This restaurant was rather difficult to find, we were not local, we got lost a bit. Luckily we did not give up the search , we had the phone number and called for direction, and the result was quite... More

This restaurant was rather difficult to find, we were not local, we got lost a bit. Luckily we did not give up the search , we had the phone number and called for direction, and the result was quite worthy of our effort . This restaurant was lovely. Our dinner was nothing but memorable. We ordered a bottle of Sea Smoke Southing Pinot Noir, we'd had this wine before, so we were happy to see it on the wine list. We were shocked to see the price of Sea Smoke there, and wondered if the price was right, because we'd paid higher cost at a wine shop, and it was supposed to be more expensive at a restaurant, not in this case at Elements, the price was a bit lower. So we wanted to see it, and..voila, it was exactly the same Sea Smoke we'd had a few months ago in South CA. We would have loved to order the second bottle, but they only limited one per table, it was perhaps the only unhappy moment of the night. The food was excellent, my husband had the Australian rack of lamb, he said it was the best he'd ever had, it was cooked as the way he liked it. My pepper-crusted Ahi Tuna was so fresh,lightly seared as I had requested, the sauce was light and favorful, the mango salsa completed the dish with a tangy, refreshing finish. I'd give this dish 5 stars for quality and presentation, and an extra star for the reasonable price ($20.00). Not to mention the butternut squash soup, it was instantly becoming my favorite; my husband ordered the soup (I normally didn't care much about butternut squash), but he gave me a taste and I had to have it for myself. Overall, our first time dinning at Elements was nothing but satisfaction. We will definitely come back and bring our kids, they have menu for children, something we don't see often at up-scale restaurant. We give 5 stars for the food, 5 stars for the reasonable prices, 5 stars for service, 5 stars for the ambience (including beautifu
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We were invited to a Corp. private party at ELEMENTS. We work in Almaden Valley, but never knew there was such an excellent restaurant in that location until now. We agree with other reviews, the... More

We were invited to a Corp. private party at ELEMENTS. We work in Almaden Valley, but never knew there was such an excellent restaurant in that location until now. We agree with other reviews, the location is very hard to find, mainly because the shopping mall has nothing special to look at from the outside, so keep your eyes out when going there, because it's easy to drive past Elements. Once inside the restaurant, the decor was surprisingly beautiful. Service was attentive and professional. The food was beyond our expectation, just as good as any top-classed restaurants in the Bay Area, or even better than some. Don't bother to ask what's good on the menu, just order whatever, because 15 of us very much ordered different choices, and none of us was disappointed. We have found a new favourite restaurant. Some of our memorable dishes: spring rolls, crab soup with asparagus, calamari, sea food pasta, smoked duck and garlic crusted salmon...to name a few.
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Recommended by a friend we have now made this our favorite restaurant to go to ! They only will reserve 80% of tables so you can walk in anytime and get a table pretty quickly. The food is... More

Recommended by a friend we have now made this our favorite restaurant to go to ! They only will reserve 80% of tables so you can walk in anytime and get a table pretty quickly. The food is outstanding - comfort mixed with Asian/french twist. The asparagus appetizer is a must and the creme bule is a size to share. Staff are friendly and its also a place where children go with their parents to enjoy. You would drive right past the restaurant without seeing it as its in a strip mall but a real jewel. Nice wine tasting next door as well.
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This is my first restaurant review. We shop at the supermarket nearby, see the Elements sign but nerver did try the food until last week. Our dinning experience with Elements was ... what can I... More

This is my first restaurant review. We shop at the supermarket nearby, see the Elements sign but nerver did try the food until last week. Our dinning experience with Elements was ... what can I say...WOW. The food was top-notch, the ambient was lovely, plus the service was calm and professional; all together made our dinner so memmorable. My wife and I used to live in San Francisco, we enjoy eating out a few times a month, and enjoy trying different restaurants, especially those that offer some sort of Asian fusion cuisine. We must say Elements' food was really great, some dishes were even better than some 4 Stars restaurants in SF, and the prices were supprissingly reasonable. The beef stew was perfectly cooked, aromatic, tender and simply delicious. The sea bass with tomato basil combo was my pick for the evening. The soup of the day, I believed it was sweet & sour soup...nothing like we ever expected, light & aromatic with essence of mysterious herbs, yum! The soup was so good we even order it togo for the next day. As for dessert, we ordered the chocolate cake. Normally, chocolate cake tended to be bit heavy, but my wife insisted on having chocolate, so we decided to go for it. Another supprise, the cake came with serveral layers of dark & white choc. mousse, dark & creamy yet still remained light on the taste... Kudos to the pastry chef for putting this cake together. Our dinner at Elements was a wonderful experience. It is nice to finally have a world class restaurant so close to home.
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Suggested by one of my clients, we and a couple of friends decided to give this restaurant a try. The location was sort of way out there, almost at the end of Almaden Expwy, luckily we had the... More

