Rae Set Asian Grill & Craft Brew

Everything was wonderful! Matthew provided great service and the food was great. We will definitely be returning! I would recommend anyone to try the oysters and curry!

First, it’s way too dark in there and although it is clean, it looks old and dingy and the floor is ugly concrete. The food is expensive and salty. Who wants to eat out of a brown paper french fry box and sit on a cold metal chair? If that’s the case, the prices need to go way down and you should get your food at the counter. Interesting food though — the noodle bowl was good — they must have put the rice noodles in butter! Two of us ate dinner for $ 90 and no alcohol. I want it to be good but it’s not there yet.

We ate the chicken buns, phở, skewers and apple dessert. Matthew our server was attentive and polite and always there if we needed him. Beer selection was nice and food was delicious. A must if you like the combination.

Amazing asian fusion! Gotta luv that bao! Pork belly meals were yummy! Service was great too!

I wanted to like it… REALLY!
I met a few friends for lunch, but we were given brunch menus instead. The roast potatoes were great, but how difficult is it to drop some potatoes in oil? The «hash» sounded great, with short ribs and pork belly. Unfortunately, there was little be found. Mostly potatoes and mayonnaise. It was pretty inedible, and so I left it.
I would try it for dinner, but skip brunch.

My kind of comfort food. The broth was in perfect balance with the toppings, plus the fact that they serve the beef partially cooked on the side so that the broth finishes the cooking process is fantastic. One of those meals where the last sip is just as good, if not better, that the first. The beer selection was a little overwhelming at first but the waitress’s suggestion worked well with the meal. The icing on the cake was when two of the cooks came out and talked to my girlfriend and I about the broth and the cuts of meat that we’re used as well as some general food related banter. Overall a great experience, will be back.

Great food great atmosphere. The pork belly buns are off the hook good! Spicy Noodles with pork belly even better and the Wagu Sliders with Potatos bomb! Have to go back to much to try all at once.

Traveling through Napa and stopping at our fav place. Showing our family this jem during our holiday trip. Another great meal. Thank you Maury and crew!!!

Overall great experience. Fresh Food. Really fresh and delicious. Dare I say I enjoyed the pork belly buns more than Redd… Lol. Took me back to eating Cantonese in Asia. We had their beef phở which came with fresh toppings on the side and all the sauces you could want to add your own extra flavored. The curry chicken bowl was also amazing. My husband and I both ordered a beer and shared a flight of sakis.
Very friendly service. Our waitress Krista was very sweet and enthusiastic and the owner Maury came and introduced himself which is KEY!
The only reason I didn’t give more stars was: Half of it served in to-​go dishware which would be something I would change. Also, if you want hot sake you have to wait 10 – 15 minutes while the glass heats in a pot of hot water. We had to ask for napkins, silver wear and plates, and chopsticks, but I truly think these are things that will been ironed out as they train their staff.
We will be back!!!

I really wanted to like this place, I was so excited to try it out. The first time the service was awful, I was eating when my bf finally could order his food. Because I’m a local and wanted to like the place, I gave it another shot. Second time the service was still pretty bad and this time it took 45 minutes for two bowls of Phở, literally. The food isn’t even that good, plus I got sick afterwards. We won’t be coming back here ;(

My partner and I arrived in Napa on a Friday night and used Unilocal to find places to eat, and we came across this place. It was difficult to find since we are not familiar with this part of Napa, but we called and they gave us specific directions. I was a little hesitant when we pulled up because it was empty for a Friday night.
I am glad we gave this place a try! The food was good, and the wine and cider was too. It is good inexpensive food. Service was excellent. The waiter was super nice and humorous. He explained the menu items, and was able to have the chef make me some garlic noodle which I was craving that is not on the menu. We also got a suprise desert from the chef. This is what I call excellent service! If we are ever in the area again, I will come back.

How is it possible I haven’t heard of this place?
It’s in that very sad Grapevine shopping area on Jefferson but now there’s a real reason to go. It’s not excellent but it’s very good, pretty quick and not a rip off.
Personally, I’d add more noodles to the noodle bowl. Noodles are cheap and make you feel like you really got something but it’s all fine and I can see eating here a lot. It’s not super ambitious and for me, that’s part of the appeal. Dessert was an unexpected hit.
I’m very happy this is here.

So glad Napa finally has a restaurant that serves phở. I ordered the veggie phở and it was a little bland. But with a little salt and pepper it fixed that problem. The chicken buns were delicious! I will definitely be ordering those again. My coworker ordered the spring rolls and they were also super tasty. I’ll be ordering the spring rolls next time.
Great place to check out for lunch. The staff was incredibly friendly and the service was fast!

