***June 20, 2006: Guerila Cafe***

Guerilla Cafe
1620 Shattuck Ave.
Berkeley, Ca
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I’m always excited by new additions to the Gourmet Ghetto stretch of Shattuck especially when it’s a new restaurant like the Guerilla Café which supports the Mo’ Better food movement (African American organic farmers) and is rumored to serve some pretty good food. As soon as I walked in, I was impressed by how much they did with small space they had to work with. The décor was bright and cheery and decorated with surf board art and tiles with multi colored poke-a-dots. The front has a large sliding window that was open this morning allowing the early summer warmth to pour in.
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I ordered an Africano to drink which I had read was a mix between a cappuccino and a latte made with Blue Bottle beans. After receiving the drink in what was basically a large shot glass, I would describe it as more of a mix between an espresso and a cappuccino. Espresso is a bit too strong for me, but this drink had just enough milk to balance out the bitterness and with a little sugar I really liked it. Next time I want to try their cappuccino, I can only imagine that I would like them even more. My sister (who I had dragged along) had the red, green, and yellow spritzer which contains lemon, lime, and logan berry juice. It was sooo good! I kind of wished I’d ordered one myself so I didn’t have to keep stealing sips of hers.
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Her pine nut and cornmeal waffle arrived first. Neither of us are really big pine nut fans, but the cornmeal gave the waffle an amazing texture and the mixed berries which topped the waffle were sweet and absolutely delicious. I like the outside of my waffles to be a little crispier than theirs was, but I’m not sure if they need to worry more about not over cooking the cornmeal to prevent it from getting too grainy. I’m interested to find out what their other waffles of the day are like!

My Mediterranean eggs took forever; my sister was long done with her waffle before my eggs arrived. The waitress apologized and said there was a problem with the machine. I’m not too sure what kind of machine they were using to poach eggs (I usually just use a pan . . .), but I’ll excuse the lateness as an early kink which will hopefully get worked out soon! The eggs were okay, the yellows weren’t quite as runny as I think they should be in poached eggs and at the same time the white wasn’t totally cooked. So I’m not too sure what was going on in the kitchen, but they were still good and came with great buttered sourdough toast, tomatoes, cucumbers, and feta. It was a filling breakfast but I left feeling healthy and not too stuffed to visit the Cheese Board! On my next visit (and I’m definitely going back) I think I’ll try the polenta with poached eggs with my cappuccino. As soon as they get their egg poacher working, I think Café Guerilla has a lot of potential to become one of my regular stops!

