The cuisine is definitively French at Beau Séjour, a four-star restaurant in Sunnyvale.
Pâte de foie gras, escargots de Bourgogne and dessert soufflés that come hot and steaming to the table are some of the items available.
The restaurant is at one corner of the Sunnyvale Town and Country Village, with lace curtains the color of the French flag--red, white and blue--decorating the windows. It was started by owner Tony Tran more than 10 years ago, and has been successful ever since.
Manager Michael Chung said the restaurant serves French food that is more nouvelle cuisine, which features light cream and less butter than traditional French cuisine.
The oven-roasted half duck with raspberry sauce is a popular item, Chung said. Another savory meal, considered the restaurant's signature dish, is the jumbo sea scallops sautéed with shiitake mushrooms and lobster sauce. Yet another favorite is the tournedos of beef with goose-liver pâté and truffle sauce.
Favorite appetizers include the escargots, and raviolis de langoustine, raviolis filled with prawns and served with a lobster sauce.
Popular at lunchtime is the restaurant's chicken salad, salade de poulet a l'orientale, or chicken salad with pasta and oriental dressing. Another favorite salad is the salade a la nouille au saumon fumé, or smoked salmon pasta salad tossed with vinaigrette dressing and lobster sauce.
Desserts are a specialty at Beau Séjour. Lunch desserts are more simple items like caramel custard, lemon tart, vanilla ice cream and sherbet with fresh fruits. But at dinner time the restaurant's famous soufflés are added. Because the soufflés take up to 25 minutes to bake, customers are encouraged to order their soufflés when they order their dinners.
Soufflés include flavors like Grand Marnier, Amaretto, chocolate and raspberry.
Other dinner desserts offered are chocolate mousse and a two-layer chocolate terrine.
At lunchtime prices for appetizers run between $3.95 and $6.95. Entrees cost between $6.95 to $14.95. Prices for appetizers, soups and salads are only slightly higher at dinner. Dinner entrees start at $12.95. Desserts cost between $2.95 and $4.50 at lunch and between $3.50 and $5.95 at dinner.
The restaurant has an early bird dinner served before 6:30 p.m. For $8.50, customers receive the soup du jour, a salad and an entree of red snapper, chicken duck or beef.
The restaurant is available for special banquets, even wedding parties, of up to 130 or 140 people.
Beau Séjour is at 704 Town and Country Village in Sunnyvale. The phone number is 408/720-0273. Hours are Monday through Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. The restaurant is open for dinner Saturdays, closed Sundays.
Sunnyvale, California Since 1994
