Who'd have thought that the suburbs could have this much panache? Nestled among the many thriving eateries on Castro in Mountain View, is Xanh. Cool fusion Vietnamese cuisine offered in great style. You first enter an amazing New-York style lounge bar, dimly lit in electric blue, with a DJ churning House/cool RnB in the corner. The bar looks pretty busy and happening. Sleek, geometric, and ample white seating look striking against all the blue in this room. Huge Christmas tree-like glass balls hang from the ceiling. This is where you'd hang out with your crowd before the hostess whisks you into one of two main dining areas.
This was a Saturday night, and it could not have been more packed. However, the lighting in our dining room was a little too bright for my liking, especially compared to the dim coolness of the lounge up front. Anyway, the food made up for that.
The spicy and sour soup for $10 was ample and wildly aromatic. The only complaint was that it seemed warm rather than hot, and so we had to send it back for a quick zap. My main plate was 'Catfish in a Clay Pot'. It was perfectly marinated, exuding sweetness and spicy tones at the same time. Heavily laden with chillies, ginger, garlic, and possibly honey, it was heavenly with simple jasmine-steamed rice. The meal ended beautifully with a swig of impossibly sweet Vietnamese coffee, sweetened with condensed milk.
All in all, a stylish spot on Mountain View's main promenade, which offers flavorful food in attractive surroundings. If you just want to hang, have a martini while listening to top tunes, and not have to drive all the way to San Francisco, Xanh should be one of your choices.
