Straits Cafe - Santana Row
San Jose, CA 95128
Phone: (408) 246-6320
Fax: (650) 494-7132
- Price:
- $$$
- Cross Street:
- Dudley Avenue
- Hours:
- Mon 11am-10pm, Tue, Sun 11am-11pm, Wed-Sat 11am-12am
Editorial Review for Straits Cafe - Santana Row – by Laura Reiley
The Scene
It's a sleeker, more sophisticated space than the first two outposts of this beloved Bay Area mini-chain. Befitting its Santana Row locale, the glamorous space is all glitz--sleek Balinese furniture and antique gongs are juxtaposed with industrial stainless steel and lots of hard surfaces. The crowd is suitably posh, multicultural and youthful.
The Food
Back in 1987, the first Straits Cafe introduced San Franciscans to cuisine that was an exotic coalescing of flavors from China, Malaysia, India and Indonesia. This menu offers many of the original showstoppers, such as the Chinese-style poh pia--spring roll wrappers straight-jacketing a pile of julienned carrot, jicama, bamboo shoots, chopped fresh and dried shrimp and sausage--and rice wine-braised sea bass dotted with dried longan fruit. But the menu also bows to unadventurous tastes with ubiquitous dishes like grilled chicken Caesar salad and a paper cone of golden french fries served with kaffir-lime aioli.
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Insider Tips
When to GoSouth Bay DJs spin house music on Friday and Saturday nights, but on Thursdays from 9pm to midnight, it's live jazz.
User Reviews for Straits Cafe - Santana Row
05/11/2008 Posted by aubinit
Food isn't bad but there are better places in Santana Row. There is a lot of hype about Straights; truth is it's OK. There is ALWAYS a looong wait; regardless if they're busy or not. Prices are pretty steep and portions are pretty small..
Pros: Good Mojitos
Cons: Small Portions; Long Wait; High Prices
05/11/2008 Posted by mambo5678
The only down I can think of is dining at Straits with just one other person, for two people cannot possibly order enough dishes: the more you get to taste, the better the experience. There were six of us, so we tried, seriously, 12 different dishes, all fabulous! I wanted more of the Black Pepper Lobster and garlic noodles -- they were great!
Cons: We were there to eat; why waste a good dining experience hoping to find a date?
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