***June 15, 2006: Coi***

Coi
323 Brodway
San Francisco, CA
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I was almost surprised at myself for making a reservation at Coi. In many ways it was the type of place I always want to try out; it was new, had an interesting menu, modern décor, good reviews, and a chef who I had enjoyed at his previous restaurant Elizabeth Daniel’s. But, and it’s a big but, the chef (Daniel Patterson) was the same annoying man who wrote an article a few months back criticizing the Bay Area for getting stuck in a “California cuisine” rut. As someone who loves Alice Waters and the way of cooking and thinking about food that she introduced to us, I immediately labeled Patterson as arrogant and never thought that I would visit one of his restaurants again. Yet, when Coi opened and good reviews started coming out, I got curious and I had to find out if he really had anything fresh and exciting to the offer the Bay Area.
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My first impression of Coi was mostly positive. For a Thursday night the lounge was pretty deserted and I was a little put off by the lack of windows in the small dinning room, but other than that I really liked the minimalist décor. The dining room was decorated with muted tones which were spiced up by a varying array textures. The dining room had an earthy feel (one the art instillation was a moss covered log) and it was kept well lit by soft overhead lights and little candles on each of the nine tables. From the moment we drove up to the curve, the service was flawless. I would actually have to say that the best thing about the restaurant was the staff. Everyone was surprisingly friendly, helpful, and warm. We felt perfectly doted upon through out the entire meal and never wanted more or less attention than we received. It is very impressive that within only a couple of months of operation Coi has already assembled a phenomenal team of waiters and hostesses.
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Now the food. I really wanted to get the full chance to see what Patterson was capable of doing, so my group decided to go for the ten course tasting menu. With the exception of the sweetbread ravioli (which they graciously let me substitute for the risotto) every dish on the menu looked too tempting to just order the four course menu.
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The amuse bouche was a spoonful of small diced vegetables with vinaigrette and Corsican mint. It was very good, and a nice light way to start the meal, but not all that different from the California cuisine that Patterson was supposedly revolutionizing. However, the first course immediately separated his cooking style from pretty much every other chef I’ve tried in the bay area. It was a pink grapefruit salad spiced with pepper, ginger, and tarragon and covered in grapefruit foam. Next to this dish was a little puddle of grapefruit essential oil. The waitress explained to us that we were supposed to put the essential oil on our wrists (like perfume) and then smell it while we ate the salad so that we could have a full sensory experience. I thought the whole thing was a bit convoluted and while the salad was actually quite good, I’m not sure if the oil actually made much of a difference. Still, he made a point with the dish and it set the mood for the meal. Furthermore, I really enjoyed the salad and I actually loved the smell of the essential oil (I’m definitely going to buy some when Coi starts to bottle it which our waitress said was going to happen soon).
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The next course was bone marrow with beet puree and caviar. Once again, this is not something that I could see ever being served at Chez Panisse. I’m not the biggest bone marrow fan and I wouldn’t want to eat this rich dish every night, but I ended up enjoying this course quite a bit. The bone marrow was perfectly sautéed with a crispy outside, the caviar added a nice saltiness, and the beet puree helped to lighten this dish a bit and give it a familiar flavor.
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The bone marrow was followed by raw scallops over sweet California avocados decorated with colorful flowers. After the previous rich course, I really appreciated this clean and light dish. The flowers were the perfect touch for a late spring dinner and the scallops were some of the best I have ever had. There were also some slices of radish thrown in which I thought added a necessary crunch. My only problem with this dish was that it was slightly large considering how many more courses were coming, but no one was making me eat the whole thing (which I did all on my own).
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The next dish, the beet carpaccio with summer truffles, was my least favorite one of the night. The crunchy truffle shavings on top just didn’t really meld together with the thin slices of beet or the pieces of endive. Instead of being a comprehensive dish, I felt like I was just eating three separate items that just happened to get mixed together, which was disappointing since I normally love the addition of truffles to any dish.

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However, I didn’t stay disappointed with Patterson for long. The following course was a delicious chilled pea soup with ricotta sorbet. I was slightly worried that the ricotta sorbet was going to be too strong, but it was the perfect accompaniment to the pea soup. Besides looking beautifully striking surrounded by the bright green soup, the coldness of the pure white sorbet added another interesting sensory experience to the meal. This dish almost made me wish I had ordered it off the four course menu so that I could have received a larger portion!

Patterson kept up his winning streak for the next few dishes. After the soup was a small slice of sea bream over braised lettuce and the most delicious wild asparagus. I’d actually had wild asparagus the first time a couple of nights ago, and I was thrilled to find those sweet little stems underneath my fish. The fish was also perfectly prepared (flakey and not dry at all), and I would have finished it all if I hadn’t started to get worried about having room for dessert. My only challenge to Patterson is that the fish course was exactly California cuisine. Not that I think he really needs to do something different for every course to prove his point, but I just find it interesting that one of his strongest dishes of the night was very “Chez Panisse”.

