The Temple Club

"The popular Vietnamese restaurant at 2307 International Blvd. has closed, reports Tablehopper. Apparently owners Geoff Deetz and wife Quynh Nhu are looking for another location, so stay tuned for more on that." - Ellen Fort

"The menu changes constantly at the Temple Club, but you can bet you’ll see dishes that you can’t find anywhere else in the East Bay. Chef-owner Geoffrey Deetz spent 16 years cooking and eating in Vietnam, and he’s brought back dishes from all corners of the country to his colorful East Oakland restaurant." - Janelle Bitker

"“In a way,” Bauer writes, The Temple Club has become “another expat restaurant, but this one for Vietnamese who are nostalgic for their homeland.” Deetz shops for produce twice a day to find ingredients for the menu, which changes daily and aims for faithful reproductions of Vietnamese cuisine ranging from street foods to banquet dishes. The Goi Hoi An (marinated beef served cold with green papaya and onions) stood out with its aroma that “floats to the nostrils like the mist rising from rice paddies” and combination of spice and fish sauce that “tickles every region of the tongue.” While Deetz’s award-winning pho with sour beef broth was sold out on every one of Bauer’s visits, other options like the boneless pork stew with pickled mustard greens also “captures the essence” of the fresh-and-funky Vietnamese flavor palate. Other dishes, like chicken wings glazed in black pepper and fish sauce for example, have “nearly universal appeal,” as long as you’ve got a Tiger Beer to wash it down with. Two and a half stars for Temple Club." - Andrew Dalton