| Did you know restaurant services in the US is | | | | Drive in Beverly Hills. These are ambitious |
| a $430 Billion per year industry? I didn't. | | | | entrepreneurs. |
| | | | |
| Common sense would suggest that good | | | | Another successful one is Tamarine from The |
| restaurants be placed in high-income areas | | | | Vung Tau Group. The group's Vietnamese |
| such as Silicon Valley. Why then does | | | | cuisine blends gained its initial popularity |
| PaloAlto - Menlo Park - Los Altos have so | | | | with a loyal following among Vietnamese |
| little to offer? After all, the population | | | | people. The original Vung Tau restaurant, a |
| here eats out a lot, and with the | | | | twelve-table eatery, opened in 1985 on San |
| tech-generated wealth in the hands of | | | | Carlos Street in San Jose, Calif. In less |
| relatively younger people, the demand is | | | | than two years, proprietors Nhan Huynh and |
| certainly there. | | | | Anthony Le moved the restaurant to its |
| | | | current location at 535 East Santa Clara |
| Here are some San Francisco restaurants that | | | | Street, and went from serving 32 guests to |
| I would like to see in the valley: | | | | 150. |
| | | | |
| -Thep Phenom : A wonderful Thai restaurant in | | | | The family opened a second Vung Tau |
| the Haight-Ashbury district of the city, on | | | | restaurant in Milpitas, Calif. in 1996, and |
| Fillmore Street. | | | | four years after that, opened a third Vung |
| | | | Tau in Newark, Calif. Tamarine, the family's |
| -Chez Nous : A French-Mediterrenean fusion | | | | first contemporary Vietnamese restaurant in |
| restaurant, also on the Fillmore, but further | | | | Palo Alto is run by proprieter Anne Le (the |
| up North in Pacific Heights. | | | | prodigal daughter), and chef Tammy Huynh. |
| | | | |
| Of course, given the Stanford student | | | | The Le family and the Vung Tau group offer a |
| population, some cheaper alternatives could | | | | great example to follow for the likes of Thep |
| also be great to have around. Pakwan is | | | | Phenom. Chez Nous and Pakwan are both on |
| perhaps the best Pakistani-Indian restaurant | | | | expansion paths. Pakwan has chosen Fremont as |
| in the Bay Area, but is conspicuously absent | | | | the place to go after the city. Makes sense, |
| from the valley. In the cheap-eats category, | | | | because of the density of Indians. They could |
| this would be my pick. | | | | also go the Tamarine route, and open a |
| | | | classier version in Silicon Valley, rather |
| In the last couple of years, a few good | | | | than the dives they currently have. |
| additions have happened to the restaurant | | | | |
| scene in Palo Alto, Coupa Cafe being a | | | | And if you have spare capital, and want to |
| notable and very successful example. We were | | | | buy a promising restaurant concept, all of |
| at a dinner party this week with the owners, | | | | these have their basic right. |
| Nancy and Jean-Paul, and listened to their | | | | |
| plans for a new Coupa Cafe on North Canon | | | | Great food, I mean. |