Tran’s Vietnamese Restaurant

I sure am glad these folks opened again. They are one of the seemingly few places that makes their chicken phở with chicken stock, not beef. I love that. Oh, and it tastes really great. I pretty much just stick to either that or the vermicelli noodles and I have not been disappointed at all. My guess is that their other stuff is good too. Really friendly service.

Really bad news: Trans closed about a month ago.
Hopefully good news: Café Le opened last weekend in the same slot with at least some of the same management, and (presumably) after some remodeling.
May 2007 Update: The remodeling helps a lot, the menu is pretty much the same — YAY! Oddity: the waitstaff on our first visit post-​changeover Eastern European and Slavic… kind of like the numerous Asian restaurants with Mexicans in the kitchen.

A real gem. An excellent Vietnamese dining experience concealed within an awkward façade on Alameda’s developing West side. We’ve been a few times, and each time the chef’s specials have been the most exciting dishes. Last time, we had a stuffed chicken wing that was extraordinary. The food definitely has 5-​star potential — I just might have to revise my rating after a couple more visits.

One of the first non-​Phở Vietnamese experiences. I really enjoyed the food here, and not because there was unlimited wine and free never ending platters of food all evening! I was invited to an engagement dinner here.
Brothy soup with Crab
Any soup is my weakness, but this one was packed with the creepy crawly ocean dweller and the broth was subtle.
Papaya salad and chicken salad
Both were fresh and really showcased the ingredients without the Westernized overdressing.
Spring rolls two ways
The fried was tightly wrapped and fried nicely and the fresh version was light and had a generous amount of shrimp in each roll.
Duck Sausage
Not sure if it was duck sausage, but it was duck skin with some mystery meat in the middle, it was pretty darn good.
Dancing beef
Like shaking beef, but with more veggies on the side. I thought the meat cubes were a bit small, so the tenderness could have been better.
Prawns
Almost the size of my fist, okay not that big, but they were big and juicy.
Fried rice
Not greasy, or overly salty, I liked the presence of Chinese sausage.
Green beans and snow peas
Stir fried with garlic, tasty and fragrant
Thank you Tran’s for introducing me to a world of Vietnamese cuisine that is outside of phở, sandwiches and rice plates.

Great Vietnamese food and friendly service. Make sure to give the papaya salad and salt & pepper prawns a try!