Visit These Unique Restaurants You Can Only Find in California

"There are few restaurants that blend Vietnamese and Californian cuisines in this way: starting with a pantry of fish sauce, limes, shallots, pandan, and herbs, the kitchen applies Vietnamese principles—contrast of salty against sweet, bright herbs against rich broths—through a California lens of seasonality and restraint. Much of the produce comes from Stonybrook Canyon Farm in Castro Valley, where chef/co-owner DanVy Vu spends two days a week harvesting to stay responsive to what’s thriving and what needs to move. Many favorites are intentionally fleeting, like a bolted baby gem salad with shaved rhubarb born from sudden weather shifts, capturing a commitment to respecting what the farm gives and finding beauty in what might otherwise be overlooked." - Daniel He