This is an excellent restaurant. My family been coming for several years and have many, many dinners here. We've never had a bad meal. The salmon wellington is especially delicious. So is the duck. The staff is excellent and the decor makes for a very satisfying night out. read more

We dropped by without making a reservation. There was no wait and they got us a table. We ordered the crusted salmon and salmon wellington. Food was very good and service was good too. We would come again. read more

Excellent food and reasonably priced. We have tried different entries and have liked them all. Service in very good. Only downside is that it could feel cramped if busy due to their limited space. read more

I went here because people gave it good reviews and it's had decent exposure online but I wasn't that impressed, especially for the price. I had the paella which tasted fine, but wasn't a paella at all. It was more of a seafood jumbo. My fiance had the lamb and was also underwhelmed. The food didn't taste horrible, but not worth the $100 meal. read more

We came here early on a Saturday night after Yelping for a spot. I had a craving for a steak, and the steakhouse choices in the Valley really do suck. This french/Viet restaurant seemed a good place to have the beef I craved with side choices other than the boring usual selection. Being the lone table at 5:20 arrival, we wondered if we were still to be alone by the time we finished, but that wonderment didn't last long as a steady stream of customers kept arriving after 5:30. We had dressed a bit above casual, but were moderately overdressed as the place filled with customers. Nonetheless, Elements was well on its way to having a profitable, busy Saturday night. The menu varied only slightly from the one on Element's website. For the entree, I was set with the Filet Mignon, hoping only that my request for medium rare, slightly towards medium would not face opposition from a chef who cooked his way or the highway. DW followed my lead of interest in the non-Viet entrees and selected the meat loaf. When she picked the mixed green salad with orange dressing, that seemed a great contrast to my steak, so I was with her all the way with that. Of the appetizers, we picked the crispy Vietnamese egg rolls. The place is clean and the settings nice and uncluttered. Wait staff in typical white shirt/blouse and black from the waist down. Service was good by all staffers. The higher decor is that industrialized look with no drop ceiling. They had draped some beige fabric over the sprinkler piping and had a row of tall thin poles above a short partition, forming an open separation (oxymoron?) for a smaller enclosed set of tables on one side. The absent-drop-ceiling look would have worked better had they replaced a few of the utilities with cleaner cut and better painted parts. Viet themed paintings on the walls. Kitchen not enclosed. The crispy Vietnamese rolls were not greasy in the slightest and had a wonderful, crisp texture. The sweet chili dip was exquisite - a jelly base with micrograted red chilis and herbs that were completely scrumptious. The salad was great too. Though it was a base of your standard issue European greens, they were completely at their peak, with no hints of wiltiness and as crisp as European mixed greens ever gets. Decorating the edges were a very few fruit slices; thin slices of asian pear and halved orange supremes. Though I've never been a big fan of asian pears, these were still crisp but not hard and had a pleasant, but subdued sweetness. The orange supremes were a tad on the sour side unfortunately. They looked like Valencias, but were just not ripe enough. Topping the salad was roasted nuts, dipped and coated with (I think) nut powder. The orange dressing really hit the mark. It carried a definite orange flavor without overwhelming the delicate greens. Just enough dressing to give a flavor, but not so much as to drown the greens. I was impressed. The entrees were great, too. My concerns about the amount of grilling on my steak were unnecessary as it came out perfect and tender. Not BS tender from tenderizing agents, but tender from properly aging, storing, grilling and resting. Though they presented a steak knife, the regular dinner knife would have done just as well. It was topped with mushrooms and just a tad of fried shoestrings of onion. The pale mushrooms, however, looked steamed, not sauteed. It was served with a tan mushroom sauce that was ... OK. There was nothing bad about it at all, but it lacked much mushroom flavor. However, I didn't order a steak for the gravy, and the flavor of the steak was wonderful. It came with real mashed potatoes, not particularly herb or other flavor enhanced and low on salt (yes, I know how easy it is to add salt at the table). The vegetable accompaniment included haricot verts that were warm all the way through but had the crispiness found in raw ones. It also included long carrot rectangles cut about the same thickness and length as the haricots verts (a nice touch!) and a rather larger floret with stem piece of steamed broccoli (however, the stem had not been properly trimmed; tsk, tsk, tsk). The vegetables had been significantly herbed, but I just couldn't identify which herb. DW's meat loaf was also great. It did have a thin sweet glaze, but thank God it wasn't ketsup based. The meat had a noticeably good mix of aromatics and herbs, and had the same mushroom gravy as my steak had. Mashies and veggies just like mine. Then came dessert and coffee. The coffee was properly strong. The plastic sleeve holding the dessert menu was old, scuffed and a little dirty. I selected the chocolate cake with cappucino and chocolate cream topped with chocolate ganache. Excellent. A surprise was that there was noticeable brandy in the ganache, and I was on the wagon. Not appreciated, but how would they know? $84 for two with no wine. We loved this place and will be back for a taste on the Viet side. read more

