true they would thank the Gods with a whole grilled pig served with the Banh Hoi or a type of thick white noodle. On weddings, families also worship ancestors with the same foods. Are you hungry yet? I know I am starting to get hungry. Well let us venture into the next place. The next recommendation on the list is a restaurant called Pho Ao Sen. This Vietnamese Restaurant specializes in Vietnamese dishes. The Cuisine is located on 200 International Blvd Oakland , CA 94606 and their telephone number is (510) 839-6821. If you want a feel of an authentic Vietnamese Restaurant, stop by this small restaurant. The cuisine is small but it is always crowded. The layout of the place provides visitors with an image of a small restaurant in Vietnam which is one of a crowded, tight packed place with hot delicious food. They have some tables and chairs just right outside of the place which makes the place look more authentic. The parking is horrible, very tight packed, but hey at least they have one. The waiters and waitresses do speak English though. Now that we are finish with painting a picture of the layout of the restaurant, we are going to move on to the good part: the food. You have to try the rice plates. There is a variety of choice combos with the rice plates. Your choices include pork, beef, chicken, egg, shrimp etc. For the rice plates you get steamed chopped rice; Ao Sen's is only cuisine that I have seen thus far which does this, other Vietnamese restaurants just serve the dish with regular cooked rice which is not chopped making it inauthentic. Ao Sen serves this dish just like the restaurant in Vietnam, chopped rice topped with scallion, and providing a savory fish dipping sauce. The combo also includes some sour vegetables of pickled cabbage & carrot, and scallion garnished broth to compliment your meal. Com Tam Suon Bi Ch: Marinated charbroiled pork chop, mixture of shredded pork skin and julienne pork, and steamed pork egg cake for $7.95. Com Tam Tom :Marinated charbroiled tiger shrimp for $8.75. Com Tam Suon Bo Tom: Korean style beef short rib with marinated charbroiled tiger shrimp for $8.75. You can also mix and match flavors which is what I do. I like eating the beef short rib with marinated charbroiled tiger shrimp but I also want to add the mixture of shredded pork skin and julienne pork with steamed pork egg cake. Below is a description of the prices of the addition of meats and some translation of the Vietnamese food item into English: One choice of meat for $7.75, two choices of meat for 8.25, three choices of meat for $8.75. Want more? Each additional choice for$2.00. Tom Nuong- Marinated Charbroiled tiger shrimp for 2.50 and Side of rice for $2.00 Cha- Steamed pork egg cake, Bi- Mixture of shredded pork skin and julienne pork, Suon- Marinated charbroiled pork chop, Ga Nuong- Marinated charbroiled chicken,Thit Nuong- Marinated charbroiled pork,Suon Bo- Korean style beef short rib,Trung Op La- Sunny side up or over easy egg, and Tom Nuong- Marinated charbroiled tiger shrim. Another famous dish is their beef noodle or Pho. Although I prefer their rice dish since their specialty is the chopped steamed rice and the flavor of the dish or course, their Pho is also very delicious. I also enjoy their desserts which include these picked flavor drinks: Che Dau Do is a red bean with jelly and coconut milk served with crushed ice for $3.00. Che 3 Mau is a sweet 3 color flavor bean with jelly and coconut milk served with crushed ice for $3.00. Tasty tasty tasty, I am really starting to get really hungry. By the time I finish the reviewing the third Vietnamese restaurant or cuisine I will be starving and perhaps if time permits head over to one of them. Actually, in fact, I visited the very restaurant that I am about to speak about just yesterday in the evening half an hour till their closing time. It is Friday now and it is very tempting to go to one of these restaurants tonight or the very first thing tomorrow. The last but not least restaurant is called Pho King. This Vietnamese Restaurant or Cuisine is located on 638 International Boulevard Oakland, CA 94606-2912 and their number is (510) 444-0448. A cozy restaurant located across from a park and other small stores and the dentist. It is a nice place to eat some Vietnamese dishes. The outside and interior is nothing fancy like that of Le Cheval but you get the heart of the Northern Vietnam. They are famous for the Bun Bo Hue. It is a spicy noodle soup with slices of pork meat, pork bone, pork blood, some sliced lettuce and other assortment of vegetables. The soup is good, the waiter is nice, and the place is cozy. I also like the Bun Chang which is another specialty in which the fried pork and charbroiled pork or beef is dipped in a marinated fish sauce and the noodle is served on the side. You also get an assortment of raw vegetables to accompany the dish. Those are my two favorites although others like to eat the Pho and Bun Rieu, I myself go to other places for those two dishes. Yet, if you are in Oakland, this place is the best bet for some good Bun Rieu. Go out and enjoy these delicious Authentic dishes. Sources "Le Cheval" Allmenus.com "Le Cheval Menu" Le Cheval Inc. "Pho Ao Sen Restaurant" Yahoo! Inc. "Pho Ao Sen Vietnamese Eatery" "Pho King" Yelp. Inc. "Pho King Menu" Urban Spoon Inc.