Aroma Cuisine of India
We got word that longtime Castro Valley favorite Aroma Cuisine within the Castro Village Shopping Center closed last month after 15 years. The restaurant was known for above-average traditional Indian cuisine, including spicy tandoori platters and top-tier curries. Fans should note the dining room has already been refreshed and reopened under new management as Phulkari Indian Cuisine. Aroma Cuisine of India was at 3418 Village Dr. in Castro Valley; it has already reopened as Phulkari Indian Cuisine.
Sa Wad Dee Thai Richmond
This might make Richmond locals do a double-take, as this sweet San Pablo Avenue Thai restaurant has been very visibly shut down since 2021. But, after initially being labeled “temporarily closed for repairs,” it is now marked permanently shuttered across the internet, and the restaurant’s website and phone are both fully down. The dining room was forced to close due to water intrusion in late 2021; the community waited but those repairs were never made, and the entire building and lot remain vacant and abandoned after two years. Sa Wad Dee Thai first opened in 1997, and was a celebrated local institution for warming Thai cuisine before it was forced to close; it deserves an official heartfelt farewell. Sa Wad Dee Thai was at 12200 San Pablo Ave. in Richmond.
Subway Oakland (98th & Bigge)
The Subway location on 98th Avenue, near the Oakland Airport, was severely vandalized recently. The franchise eatery’s windows were demolished in the attack, and the location is temporarily closed for repairs. Note: Family-owned Royal Kitchen Indian Restaurant next door in the same building was also vandalized but has recovered and remains open for business. Subway Oakland at 98th & Bigge is temporarily closed for repairs.