Over the years this amazing restaurant has been open, I have NEVER been disappointed. If anything, I have only been amazed over & over again at how excellent the food, presentation and service is! read more

We have eaten there three times and all the meals have been excellent and the service outstanding. I wish we didn't live so far from it, or we would be back a lot more often. read more

Best paella I've ever had! I usually eat the excellent french/vietnamese dishes here, but tried the paella tonight. Seafood was moist and delicious, rice was nicely spiced, and the ratio of seafood to rice was excellent. Wonderful. We also enjoyed the mussels, one of our perennial favorites, and the butternut squash soup which is refined and wonderful. The place is never as busy as it should be -- good range of dishes, relaxed but nice atmosphere. We're so happy it's here in Almaden! read more

We tried to come here Valentines day, but they were packed. We didn't make reservations, so they turned us away, even though they said we could come by when we called them. I think they were trying to maximize attendance, but it really wasted our time. We were intrigued by their food, so we can back later in the week. We had the following: Crispy Calamari: 1 Star. Utter crap. Soggy and flavorless. Grilled Beef on Asparagus: 4 star. Pretty tasty. Tea Smoked Duck: 2 star. It was really chewy and bland to me. Not something I would recommend or go back for. Salmon: 3 star. Decent. It was something different, but it didn't really stand out for me. You know, at a upscale joint, I really expect the food to really jump out at me in either presentation, and taste. None of the dishes at Elements did that for me. Oh, and their service sucks. They were out of all steaks, so I wasn't able to order that. And the waiters there like to stand around and chit-chat rather than pay attention to tables. Overall, the experience was not great, so I won't be going back. read more

I have to admit that my rating is slightly biased due to the sheer lack of competition in Almaden Valley. However, the food is very good regardless of the location. Wonderful Vietnamese spin-offs of classic dishes such as meatloaf, paella, chicken piccatta, etc. One of the biggest disappointments was that the front of house was slightly inexperienced. For example, we brought in a very old wine that we wanted to have decanted before starting our meal, the process of which was lost on our waiter. Timing was also not very strong. Spacing between courses was sporadic, and entrees were brought at different times. However, regardless of these nit-picker details, we had a wonderful time and the food was delicious. We will definitely return. If they can sort out some of the front of house details, I can see this being a 5-star Almaden valley establishment. read more

This is a nice place - normally very quiet and not crowded. Love their smoked duck - I normally order it when I go there and its always great. I like their papaya salad as well. Service is very good. read more

The herb crusted salmon with mashed potatoes was brilliant! The butternut squash soup was pretty good and the sate chicken was OK. My girlfriend loved the ambience. Service was perfect! read more

My wife and I have been frequenting Elements for at least 10 years and I fee remiss that I have never sent in a review. They are outstanding and a little gem in Almaden Valley. We have never had a bad meal there. Tristan uses the best ingredients-wild salmon, sustainable sea bass, the best grade of meats, organic vegetables, etc. Our favorites are the herb crusted salmon and the rack of lamb. Appetizers, salads , soups and desserts are outstanding. They have a great wine selection with excellent wines available by the glass. Please give Elements a try, you will not be disappointed. In the past they have been closed for the month of January of check ahead. read more

We went here last Saturday night & had a fabulous dinner! The waiter was courtesy, prompt and the food was awesome! The best part...no wait and so close to our house. I never knew read more

I am so happy is jewel of a restaurant is in my neighborhood, but honestly, I would drive cross town to dine here. I have never been disappointed with any of the food, but I absolutely love the Salmon Wellington!!! On my most recent visit my friend had the Beef Fillet in Truffle Sauce which I tasted. OMG!!!! The appetizers are creative and fun and could become a meal themselves. You can bring a great bottle of wine from next door at "UnWined" for a small corkage fee, or they will deliver the food next door to UnWined to enjoy with your wine there. Either way, it is a fantastic dining/wining destination!!! read more

The food is delicious and different! Try the crab cake appetizers, or calamari. For main course I've had the stuffed pork loin, the duck, and the 5 spice beef stew which was soooo good. All 3 are good choices. I see some people complain about the fact that there is a burger on the menu. My friend ordered it, and he said it was one of the tastiest burgers he's had, so really all that matters is that the FOOD IS GOOD! Yes it is located in a strip mall (that needs a face lift), but once inside you forget all about that, and its next to a nice Wine Bar. Speaking of wine, Elements has a decent wine list too. read more

