La Maison De La Reine - Novato (CA)

3 /5 Christian Rodriguez: The food here is great — generous portions and flavorful dishes. Both the food and drinks were excellent. However, the pricing could be more transparent. We ordered the lemon chicken, which comes with steamed rice. We opted for fried rice instead, assuming there’d be a small upcharge (maybe a dollar or two), but we were charged the full price for both the lemon chicken and the fried rice. Just something to keep in mind when ordering dinner. Personally, I prefer the lunch menu since it includes your protein with one serving of carbs at a more straightforward price. Service was fair overall, though the atmosphere felt a bit tense — there was some shouting from the kitchen, which made things feel slightly rushed. A little more patience and calmness from the staff would really improve the dining experience.

5 /5 Becky Lu: Great food and drinks. The beef pho was flavorful with a clean, comforting broth, and the fried chicken wings were crispy and not greasy. The Thai milk tea was especially good—rich, creamy, and not too sweet, one of the best I’ve had. Friendly service and a comfortable place. Will definitely come back.

4 /5 R8CEHORSE: A nice addition to the local cuisine scene. Let me start by saying this is more like a Vietnamese/Chinese Fusion spot. But its still good! The Food: Overall, I liked it! I ordered the Kung Pao Chicken (which I was surprised finding something like this at a Vietnamese place). I was a little suspect but it was lovely! The vegetables were fresh and not overcooked but also not undercooked, the sauce was not overpowering and complimented the flavors & textures of the dish. Of course the celery and peanuts added the crunch that you like to have to offset the beef and chicken (It was a combo plate). That with a side of rice and and an Elysian Space Dust made the dining experience really enjoyable. My wife got the Beef Pho...because Pho. She liked it but she made a comment that it was a little heavy on the cinnamon in the broth. I found that a little interesting. My daughter had the same but kids size and she doesnt care as long as theres noodles involved lol. Again, because Pho. Ambiance: The location used to be a druid hall and its in one of the oldest buildings in downtown Novato. However the new owners really cleaned up thee place. It is narrow and deep layout so lots of booths on one side of the entry/mid section and more seating in the rear. If your in the front/mid area you will be right next to the kitchen. My family and I dont mind the noise and activity because were all foodies. If you are sensitive to that kind of stuff maybe the back is more your jam. Service: Very attentive. We had 3 servers and they were ON IT!!! I think we ordered and I only had 2 sips of my beer before my plate showed up. Of course the plates coming out were staggered but I didnt mind and the differential between plates coming out wasnt bad. Location: It is downtown Novato so expect terrible parking at times. However as stated above, I think its a great addition to the local community. In closing, Im glad La Maison De La Riene is here. Some of the local asian cuisine isnt great. In the downtown area you have great options next door for Thai, Sushi and Indian. Other than that, other offerings are lacking and I think this will fill a void nicely. Give it a shot and let me know what YOU think!

3 /5 Roopinder Tara: First the good. The service is excellent. The location, in Novato’s old town, very convenient. The menu selection, La Maisson, being Asian fusion, is quite diverse. The portions are BIG. That’s all I got. The food that we ordered may not have been good choices. We got the calamari appetizer ($14) which are pieces of calamari steak (not the tentacles) and heavily breaded. Too heavy. Much better to remove the breading. The table has plentiful hoisin sauce and sriracha, which cures all ills. The garlic noodles with a pork chop ($18) was a giant serving of food. The pork chop was cut Asian style, so instead of half inch thick cut, it was thinner and a little gristly. We couldnt finish the noodles, as they tasted of oil that was a bit burned or rancid, not worth taking home.

5 /5 Rocky: I love this place. Used to go there often when it was in Marin at the mall. They moved to Novato so it’s a little bit of a drive now but I like to swing by every time I’m up there. Great food, super friendly staff, and relaxing atmosphere. OH YEAH! And now they have boba!