This review is strictly based on the service, beer selection and ambiance as I didn’t order any food. A coworker and I stopped in for a beer after eating sushi next door. I am not a beer drinker… At all… So I played it safe and got something I recognized (belgian white). Holy moly friends! This beer was 25oz and ten bucks and delicious! Way too much beer for me (I’d share next time) but it was super tasty and easy to drink. The staff remembered my coworker had been here a week ago which I thought was awesome and our server was sweet as pie. I def want to come back for some phở and bring my beer drinking hubby!

I’m not sure why this place has received so many great reviews. I went with a friend for lunch and we started with the spring roll and spicy noodles. They did not bring any share plates and just one set of chopsticks for the noodles. We had to get up and find someone to give us plates and silverware. I was unable to get any attention for a refill on my ice tea.
We then ordered a chicken and a beef phở — the reason we came to check the place out and they both lacked flavor and were quite bland.
Both service and food need a lot of work.

Great place. Nice clean lines, great materials. Staff was awesome, friendly, super sweet. Food was great, love the specials. Still fairly new when we came and visited. Had a friend who worked there, asked us to stop by. They serve all natural foods, no soda, but they do have carbonated drinks made with real sugar cane. They have a huge room to watch sports on. Beer and wine present if that’s your thang.
I hear the chef used to cook for the Warriors. Haven’t met him, but his food was great. Even have a kids menu, and my son devoured his food and asked for more.
Tucked away in a parking lot, but with advertising they will do just fine!

I came in for a late lunch and the place was completely empty except for the owner and a few staff members…
I actually like that it’s not downtown especially when I don’t feel like dealing with the typical crowds…
I was unimpressed with their hot tea selection but no big deal. I didn’t go there for their tea…
I ordered coconut water and hot tea– they both sounded good but I do not recommend the coconut water… it’s not the best–
I ordered the beef phở and was pleasantly surprised… it’s not traditional but close enough so I don’t have to drive to Fairfield or Vallejo to get a good bowl on a cold day…
I also ordered the pork shoulder skewers but they said they were out so I ended up getting some marinated beef that the server recommended– meh…
I will be back for the phở and a few other items that tempted me…

When I read Scott S’s ROTD for Raeset, it became an instabookmark. Asian food and craft beer? Two of my favorite things. How could it get any better?
I wasn’t sure where this new restaurant was in Napa until I started getting closer. I realized it was near Golden Bagel, across the street from Taco Bell. That’s pretty much my knowledge of Napa’s geography.
I love the concept of this place. However, they were seriously lacking in the craft beer department. They had 10 or so beers on tap along with several bottles. To be honest, the bottled selection was no better than Grocery Outlet Bargain Market. The taps were filled with the usual Drakes, North Coast, Bear Republic, etc. Oh, and PBR for some odd reason. It’s all stuff I’ve had many times before. In fact I almost didn’t bother ordering a beer until I saw that they offered a flight. Not that the flight included anything special. But 4 tasters for $ 7 is a good deal.
I’d like to see more smaller, local breweries on the menu the next time I’m in. However I doubt I will return for the beer. They only offer a few of them in pints. Most of the beers are served in 9−12oz glasses. When I go out for a beer I go out for a proper pint. I leave the 12oz curls for at home.
I spotted a Vegan labeled Phở on their menu. In Napa? There is hardly any Vegan food in Napa, how the hell did they wind up with a Vegan version of Phở? It came out with a thick slab of grilled tofu resting on top of a very dark brown broth. The menu description described it as a «rich consommé» and that was no letdown. It didn’t exactly taste like any Phở I’ve ever had but it was damned good. The broth was so rich and tasty that I was having hesitations that it wasn’t Vegan. 4 stars for this tasty soup.
Unfortunately that was the only highlight on the menu. I got the «bento box» and chose Marinated Tofu, Spicy Rice Noodles, and Mixed Herbs and Lettuces.
The «Mixed Herbs and Lettuces» really only consisted of one variation of lettuce and it was iceberg. Unless it’s on top of my burger, I have little desire to see iceberg lettuce on my plate. ESPECIALLY in a salad! The Chinese Mustard Dressing was quite flavorful, if not plentiful.
The Spicy Rice Noodles were okay. Tasted like overcooked boxed rice noodles with some chili sauce. Not much going on there.
Marinated Tofu was good but the lettuce wraps that it came with made it messy to eat. I doubt I would order this again. The dipping sauce tasted really fishy but wasn’t dark in color like fishsauce usually is so I’m hoping it was something else. The dude said everything I ordered was Vegan so I’m hoping he was right.
My babygirl loved her Roasted Potatoes. They use coconut oil and you can really taste the flavor. Went great with the beer!
Service was great, Vegan Phở was phenomenal, the place looks really nice and that was about it. I’ll come back for that but have to head elsewhere for the beer and more food.

