Restaurant Review |
While I tend to frequent and review restaurants located within the geographic area covered by the MacArthur Metro, I thought I'd get in my car and give the Vulcan Cafe (915 45th Ave., phone 536-6303) a try. Like many others, I became aware of the Vulcan Cafe from its regular advertisements in the Metro. |
The logistics of getting there can be a bit tricky, but it's worth it. The Vulcan Cafe is located on what is called 45th Avenue, but in reality it's a small alley just south of the intersection of High Street and San Leandro Boulevard. After first missing the turn on 45th, I circled around and pulled into the street/alley. There, I discovered myself in the middle of a former industrial area turned artist colony. The site is the former Vulcan Foundry, where iron construction products were cast. Presently, the old foundry has been rehabilitated and houses musicians, artists, and their studios. The Vulcan Cafe is in many ways the centerpiece of the small artist community. The Vulcan serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner six days a week. It is closed on Sunday. The Vulcan was first opened about 10 years ago by the Boon family and was purchased by former employee Opal Pophong in November 2001. Opal originally is from Thailand and has completed his graduate studies in business management, so owning the Vulcan Cafe was a natural move for him. Opal has kept the menu intact. The breakfast menu contains classic American staples, which are all reasonably priced, starting at just over three dollars. The lunch and dinner entrées also are reasonably priced, most under six dollars. While the entrées aren't as large as many restaurants, they aren't small either. Instead, I found them perfectly sized, so you leave full and satisfied but not stuffed. The specials menu contains a variety of dining options, including American dishes. However, the lunch and dinner menu is traditional Thai cuisine. The menu is well-rounded, and the dishes are all surprisingly flavorful. The more popular dishes include the traditional Thai noodle dish, pad thai, and fried rice. The satay (grilled chicken) is a classic and delicious Thai appetizer, but I found the vegetarian egg roll puek (a mixed, mushroom-based roll) to be the highlight of the appetizers the rolls were light and crispy with a fruity and spicy sweet-sour sauce. The soups are a must. The tom-yaam (hot and sour chicken soup) has generous portions of white meat chicken in a tangy sweet broth. However, the real treat about the soups is the presentation. Each soup comes in a small terra cotta cauldron set atop a small hearth of wood embers to keep your soup hot, creating a unique dining experience. The pad-prik-gai (a chicken-and-green-bean entrée sauteed with red chili peppers and basil) was a real surprise the chili made the dish spicy but surprisingly clean and subtle, not overwhelming. The gang-keow-wan has a subtle green curry with mellow spices that doesn't overwhelm the meat, coconut milk, bamboo shoots, peppers, zucchini, and basil. The par-rahm-long song is a nice blend of thinly sliced beef and poached cabbage and spinach with a flavorful peanut sauce. And for vegetarians, the pad-ruam-mixed (sauteed mixed vegetables) is a delightful blend of vegetables in a tasty, light sauce which complements the vegetables perfectly. While the Vulcan Cafe is worth the small drive, be warned: It's cash only. No checks or credit cards. And when you're there, say hello to Opal. He's a bright and pleasant person who enjoys getting to know his customers. Plus, you might run into one of the numerous artists who live, work, and dine there, such as Hung Lou or Barbara Rogers. |