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The cracked wheat risotto that came next made me very glad that I still was able to fit some food in my stomach. I’d never had cracked wheat risotto and I found it very similar to faro which I absolutely love. The risotto was really filling, as pasta normally is, but was utterly delicious. It came with little cooked fava beans, morels, and baby leeks and a round of ramp foam. At this point I started to notice the pattern of foam use. I don’t really have strong feelings about foam in either direction, but it clearly seems to be a way that Patterson is trying to distinguish himself. As long as he continues to use it in amazing dishes such as this one, I’ll continue to have no issue with the foam!
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I probably should have stopped eating after that course. The following courses, including dessert which I normally love, were disappointments. The final entrée was three preparations of lamb. There was a small bite of kidney, shoulder, and leg. Nothing was remarkable about this dish and just a taste of each part of the lamb was plenty for me. Lamb is my favorite type of meat, so I was really frustrated that Patterson failed to do anything inventive with his wonderful ingredients.
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The next two courses were palate cleansers. The first was a fourme d’ambert blue cheese ice milk over gelatin. I could barley eat this dish. I love blue cheese, but the ice milk was far too strong and the gelatin did nothing to balance out or add to the flavor. Instead, the gelatin just added a weird, unpleasant texture to the already overpowering ice milk. Thankfully, the next dish wasn’t nearly as bad. It was a rhubarb peppercress frappe that consisted of rhubarb mixed with crushed ice and I guess a little peppercress but I couldn’t notice it in the flavor. It was very refreshing and subtle, which was a huge relief after the previous course! I only wished that I could have had a larger portion or an easier dish to eat out of (it came in a tall glass that was hard to get a spoon inside of).

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Finally there were the desserts. I have one of the biggest sweet tooths ever, and I often run into the issue of wanting to order multiple desserts. The staff was once again extremely accommodating and instead of making us all have the dessert on the tasting menu the waitress allowed us to order one of each of the desserts from the regular menu. We received a chocolate tart, a strawberry bombe, and a cherry confit. I’ll have to admit that I was a little surprised to see a chocolate tart on Patterson’s menu. I feel like almost every restaurant has some sort of warm chocolate cake with a molten center (which is exactly what this dish was). He did help to make his version not quite as boring with the addition of toasted yogurt and a little square of tamarind gelee. But I was much happier eating the sides of this dish than the chocolate tart; the yogurt and gelee were far more inventive and flavorful!
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The strawberry bombe was more like a strawberry Napoleon made with ice cream than anything else. It was a layer of cake, followed by a layer of strawberry ice cream, followed by a layer of some sort of cream, all topped with strawberry sorbet. Both the strawberry sorbet and ice cream were delicious (as they should be with strawberries being so sweet this time of year) and I was pleased that neither the cream nor the cake layer were overpowering or took anything away from the strawberry flavors. Instead I thought this dessert was well executed and had the most beautiful preparation. I’ve heard that it replaced an amazing meyer lemon meringue pie that used to be on the menu, but I’m happy that I got to try the strawberry bomb!
- The cherry confit covered in triple cream mousse was served in a large bowl and was accompanied by two little slices of cinnamon toast on the side. The cinnamon toast should have been left out; it was too sweet and too hard and did not fit with the rest of the dish. The cherry confit and mousse however were great. Cherries are currently at the height of their season and I was delighted to see Patterson making use of California’s amazing summer produce. The confit was sweet and simple and was transformed into a gourmet dessert with the addition of the slightly tart triple cream mouse. I loved the natural combination of cheese and fruit with a slightly unusual preparation. This was probably my favorite of the three desserts.
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I finished off dinner with blue bottle coffee. After seeing other customers receive hot chocolate and cookies, I was a little disappointed that this wasn’t offered to our table. My only guess is that it is part of the regular menu and that the chefs rightly assume that you’re too stuffed for hot chocolate if you’ve just finished the tasting menu! At the end of the dinner I felt very full, satisfied, and well, impressed. Part of me didn’t want to like Patterson’s restaurant because I had been so annoyed by his article. I personally don’t find anything wrong with California cuisine. While Patterson’s use of foams and unusual ingredients was occasionally successful, I found that his star dishes were the ones were he kept things simple. Like the pea soup with ricotta sorbet or the risotto with vegetables; fresh high quality ingredients masterfully combined in simple ways. I’m very interested to see how this restaurant evolves and I’ll definitely be back in a few months for a second visit!