So happy to discover this new restaurant. Imaginative food, great beers, and knowledgeable service at reasonable prices. Location in the Grapeyard shopping center means easy parking and no downtown crowds. And they are open late!
I had a bento with skewers of salmon and shrimp. The salmon was especially nice, interesting seasonings and not over cooked. The fish was great in lettuce wraps with house made Asian pickles (loved the chayote with coriander seeds) and fresh herbs. Mildly spiced rice noodles were a tasty side, and there were chili oil and Sri racha to adjust the heat. My husband got an enormous bowl of beef phở that was richly flavored with buttery beef bones and aromatic spices. Both of us enjoyed the international beer selection, from a Belgian kriek to a Japanese IPA. We will be back to explore the menu further.

Four stars or five stars… I keep changing my mind every two minutes. Some of the «pros» could also be interpreted as «cons,» depending on your individual preferences and expectations. But the bottom line is that it’s good and I recommend that you go and check it out
The Pros:
– The food is really, really good. It’s unique (for Napa), well thought out, balanced (with just a few misses), and executed at an unexpectedly high level.
– It’s Asian fusion. This can be a good thing if you’re open to new interpretations, or a bad thing if you’re a purist. It’s also a bad thing if it’s poorly executed, making it seemingly accidental in nature. But that’s definitely NOT the case here. They’ve done a really good job of representing and crossing-​over with Vietnamese, Japanese, Chinese, Thai, and even Filipino (they have halo-​halo!!) cultures. That’s no small task. Bravo.
– The Char Siu Chicken Buns were awesome. Perfect moisture (too little and it’s dry, too much and it’s gummy) and texture in the buns.
– The 10 Piece Chicken Basket was on fleek. Think Asian-​style hot wings with a delicious housemade hot sauce. But with chicken feet. And chicken neck. Yup.
I’ve had plenty of chicken necks in my life, but this was so good. How did they get the neck so tender but achieve good carmelization? Did they blanch the necks then flash fry them? No, they told me when I asked. They were confit (with lemongrass) and then finished on the grill. Brilliant.
– The staff is eager, friendly, and very knowledgeable about all of the food (ingredients, cooking methods, context). They’re well put together and coordinated. That’s impressive considering they’ve only been open a few days.
– The beer selection might just be the best I’ve seen in the Napa Valley. And I applaud the focus on beer — not wine — because beer is the appropriate choice for this food/​cuisine.
– They managed to create a huge variety of dining/​seating options in a small space! Booth, bar, communal tables, low counters (a la ramen-​style), seating with a view of the open kitchen, and even a space that can be a private room/​meeting room with a large screen TV. Nicely done.
– I also noticed that there are electrical outlets close to every seating option in the restaurant. I’ve come to see this as a really nice hospitality touch!
The Cons:
– As noted above, from a usage standpoint, they did a great job utilizing space. From an interior design aspect, it’s ugly as fuck.
– It’s Asian fusion. This can be a good thing if you’re open to new interpretations, or a bad thing if you’re a purist. For instance, the phở is almost ramen-​like. Don’t get me wrong — it’s actually a fabulous bowl of soup (a little heavy on the cinnamon). But if you’re used to lighter styles of broth, I imagine some people will be caught off guard at the dark, concentrated beefy-​ness of this broth.
– I tried three different skewers, and I think they were the only really big miss. I was expecting izakaya style robatayaki skewers, but they weren’t seasoned/​flavored that way at all. As a matter of fact, I don’t think either of the chicken (thigh and breast) were seasoned/​flavored with anything other than salt. And because they’re not using a charcoal/​wood grill, there was no smoke at all on it. It was just plain grilled chicken with Southeast Asian style dipping sauce. Meh.
On the other hand, the pork shoulder skewer was very flavorful, tasting very much like the soy/​garlic/​sesame in Korean kalbi.
Additional thoughts:
One of the first things I asked after I came through the door was the origin of the name «RaeSet.» I was told that it was a play on the French word «recette,» which I remember from culinary school means «recipe.»
Two of the owners stopped by to chat while I dined and I learned that the chef, Barry Shinto, used to be the chef at Ozumo in Oakland. And Maury used to be the GM at La Toque in Napa, and at Absinthe in SF before that (and even Citronelle in SB). Impressive! The pedigree of their experience shows. When I learned this, the weird discord in the vibe started to make sense. The refinement and execution in the concept, food, and service wasn’t at all what I was expecting in this casual space that used to be a Pizza Hut nestled in an older strip mall with Comast, McDonalds, and H&R Block as neighbors.
The food is good. The rest will work itself out. Please go and support the much needed ethnic diversity this restaurant brings to Napa.