To get to 3 Bottled Fish, our GPS directed us to the Fruitvale exit in East Oakland. I was a little scared. I knew we were going into Oakland but didn’t realize we would be traveling into an area that has faced significant issues with crime. The In-N-Out near Fruitvale shuttered its doors in March of 2024 for the safety of its employees and customers due to car break-ins, theft, and armed robberies. Residents have also reported issues with shootings and gang activity in the Fruitvale neighborhood. Despite knowing all this I still wanted to eat at 3 Bottled Fish. When we left, I said half-jokingly to Sean that if we don’t make it back alive my dying wish was for him to take good care of his two furry sisters. 

We got there close to 1 pm because that morning I had to finish making sixty vanilla, strawberry, and chocolate buttercream cupcakes for a friend. She was distressed because she had committed to bringing homemade cupcakes for a memorial service and her other baker friend who was supposed to bake them had to cancel last-minute. My friend had never made buttercream frosting in her life, let alone piped it on cupcakes. (I’m the 9-1-1 baker my friends call when they find themselves in these precarious situations. I may not be able to save people like Wonder Woman but I can save them from pastry disasters by making some stunning frosting.)

3 Bottled Fish is the type of place where you don’t know what is on the menu until you get there. The pungent house-made fish sauce punched us in the nose the moment we walked in. Paulette Tran is the owner, chef, waitress, and cashier at 3 Bottled Fish. She greeted us as if she’d been expecting us. I immediately noticed the tattoos on both her arms and her cool vibe energy. 

Her menu, handwritten on a chalkboard sign, is short and interesting – just like her. It changes daily. Although I was hoping to see some personal favorites like Eastside noodles aka rice vermicelli (bun thit nuong), shaking beef, or bun rieu stew, I was glad Paulette had not sold out of everything, which I’ve heard is often the case at this hour.

All three mains were affordable and still available – the roasted pork belly banh mi ($14), the sardine banh mi ($14), and the beef congee (chao bo) ($12). We ordered one of each and two drinks (lotus tea for me and clementine spritzer for Grant), then sat down at one of the two tables in the café. We picked the smaller table next to the window with a bright blue-violet Vietnamese fabric tablecloth. The other table was longer and covered with a bright red Vietnamese tablecloth. It could’ve seated six but was occupied by a single elderly Vietnamese woman gnawing quietly on a chicken leg. Chicken was not on the chalkboard menu so she must have gotten a special order.

Customers trickled in and patiently waited on the chairs and sofa near the counter after placing their orders. When Paulette ran out of baguettes to make banh mi, she was undaunted. She matter-of-factly told the customer who wanted the sardine banh mi that she had no more bread and offered to make him a rice dish with some salmon she had in her fridge. He happily accepted her kind gesture, glad to have something to eat after making the effort to come all the way out to her cafe.

The food at 3 Bottled Fish is uncomplicated and homey. The pork banh mi was succulent, well-spiced with a pleasant taste, served in a crusty and crunch French baguette. The sardine banh mi came in the same baguette with cilantro, sliced jalapeno, and pickled daikon and carrot.

Congee always comforts me and hers was delightful to eat. It was filled with tender slices of beef and topped with cilantro, bean sprouts, and a slice of lemon. I could taste the layered flavors of chili and ginger.

My lotus tea was okay but we both preferred Grant’s refreshing clementine spritzer. At first we thought the bright orange peel was a kumquat. Pauline, busy as she was cooking for other customers, overheard us and informed us it was actually clementine.

I was amazed Paulette could do so much in a small space without being frantic. She is certainly making her family proud with her mom’s recipes. She is a hero, bringing kindness, her heart, and nurturing food to a neighborhood many have written off.

On the way home our GPS led us down Foothill Boulevard. We drove past canopied food stands in front of a drugstore. I can’t even remember if it was CVS or Walgreens because I was entranced by the delicious food. Vendors sold Mexican tortas, Salvadoran pupusas, and Guatemalan fried chicken. We were tempted to stop and look around but decided to save that for another trip. One hour was more than enough for me to live on the dangerous side.