***June 14, 2006: Pacific's Edge***

Pacific’s Edge
120 Highlands Drive
Carmel, CA
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Pacific’s Edge has one of the best views I have ever seen. Two walls of the restaurant are floor to ceiling windows and it’s positioned on a cliff looking out over the Pacific Ocean. The dining room is set up in two tiers in order to maximize the number of tables with views, which is important because I think most people would be very unhappy to not get a window table. The décor is understated and simple and mostly goes unnoticed; however the restaurant has a very elegant feel and seems beautiful because of the view. As I told my dad (who was my dinner companion that night), I usually hate being left alone at the table when the other person goes to the bathroom, but I didn’t mind it at all at Pacific’s Edge because I just sat there contently mesmerized by the beautiful sunset!
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The menu is tasting menu style and you can choose to have three, four, or five savory courses (or the chef’s set tasting menu). They don’t scale down the portion size when you order more dishes so be wary of ordering more than three even though cost wise additional courses are quite a deal. I decided to order the “steak & eggs”, the day boat scallops, and the striped bass. My dad ordered the seared kajiki, the salt prawns, the braised lobster, and the smoked duck breast. Since we split everything, I basically got to sample nine courses (when you include desserts)! In addition, dinner began with an amuse bouche of sweet potato soup and ended with a little treat of a raspberry with lemon cream and a financier. Needless to say, I was stuffed by the end!
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I started with the “steak & eggs” which was beef carpaccio and a little quiche. I really enjoyed the carpaccio which was well favored with peppercorns and a spicy mustard sauce. However, I wasn’t a fan of the quiche which was served room temperature, was quite bland, and just kind of mushy. I much preferred by dad’s first course which was the seared kajiki. The seared fish came with a fruity salad of fennel, green apple, and some dried berries. I thought the dish was light and fresh and the perfect way to start a meal.
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The next course was my dad’s prawns (since he’d ordered one more dish than I had). The prawns were soaked in a butter sauce and were well cooked, but nothing phenomenal. Honestly, I think it was just a little too much butter for my taste. Especially when my dad’s next dish was the butter braised lobster, which I thought was a much tastier dish and more worth the millions of calories from the butter. It was a pretty simple dish, but my favorite way to have lobster is just plain with butter so I really loved this preparation. My dad who puts butter on everything, was more than happy to have two dishes full of his favorite condiment. Surprisingly though, he actually enjoyed my scallops with fois gras and celery root puree more than his lobster. I agreed that they were perfectly undercooked (which is rare since so many restaurants over cook them) and the celery root puree was a good match to bring out the sweet flavors, but I’d choose well cooked lobster over day boat scallops any day!
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Our final courses were the bass and the duck. Both dishes were excellently executed, but at this point I was desperately trying to save room for my favorite course: dessert! The bass came with the skin on (which I really don’t enjoy eating) but underneath it was juicy and flaky. The red wine reduction sauce was a little heavy for me, but it still managed not to mask the flavor of the bass. The duck was cooked exactly medium rare, but still managed to taste a little chewy to me. However, I loved the maple glaze and the little round of duck confit. Still, I thought that my bass was the better of the two.
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Finally it was time for dessert! After seeing the huge portion of malasadas (beignet like sugar coated balls), we decided to go with the chocolate, chocolate, chocolate and the apple tart tatin hoping that they would be smaller. The chocolate dish definitely was. It came with three little tastes of chocolate; a chocolate and caramel bombe, a chocolate cake with raspberry cream (pictured), and a really really tasty spoonful of cappuccino ice cream. Besides the ice cream, I found the chocolate dish rather standard and unimaginative and I didn’t exactly see how cappuccino flavor counted as a chocolate taste. But, I loved the ice cream and I’m always happy to eat chocolate. The apple tart tatin, was also a bit of a disappointment. The apples were spiced well and the 5-spice ice cream was great – but the pastry underneath the apples was not very good at all. It couldn’t hold up to all the liquids on top of it and had become soggy and chewy and didn’t have any of the buttery flakeyness that makes puff pastry normally so amazing. Additionally, the portion was way too big.
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My dad and I were happy that we ventured over to Pacific’s Edge. I think it has the best atmosphere of any place in a 30 min driving radius, great service, and one of the best views I’ve ever seen. Overall I thought the food was prepared well and very tasty, but not quite up to the level of Marinus (a nearby restaurant at the Bernardus lodge). I’m sure we’ll be returning to Pacific’s edge soon and I’ll definitely recommend it to anybody looking for a restaurant to celebrate a special occasion!