Finally! Via Valiente shopping center has a nice reasonably priced restaurant that looks like it is around to stay! A perfect place to go for a meal with friends and feel like you are getting great food, at a good price, close to home! They actually have a kid's menu which makes it much more affordable to take the whole family. We go there often! The food is unique and absolutely delicious! Don't miss the Grilled Beef on Asparagus Skewer appetizer - we have it every time! I think my favorite entree is the Tea Smoked Duck, but wait . . .the salmon and the lamb are so good! There is something for every personal preference. And I have to say - the mixed fresh berries in brandy essence for dessert is the perfect ending to the meal. There were several other restaurants at this location before Elements, but it looks like these guys finally got it right! read more

A relatively simple menu. Prices are realistic. The fusion side of the menu was less felt by us, but we enjoyed our meals. Two ordered the filet mignon. Nothing fusion in that. I ordered meatloaf. Very traditional, I saw nothing fusion about it. We had one order of the sea bass which was a special. It was very nice, but also very traditional. Appetizers were a bit different. The crab cakes were not your traditional Chesapeake bay crabcakes, but were tasty. The chicken satay was the most asian item we had. The place is a bit off the beaten path and out of the way, but that isnt really a problem. The atmosphere was pleasant. It was quiet enough to hold a conversation. Service was excellent. All around a very good experience. read more

Such a Great Evening last night! Met my sister for a tasting at UnWined which is next door to Elements. We had decided we would get food from Elements to take home, so I went in to order. Saw and talked with Tristan, as I had not been in in a while. Ordered the Ahi Tuna - one with the noodles, one with double veggies. We were happy that we were able to sit outside on the patio and have our wine tasting and have the waiter from Elements bring out our dinners "to go." When I got home, I was so happy with the perfectly cooked Ahi and noodles. My sister texted that she had warmed up the veggies and topped with the Ahi and dressing. Yum! Thank you, Tristan, for the perfect dinner to take home after our lovely tasting out on the patio of UnWined! read more

Delicious; professional and be sure to try the filet migion. Lovely presentation. But do make a reservation as they are busy on weekends. Go--try it--you will be pleased and the prices are fair. Then go next door to Unwind and listen to the music. Fun evening. read more

Fun place for a date or girls night out! Every dish we had was delicious. Staff was friendly and attentive.

I was definitely impressed by this restaurant! The food was amazing and the atmosphere was very fun! The only reason I didn't give it a five was because the service was a bit slow .The food is a bit pricey but this was expected due to the atmosphere. If your craving something fancy for a date night this is the place to go! Just make a reservation ahead of time! read more

Such a nice, quiet venue for a fantastic meal. Great service, great chef, easy parking.

This place is pretty clean. The foods are awesome. In addition, people in here are very friendly. I wish that I could give this restaurant more than 5 stars read more

Fantastic mother's day dinner with my family. Appetizers (mussels, papaya salad, crab cakes) were forgettable. However, the entrees were fantastic: we got lamb, seabass, salmon wellington, and prawns/scallops with risotto. All were delicious and generous in portions (especially the lamb!). My grandma's favorite was the bread with balsamic vinegar, she liked it so much that I emailed the restaurant to ask the brand of vinegar. They wrote back a nice paragraph describing their source and where I can get it. Service was quick and efficient. Definitely coming back! read more

Major Valentine's Day Disappointment!! We arrived for our 5:15 confirmed reservation and were not even greeted by the hostess. After we gave our name, she said we would have to be seated at the bar to have dinner. (although we saw several empty tables). We made the reservation on Feb 10th. If they could not accommodate us with a table, their email confirmation should have said "bar seating only", this could have given us the option to go elsewhere. They didn't want to loose any business so the just crammed people in there to make more money. They were very unapologetic, stone- faced and could care less. They have no people skills and poor customer service. We left and will never go back! read more

WOW seriously... I have been there twice and man oh man... I seriously love this place. Honestly.. from the outside of the restaurant it looks like a hole in the wall.. but wow when you want in.. its so pretty and nice, plus they have a wine cellar! It is great for dates!!! (very quiet and lights are slightly dimmed and lots of tables) Where should I begin.. The last two times I have been there I ordered the Tea-Smoked Duck. MANNN seriously.. it was that good!!!!!!! My bf had the Stuffed Porkloin with Cabbage & Apple Sauce the first time we went and it was almost as good, the second time we went he had the Stuffed Chicken Breast & Marsala au Jus. All their plates look great and taste great! THIS PLACE IS WHAT THEY CALL A " TRUE HIDDEN GEM" =) ooo and average per plate is around ~$17. If I had no shame at all... I would probably lick my plate clean. hehe.. btw I never have leftovers because I stuff my face with duck goodness and have no room for dessert! but hey.. it's better that way so I don't have to guard my leftovers from my bf. HAHAh read more