Suggested by one of my clients, we and a couple of friends decided to give this restaurant a try. The location was sort of way out there, almost at the end of Almaden Expwy, luckily we had the number and called the restaurant for direction. As we arrived around 8:00pm, although we did not have a reservation, the host quickly arranged our table for our group, the wait was less than 10 minutes, impressive! The wine list offered a nice varieties of White & Red, and had been catergorized with a brief description of flavors, that made our selection so much easier. We odered a bottle of Chardonnay & a bottle of Russian River Pinot Noir to pair with our food. Here came the reason why we were here, the food was so delicious and beautifully put together, we were all supprised that the fact not many of us knew about this hidden jewel in Amaden Valley. For the desserts, one of our friend from Paris took courage to order Cream Caramel (aka Flan), just so she could compare to the one she normally had in France. In awe, she took a bite and told us it was equally as good as any cream caramel she had had at top restaurants in Paris. We were glad to dine at ELEMENTS, next time we will take our kids here. By the way, prices were reasonalble, with 2 bottle of wine & dinner plus desserts, we spent about $45.00/person. We will definitely be back to ELEMENTS very soon.
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I am not good at this, but love this restaurant, so here is my take-Services: friendly, tend to be slow during weekends, but still good-Prices: reasonable, appetizers ($6-$9), salads ($6), entrees... More

I am not good at this, but love this restaurant, so here is my take-Services: friendly, tend to be slow during weekends, but still good-Prices: reasonable, appetizers ($6-$9), salads ($6), entrees ($12-$18)-Foods: entrees come in good portion, their foods are so delicious you will want to order everything, but make sure you have room for the desserts. Highlights: Ahi Tuna (nothing you've ever had, it melts in your mouth, but they only serve this sometimes as the Special of the day), Butternut squash soup (once had this, you will crave it all the times), Tea-smoked Duck (beyond description, one of the best), Meat loaf (yes...don't let the name stops you, it's shockingly good)-Ambiance: not over the top, but still serene & beautiful. Tables are well-spaced, noise level is bearable during peak hours. Music is a mixed of Opera, French, Instrumental, Jazz...perfect for romantic dinning - Location: kind of a hidden place, yet worthy of a try. I actually like it that way - Pluses: also a good place for children, this is where you should take your kids so they learn etiquette, they have good menu for little kids too. Wine list is impressive, but not overwhelming, easy to select.
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A few friends said they were good. We stopped by once and not much to look at from outside. When we went inside and it looked very nice. We sat down quickly and enjoyed a very good meal and had a... More

A few friends said they were good. We stopped by once and not much to look at from outside. When we went inside and it looked very nice. We sat down quickly and enjoyed a very good meal and had a few drinks as well. The kids enjoyed the variety from the menu as did we. We have been going back ever since. Give them a try, they do take out if you are on the way home give them a call and pick it up.
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This place was far better than we expected. Great food and menu. Excellent kids choices and great service. Nice bar as well - give them a try, they also do take out if you want. Loved em. PROS:... More

This place was far better than we expected. Great food and menu. Excellent kids choices and great service. Nice bar as well - give them a try, they also do take out if you want. Loved em. PROS: Kid Friendly and excellent service CONS: Store front not much to look at - so go inside
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This place started as Umunums and has changed to Elements. The good news is that they now have a kids menu. This place has an extremely convenient location. The food is good, but not as good as some... More

This place started as Umunums and has changed to Elements. The good news is that they now have a kids menu. This place has an extremely convenient location. The food is good, but not as good as some places in Los Gatos. I would go to Elements though because I can feel ok about my kids being home alone. PROS: Great location, good food CONS: Nothing else nearby to do
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It's nice to finally have a good local restaurant in Almaden. The decor is lovely and warm. Service is friendly and prompt. The dishes we tried were all very good (yummy spring roll appetizer),... More

It's nice to finally have a good local restaurant in Almaden. The decor is lovely and warm. Service is friendly and prompt. The dishes we tried were all very good (yummy spring roll appetizer), and the selection is a nice mix of Vietnamese inspired dishes with more traditional offerings such as pasta and rack of lamb. The presentation was lovely as well. We're planning to bring the kids with us next time as they have a good children's menu. Prices are very reasonable. PROS: Gem in the neighborhood CONS:
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