“All in all, it seems like Top Hatters’ gamble paid off. On all my visits, the restaurant was busy with locals, who seemed to respond to its level of service and aesthetics. It’s great to see an original spot like this received well by its community. I hope we see more ambitious and genre-defying concepts emerge outside of city centers, not only because of how much more affordable such spaces can be, but because folks who live in those places deserve to have cool things, too.”
“I was always chasing those flavors but never knew exactly what they were,” Vu says. “The food at Top Hatters is inspired by that constant flavor chasing from my childhood.”
“…We were thrilled when Top Hatter’s Kitchen set up shop in San Leandro! Open last week, the restaurant, which began as a food truck, took up residence in a midcentury hat shop, and they kept the name, the architecture, and the stunning bonsai trees. They turned the space into a contemporary hangout with clean lines, bright tile, and an incredible, vegetarian-friendly menu…”
“Vu is sensitive to the fact that San Leandro is socio-economically and racially diverse, so she’s put a lot of thought into how Top Hatters Kitchen will not limit her creativity, yet reflect and serve the neighborhood too. The family-style concept, she said, will allow for a variety of plate sizes and price points, which she feels will allow for more diners to enjoy meals here.”
“'There are few restaurants that blend Vietnamese and Californian cuisines in the way that Top Hatters Kitchen does. As chef and co-owner DanVy Vu explains, they don’t just put California produce in a Vietnamese dish and call it Cal-Vietnamese food. Starting with a pantry of fish sauce, limes, shallots, pandan and herbs, the restaurant takes Vietnamese cooking principles —’contrast, salty against sweet, bright herbs against rich broths”— and combines it with a “California lens of seasonality and restraint.”
“It’s clear that while Vu has a lot of reverence for traditional Vietnamese dishes, she also enjoys playing with Vietnamese ingredients and cooking techniques in an organic way — and it works. Though Vu’s concept is difficult to describe, she’s confident in her style. “Investors and even food critics want to know, ‘What is your concept?’ They want that two-minute elevator pitch, and I really don’t have one. … Maybe I just have an identity crisis. I’m just embracing it.”
“What it reflects, I feel, is the Bay Area’s diversity, with rustic dishes that you often see across cultures. The couple has also embraced the corner’s history. Top Hatters was once a hat shop owned by Ted and Marie Lee, who made and sold hats together for 65 years. As a nod to the Lees, the new owners have preserved the store’s structure and signage, and added hat-themed craft cocktails to boot.”
“The whole pan-seared branzino at Top Hatters Kitchen and Bar in San Leandro is served with lemon-caper butter sauce and roasted corn kernels, and I love how it looks like the fish is literally leaping out of glittering amber waves of grains here. In my review, I write, “A bite of fish with all of those components tastes the way a beam of sunlight can warm a tiny patch of the ocean.” Corny, I know!”
SF Chronicle, 2019
Michelin Bib Gourmand Since 2021
“Chef Vu leads the kitchen, and her skillful contemporary combination of Vietnamese and Californian flavors is tantalizing. Crunchy seared rice cakes come packed with savory goodness, and meltingly tender braised oxtail over creamy grits have unusual depth. For a pillow-soft landing, finish with the signature lemon-ricotta zeppole, offered with a trio of luscious sauces.”