***June 14, 2006: Yank Sing***

Yank Sing
101 Spear St.
San Francisco, CA
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Every time I go to Yank Sing I remember just how much I love dim sum. Once again I forgot to bring my camera, so I just wanted to quickly recap on my lunch today. Based on recommendations, I decided to mostly order steamed items and tried really hard to avoid getting everything that passed on those little carts. My favorite of the day was definitely the pea shoot dumplings (looked like spinach in a pot sticker shaped dumpling but more flavorful and light), closely followed by the shrimp gow (little round dumplings with large balls of chopped shrimp). We also sampled the chicken mushroom dumplings which were just fine, the BBQ pork buns (a personal favorite of mine and I LOVE Yank Sing’s version), and the special crab cakes (steamed and light with a good chili sauce). The only disappointment was the peking duck which was bland and fatty and the skin wasn’t crispy enough. I’m usually a fan of peking duck so I was surprised and let down by this dish. All is well that ends well though and since I am officially obsessed with the coconut cream roll (a sweet rice roll with custard filling and coconut on the outside – see picture) I left a very happy customer.

**note: Picture is from http://www.yanksing.com/our-desserts-coconut-cream-roll.htm**

***June 11, 2006: Vik's Chaat Corner***

Vik’s Chaat Corner
724 Allston Way
Berkeley, CA
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Today I finally ventured outside of bhatura cholle. I was having a major Vik’s craving but for a number of reasons I needed to get my food to go and eat at home. From a previous take out experience, I have sadly learned that a deflated and cooled bhatura cholle (a huge puff of fried bread served with lentil soup and other sauces) wrapped in foil just doesn’t come close to eating it piping hot with a spork and huge pile of napkins in the extremely casual Vik’s warehouse. So, I decided to take this opportunity to try some of the weekend specials and a regular menu item outside of my old favorite. When I first walked into Vik’s I panicked, but I quickly calmed down when I realized that the new fancy blackboard with colorful chalk writing offers the exact same options as the old white board. My next obstacle was learning that the dhokla (steamed chickpea flour cakes) were sold out and having to quickly rethink my ordering plan. Since I had already sampled the dosa and a couple of the puri dishes on previous visits, I decided to order the pakori chaat, the chicken kathi kabab, the uttapam, a sweet rolled in coconut, and a fresh coconut (the cashier machetes the coconut in front of you and sticks a straw in it so you can drink the juice). I nibbled on my sweet while I waited for my order. While I loved the coconut, I couldn’t bring myself to finish the whole extremely sugary roll. Indian sweets are definitely an acquired taste that I haven’t learned to love yet.
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The first thing I realized when I got home was that since everything was just thrown in the bag, I had no idea which sauce was supposed to go with what dish. I tried to piece things together from the Vik’s menu on their web site (http://www.vikdistributors.com/chaat/chaatMenu.html), but I basically ended up deciding that they all went together and it didn’t really matter. My favorite dish ended up being the uttapam which was actually my last minute replacement for the dhokla. I only picked it because I thought I recognized the word from a chowhound posting and the cashier’s description sounded appetizing. The uttapam is a fairly thick pancake-like flat bread filled with tomatoes and onions that tastes amazing with the coconut chutney. It was spicy, sweet, flavorful, not overly greasy, and basically perfect. Seriously, it was sooo hard to stop eating the uttapam and make myself sample the other dishes!
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I had trouble making up my mind about the pakori chaat (lentil dumplings with yogurt, tamarind, and mint chutney). The sauce had pretty much soaked through the paper tray by the time I got home and I had to transfer it into a real bowl. During the transfer I got sauce all over my hands (which of course I sampled) and I think tasting the yummy yogurt all mixed up with tamarind and mint chutney got me too excited. I ended up being disappointed by the almost soggy matzo ball texture of the lentil dumplings. Still, even after I had set it aside and moved on to eating more uttapam and the chicken, I kept reaching over and taking one more bite of the pakori chaat. I’d really love to try this dish fresh in Vik’s and see if the dumplings are less soggy if eaten immediately, or try something else with the complex yogurt sauce (which I think was the real strong point).
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The final item was the chicken kathi kabab which was cubes of spicy chicken and onions wrapped in white bread and served with mint sauce. I often have trouble with Indian chicken dishes because I don’t usually like anything but chicken breast meat, but that really wasn’t an issue here. I found the chicken very flavorful but not fatty and a little too spicy but balanced out by the cooling mint sauce. I guess my only complaint would be that the bread was kind of greasy and too doughy for my taste. Once again this could be a problem that is corrected when the dish is eaten fresh or maybe I just want something that tastes healthy (which I’m not going to easily find at Vik’s!).
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The overall consensus from my take-out experience is that it’s definitely worth it to sample as many items on Vik’s menu as possible. Furthermore, I think that at least some of the dishes travel well and, while you lose the eccentric atmosphere of Vik’s, take-out is a worthwhile option when you’re in a pinch. I don’t think that any of tonight’s dishes topped the bhatura cholle as my all time favorite, but I’ll definitely order all of them again when I’m eating in the restaurant next time. . . which could be next weekend when I go back to try and taste the dhokla!

