Just walking through the door at Three Seasons is refreshing. Fountains gurgle, bamboo rustles, and the Buddha greets you placidly. The restaurant bills itself as serving “contemporary Vietnamese cuisine,” and the atmosphere is that of an upscale lounge, with dark rattan chairs, a full bar, and an extensive wine list that includes a number of sauvignon blancs and gewürztraminers that pair nicely with the food. Traditional Vietnamese rolls are reborn as sushi’s second cousin with fillings such as seared ahi tuna, Peking duck, smoked salmon, grilled eel, and Dungeness crab. Mango, ginger, chili, and peanut are rolled in, too, with pleasing results. The fresh, light note continues with green papaya salad with shrimp and the satays, grilled skewers of honey quail and sea scallops. The fusion deepens with the entrées, which include tamarind prawns, grilled duck à l’orange, and New Zealand rack of lamb (they have nice red wines, too). If you’re feeling overwhelmed, the house still turns out a solid Vietnamese chicken curry and delicious traditional spring rolls. With most of the food being light, you should still have room for dessert. How about that banana-chocolate spring roll?
Readers’ Pick:
Le Cheval
1007 Clay St., Oakland, 510-763-8495
LeCheval.com
