RSVPs would be helpful here, since they're sometimes crowded.

This Event:

	Wed	9/21	Straits Cafe, Palo Alto 

Coming Events:
	
	Wed	9/21	Straits Cafe, Palo Alto 
	Thurs	9/22	... Equinox, 6:23pm EDT
	Wed	9/28	sushi tbd ...    
	Mon pm	10/3	... Rosh Hashanah 5766, aka Tues Oct 4.
	Tues	10/4	First Tuesday, Charles & Judith's
	Thurs	10/6	Hunan Homes, Los Altos
	Wed	10/12	tbd
	Wed pm	10/12	... Yom Kippur

Web page for KW schedules, restaurant reviews, etc: http://www.kabuki-west.org/ 

Time:	7:45pm

Place:

	Straits Cafe
	3295 El Camino Real
	Palo Alto

Description:

	The Straits Cafe Singaporean restaurant in San Francisco,
	which used to be a KW regular hangout, has
	opened up a new restaurant in Palo Alto.  Substantially the
	same menu, comparable quality (unlike the San Francisco Cha
	Am restaurant, which was always pretty unlike the Berkeley
	one), slightly higher prices because it's on the peninsula.
	I've included the review for the SF restaurant for those who
	are unfamiliar with the place entirely.  Note that the prices
	are higher than what's listed below.  And the bar has excellent 
	ginger drops and similar somewhat unique frou-frou drinks.

    Straits Cafe bills itself as San Francisco"s first authentic
    Singapore Restaurant (since 1987!)  Singaporean cuisine is chinese
    food with strong Indian and Malaysian influences, hakka (a style of
    chinese cuisine), tamil, and occasional continental european touches, 
    and is really quite delightful.

    Appetizers include unusual spring rolls and samosas, a stuffed
    indian bread, satay and calamari all served with unique dipping
    sauces and ranging in price from $4.95-$6.95. A selection of
    salads and soups are also available.  

    Entree prices range from $6.50-$10.95 (most being between $6.50-$8.50), 
    and include things like "half a juicy chicken simmered in a light curry
    with garlic and blue ginger" (at $10.95, this dish is one of only
    two dishes priced over $10), "spicy marinated beef simmered in
    lime leaves" ($8.50), "prawns in a tamarind marinade, stir-fried
    and served in the shell" ($9.25), and "Indian style fried egg noodles
    with tofu and prawns" ($6.50) to name just a few. 

    Beer and wine are available, as well as Thai style Iced tea and
    coffee, and other exotic beverages such as Lychee, Rose, Coco Pandan,
    and Vanilla Bean (sodas perhaps, I don't recall.)

	Note for vegetarians:
    Straits Cafe also has fine vegetarian fare including the above
    mentioned samosas, a gado-gado salad, and several entrees.  My
    favorite was chap chye which consists of black mushrooms, dried bean
    curd, lily root and cabbage, stir-fried with bean-thread noodles($6.95).

    Kabuki was last at the Straits Cafe a couple of years ago.


Directions:

    Via Transit:
	Take CalTrain to the Palo Alto/California Ave stop.  Walk
	four blocks west on California Ave to El Camino Real.  Take
	the 22 South on El Camino to the restaurant (it is just
	across the street from the restaurant Fresco; if you pass The
	Little Garden or Thai City, you've gone too far).

    From 101:
	Take 101 to Oregon Expressway.  Head west to El Camino and
	turn left.  Proceed about a mile, passing the restaurant
	Fresco, and make a U-turn.  The restaurant will now be on
	your right within several blocks.  Note: the restaurants
	front on the street is a courtyard enclosed with a wall of
	white masonry and clear glass blocks, so while it doesn't
	look exactly like a restaurant from the street, it really is
	one.

    From 280:
	Take 280 to Page Mill Road.  Proceed East on Page Mill to El
	Camino, turn right, and follow the directions from 101 above.

[review by the *fabulous* jeanne]

-RichardT