**Note: Picture of the outside of Vik's is from http://www.shopinberkeley.com/v/vikschaatcorner/***

***June 10, 2006: Soi 4***

Soi 4
5421 College Ave.
Oakland, CA
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It wouldn’t be a trip home with out a visit to Soi 4, my favorite Thai restaurant in Oakland. Even my best friend (who rarely likes to venture outside of Ritz crackers, buttered fusilli, and thoroughly cooked salmon) will happily put aside her picky eating to come to Soi 4. Unlike most Thai restaurants in the Bay Area this one is pretty upscale and has an appealing, clean, minimalist decor. Without alcohol the bill can get to about $40 a person, but the food is definitely worth it. On weekends it’s best to make a reservation, but a small party can usually get a table within 20 minutes.
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My main problem with Soi 4 is that I have gotten in an ordering rut. Every time I go there I order the steamed turnip cakes and the minced chicken. I’ve tried the flat bread, the sliced steak with parched rice, and the chicken skewers, which are all good but nothing comes close to my standard order! Turnip cakes might sound unusual, but they taste absolutely amazing and not that strange at all. I guess the closest comparison would be those big thick steak fries that are still all soft in the middle but crispy on the outside. They also come with sautéed bean sprouts which I could basically eat with every meal. The minced chicken is also a favorite of everyone who tries it. It’s served with white rice (which helps to cut some of the spice) and is loaded with fresh basil and hot spices. I usually eat it way too quickly and end up soooo stuffed!
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The portion size is quite large and I often need to share courses or get my leftovers to go so that I will have enough room left over for dessert. This was the first restaurant where I fell in love with what is now one of my top ten favorite desserts: mango sticky rice. I was so excited when it arrived at the table that I totally forgot to even take a picture of it until the rice was half gone and I’d eaten all of the mangos. I think Soi 4’s rendition of mango sticky rice is particularly well done because they only serve it when the mangos are perfectly ripe, the coconut-condensed milk mixture is never cloying sweet like it can be at some places, and the rice is well cooked and not chewy at all. It is basically my version of the perfect comfort food. I always leave happy and full and looking forward to my next trip back!

