A new Vietnamese spot has opened up shop in the neighborhood. The fresh addition to East Oakland, called The Temple Club, is located at 2307 International Blvd. (at 23rd Avenue).

As the East Bay Express reports, the new spot is owned by Geoffrey Deetz, a restaurant veteran who cooked at the now-closed Spettro on Lakeshore Avenue, Gulf Coast Oyster Bar in Old Oakland, and Dragonfly Teahouse in Berkeley.

After more than 15 years living and cooking in Ho Chi Minh City, he's returned to Oakland, taking over the former Bakeshop Oakland space on International Boulevard. 

Instead of classics like pho, Deetz is offering more unusual Vietnamese dishes that have a French influence, like poached pork and cabbage salad with garlic fish sauce and sesame, and Hoi An-style grilled street corn. The colorful space is full of murals and other bright decor inspired by old Vietnamese propaganda posters. 

The Temple Club has garnered rave reviews thus far, with a five-star rating out of 11 reviews on Yelp.

Julia T., who was among the first Yelpers to review the new spot on October 12th, said: "I'm Vietnamese, and I approve. Chef Deetz told us he lived in Vietnam for over 16 years, and he is legit! We had the cuon nem chua, pho bo chua, and and the mi quang phu chiem. They were all great."

Yelper Michelle S. added: “Simply delicious. This is more of a deep dive into Vietnamese food, and some of the dishes remind me of special occasions during my childhood. This isn't a banh mi or pho stop. Period.”

And Andy R. said: "My wife and I used to have to drive to San Jose for a chance at authentic Vietnamese food—no more! This ain't just a pho and banh mi joint. Since opening, I've been 3 times! This place brings back memories of wandering around Saigon and getting lost in the Old Quarters of Hanoi."

Interested? Stop by to welcome the new business to the neighborhood. The Temple Club is open Tuesday–Thursday from noon–9pm, Friday from noon–10pm, and Saturday from 11am–10pm. (It's closed on Sunday and Monday.)