Zao Noodle Bar
Palo Alto, CA 94301
Phone: (650) 328-1988
- Price:
- $
Editorial Review for Zao Noodle Bar – by Jim Harrington
The Food
Noodle neophytes will find Zao a friendly place to explore a variety of cuisines. The menu offers a fine selection of noodle and rice dishes from Vietnam, Thailand, Japan and China. Try the green curry and coconut prawns, which features tiger prawns in a rich sauce with broccoli, carrots, green beans and thin "Hong Kong mein" egg noodles. On a hot day, try a cool dish of Vietnamese rice noodles served with sauteed broccoli, cabbage, squash, red peppers and tofu. It's seasoned with a fine soy-lime dressing. The pork and noodles soup delivers thinly sliced, hosin-marinated loin with spinach, carrots and super-thick "Shanghai" noodles. The savory-sweet broth is seasoned with five spices.
The Scene
Like the noodle, this restaurant is long and narrow and very hip. Palo Alto's trend-conscious crowd likes to take lunch here. The service is good. The place is attractive. And the fine food is fairly cheap and quite bountiful.
Editorial content is independent of paid advertisers. Any expenses are paid for by Citysearch.
Insider Tips
For the KidsZao offers a very good children's menu. The kid's chicken noodle soup is excellent.
To DrinkThe restaurant also serves a number of intriguing "saketails." Try the Tokyo Cozmopolitan ($5.75), unfiltered Nigori sake, lime and cranberry juice shaken and served straight up.
For DessertThe coconut caramel flan is heaven on earth
User Reviews for Zao Noodle Bar
07/05/2006 Posted by cutiekatie
I like Zao for lunch, but I agree it's not the greatest Thai food around. I don't really like spicy food, so Zao is good for people who perfer milder Thai. I love the pad thai and the thai iced tea is great. The best part used to be the magic fish at the end that would tell your fortune, but the past couple of times I've gone they didn't give them to us.
Pros: good milder thai food
Cons: slow service, small space
12/11/2003 Posted by splashster00
I always get the Veggie Pho at the Zao up in the city, but when I ordered in Palo Alto, it came out blech -- like hot tap water and soy sauce. I can't recommend this Zao, but the one off Fillmore is still tasty.
Cons: Food
Users Like You Also Viewed
Hing Lung Chinese Cuisine
674 Broadway
San Francisco, CA 94133-4406
Taxi's Hamburgers
403 University Ave
Palo Alto, CA 94301