My stuffed pork tenderloin was very tasty but a little tough and overcooked . Wife loved her scallops and tiger prawns . Salted Caramel lava cake was yummy . Overall a great dinner and will be back read more

We decided to try this place out on a whim after seeing the yelp reviews and couldn't have had a better experience! I nearly turned the car around when I saw the location, but am so glad I braved the strip mall and gave it a shot. The restaurant inside is so much classier than the outside would lead you to expect. The host asked us if we were celebrating a special occasion and then led us to a quiet table away from everyone else, which was really nice. Our server was AWESOME and gave us some great recommendations. We started with the grilled beef on asparagus skewer which was so so good. I had the duck, he had the lamb, and we both LOVED our dishes. Great portions, great staff, great food. Highly recommend it!! read more

Great little restaurant in South Amaden with a small menu, But quite diverse in the choices they do have. My favorite dish is the Salmon Wellington and the cognac buttersquash soup. Their Cesar salads are also very delicious. read more

Elements Restaurant is the best place for Almaden Valley dining. We have tried several menu items and every one of them is excellent and delicious. Whenever we dine there, we always indulge in the Fresh Berries in Brandy Essence dessert; normally we don't do dessert anywhere, but this is worth it. The service is wonderful and the menu accommodates people of all ages and tastes. read more

Wow, amazing! Very clean and professional, love the service and the food! Definitely going to come back and make it a usual Indian spot!

My hubby and I had dinner at Elements tonight. What a nice little place to have a quiet dinner. The food was great and the service excellent. I will definitely go back. read more

I went after reading all the delicious review but was definitely disappointed. We got the crab cake and blue crab soup (daily special) for appetizers. If you like deep fried wonton, then the crab cake should be alright. I was just hoping to actually taste the crab. The soup was.... Like those Chinese daily soup you get at Chinese restaurants for free, but here they charge you $8. Going on to entree... I got the tea duck that everyone was talking about. The dish was lukewarm and I usually like my entree hot... Just "personal preference" I guess. My husband got the lamb rack and the portion was generous, didn't taste bad either... Again, just lukewarm. We skipped dessert and went straight for the bill. Probably won't come back even though we live in the area. read more

My son had his first birthday party here. All of my relatives and friends loved it. Service was great. Tristan helped us put together a menu and choose the birthday cake that they made. It was delicious. I've been to this restaurant probably about 5 times. It's a great location for us, being that we live in Almaden Valley. It's a treat to have dinner at Elements. read more

Intimate dining room setting. Outstanding dishes come out of the kitchen nighty - it just never disappoints. We come to Elements often and Chef Tristan always manages to create beautiful, tasty, quality dishes that satisfy the palate. We usually order the Caesar salad, clams or mussels, rack of lamb, smoke salmon' and herb crusted salmon. Bon appetite! read more

Really good upscale restaurant at decent price. Family and I really enjoyed our meals and service was attentive. The salmon wellington was delicious. I had the scallops and shrimp and it was tasty. I thought the duck was a bit bland and dry and wife thought the sauce was bit sweet. It's located in a quiet plaza. We were seated right away on a Friday night at 7pm. read more

Had dinner with friend there last night. Surprisingly good, service, quality, price, ambience, you name it. I had salmon as my main course, ordered cream brulee as recommended by friend which turned out to be an excellent choice. Only one problem I wish the owner of this restaurant could consider is to substitute the deep fried prawns to grilled one for papaya salad. read more

Elements is an amazing little restaurant in a non-descript strip mall located where San Jose meets the last ot its almond orchards. It serves Euro-Asian fare. The menu changes daily and offers only the freshest ingredients. The service has been impeccable each of the few times I've been there. The location used to house an upscale restaurant called Umunhum and so it has inherited aspects of the sophisticated interior decor and a very very nice wine cellar. However, it offers a wider range on the menu to cater the spectrum of upper casual to special occasion diners. Recently, it offered satays, spring rolls, calamari, burgers, seafood pasts, filet mignon, ahi, salmon, lamb shank, and so on. I'm tellin' ya - bring a date, Bring your wife/hubby. Pick a special occasion. They'll leave impressed and this place will enter your dining "rotation". What a pleasant surprise. read more

Atmosphere is not so great, however the food is very good. I have been here many many times with my boyfriend and family for the past few years and have tried the entire menu atleast once over. I really cannot recommend anything as everything I've tried has been excellent. Far more westering than Vietnamese. Prices are reasonable and hope I never catch them on a bad day as this is by far my fav local place. read more