***June 07, 2006: Canteen***

Canteen
817 Sutter Street
San Francisco, CA
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There are few things that I’ll wake up for at 7am on a day when I have nothing I need to do and nowhere I need to be. But, the promise of good food can definitely get me moving at almost any hour. This morning my friend and I had plans to check out the much-hyped Canteen before an afternoon of Union Square shopping. Canteen has been on my list of places to go for quite sometime and I was really excited to finally get the chance to dine there. With the help of the beautiful June weather we’ve been having, I even enjoyed the stroll from the Union Square garage to our breakfast destination.
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The first thing that struck me when we stepped into Canteen was how unbelievably tiny it was. There were four booths and just a handful of barstools. Even though I’d read a number of reviews (many of which included pictures), somehow the small size really didn’t register until I physically saw the restaurant. The square-footage aside, I found the restaurant to be cute and well decorated with bright colors and a fun modern twist on the classic dinner. I was once again surprised by size when we were handed our breakfast menu. There could not have been more than five options (maybe it was only four!). I wasn’t too fazed by the lack of choices since I quickly realized that I was going to be able to sample the popular chupacabra (soft scrambled eggs with black beans and chorizo). My friend and I both ordered the chupacabra from the very friendly waitress and sipped our coffees as we waited with anticipation for our food to arrive.
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The food ended up being good. I was not quite as blown away as I thought I was going to be given all of the glowing reviews I’d read recently. The eggs were light and fluffy and the black beans and chorizo were spicy just like I like my food. With a little Tabasco on top, breakfast was really quite delicious. My favorite part was actually the fresh salsa on top. I couldn’t quite place what it was made of, but there was something green that was spicy and almost sour that gave the dish an unusual flavor that I enjoyed. My guess was tomatillas, but I don’t think they’re in season right now, so I’m not sure if that’s correct. I just felt like the dish was missing something. Maybe it would have been helped by the addition of a carbohydrate like toast (which I easily could have ordered) or even better a fresh pressed corn tortilla.
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Still, breakfast was very good and I would happily go back again if invited. However, I don’t think I’d go back on my own or try to get my friend to go again. Maybe I’ll try it for lunch sometime; shopping can make me hungry and the location is pretty convenient! But, if it’s breakfast or lunch that I’m after, I’d definitely pick Tartine, Rick and Ann’s, Foreign Cinema, or the Thai Buddhist brunch instead. In my opinion they’re more worth the lost hours of sleep!

***June 05, 2006: O'Chame***

O'Chame
1830 4th Street
Berkeley, CA
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I really wasn’t planning on using this blog to write about anything besides restaurants, but my lunch today was just too good to leave unmentioned. Everyone seemed to be busy today so I was on my own for lunch and I decided to check out the bento boxes from my favorite Japanese restaurant O’Chame on 4th Street. I called ahead to check out today’s options (salmon and stripped bass) and reserved myself a salmon box since I’d heard that they’re often sold out by noon.
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Maybe it was the blue sky or the warm weather, but everyone on 4th Street seemed ridiculously happy and relaxed. Every one of the little tables outside of the Pasta Shop and Peet’s Coffee was packed. I finally managed to get a table and settled down to check out my bento box. In addition to the salmon (with the skin on) there was a little blanched spinach salad with sesame dressing, a few grilled shitake mushrooms, white rice, and a round slice of tofu dumpling. I wish I’d had my camera with me so I could show you how perfect of a lunch it was! I’m not a fan of fish with the skin on it, but it was easy to remove and the salmon was perfectly flakey and moist. The spinach and mushrooms are actually two of my favorite menu items, so I was thrilled to find them in the box. Both dishes are so light and fresh tasting that I just feel good eating them. I only wish that they’d included the lotus root that comes with the appetizer portion – it’s so tasty and I rarely find it anywhere else! I’d never tried the tofu dumpling before and while I felt like it was out of tune with the rest of the meal to have something fried, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it.
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Midway through lunch I was stopped by some guy a couple of tables away who asked if I had an O’Chame bento box and upon confirmation gave me a thumbs-up and told me that was the way to go. Obviously I’m not the only one who appreciates them! After lunch I stopped by Sketch just across the street to sample their ice creams (the toasted almond is out of this world!) and pick up a chocolate dipped frozen banana. All I can say is- it’s good to be home!
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*Image from http://www.themenupage.com/ochame.html*