About Hopulent

What a time to open a new restaurant! After 14 months of regulatory hurdles and Covid, I took the plunge (with fingers crossed).

I had a big optimistic dream back in October 2019 when I discovered this amazing little Victorian house on the market in Vallejo that was most recently a café.  I signed a 5 year lease and applied to the city for permits to transform the space into a new restaurant. This would be the third similar project I’ve started in the past seven years: Three years as co-owner-chef at PS Eatery in Alameda and two years starting up Propaganda in Emeryville.

Working full time as a carpenter, with a lifelong passion for nature, and the love for food and beer. I spent many late night hours after work to smooth and resurface the walls, install crown molding, add décor here and plantings there to create an opulent but casual space for you to relax in and enjoy a cold beer and a bite to eat indoor or on the patio. 

In  early March 2020, I was laid off from my full time construction job due to the pandemic.  My dream of owning a café seemed to be slowly drifting away. But I resolved that this setback wouldn’t stop me from pursuing my dream. It’s been a roller coaster ride of endless permit requirements and pandemic related business restrictions.  My dates for a grand opening kept getting pushed back while many other businesses were shutting down.  My heart felt sad for all the devastated business owners out there who had to close forever, dreams lost. I lost a bit of focus, and momentum when the fires raged in northern California, layers of ashes piled up on the tables and chairs of the outdoor patio as the smoky air blotted out dreams of outdoor dining.

Month after month I paid rent on the empty space out of my dwindling savings.  I am very grateful for all the friends and family who have pitched in to help me financially during that tough time. With outdoor dining the only option I expanded the outdoor space into a garden dining area, using plants that I have collected these past years. It's a space everyone can enjoy and relax in after a long day at work or being cooped up in the house.  A garden refuge.  October 19, 2020, marked one year from signing the lease. HOPULENT was born!

With the opening of our dining room we now have several several seating areas for your enjoyment.

I'd like to share with you good food, craft beer and other beverages, and all the plants in my garden. 

Hopulent Food and Drink

  I love to eat!  My food cravings are all over the map, literally. You will find mostly comfort food here at Hopulent but occasionally I will throw in some Vietnamese food or some spaghetti and meatballs.  My favorite dish of all time is mac and cheese.  I was brought up eating mac and cheese pretty much throughout my high school years (De Anza, Richmond), but the boxed stuff.  I’ve been cooking this recipe with high quality ingredients since 2014 at my former restaurant PS Eatery in Alameda, CA. It was the most popular item on the menu!  I invite you to try my Hopulent mac and cheese.  Over the last several years I’ve developed a fondness for good quality craft beer.  The greater Bay Area has hundreds of small brewers who are producing some amazing beers.  Many brewers are struggling right now.  At Hopulent we will focus primarily on featuring small local brewers.  In the future I hope to host events supporting and showcasing our local brewers.

The Patio & Garden

I’ve always been an outdoor type of guy and have owned plant and landscape businesses.  I love all varieties of plants and trees.  When I was designing Hopulent, I wanted customers to feel the way I felt when I’m in my garden setting at home sipping on an ice cold beer.  A kind of community garden space.  I’ve already got quite a bit of plants hanging here, there, almost everywhere. Our private garden setting is somewhat secluded and private so you can have your intimate date or just hide out and enjoy your time here.  

Our special garden space is now available for private functions and events. Contact us for more information.

Thank you for reading this far. Please come check out Hopulent.

Dang “David” Le’