From the monthly archives: June 2018

A Review of Funky Elephant in Berkeley

On June 27, 2018 By

I love khao mun gai, the popular Thai chicken rice dish similar to Singapore or Hainan chicken rice. I used to love the version from Chef James Syhabout’s Hawker Fare, and it’s never been the same since he closed the original Oakland location (which was a stone’s throw from my office).

So I was excited […]

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Spotlight Review on Tamarindo Antojeria Mexicana in Oakland

On June 24, 2018 By

I’m always trying to learn more about Mexican food because I grew up thinking Mexican food was primarily tacos and burritos.

So it’s always a pleasure to try restaurants that educates people on how much more Mexican food can be. One of those places is Tamarindo Antojeria Mexicana in Old Oakland. This […]

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Quick and Easy Spicy Wonton Recipe

On June 20, 2018 By

You’re not a good Chinese boy unless you’ve grown up folding a few wontons, the shrimp and pork dumplings often tossed into soups, or how I like to eat it with thin noodles and soup.

Our Mom always made me and my siblings fold wontons, which we’d then have for lunch. We did the basic […]

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A Review of Henry’s Inside the Graduate Hotel in Berkeley

On June 17, 2018 By

I’ve always known it as the Hotel Durant, the tiny hotel just a stone’s throw from the UC-Berkeley campus that has been home for many years to visiting friends and families of students. I didn’t realize that more than a year ago it re-opened as part of the Graduate Hotels group of boutique hotels.

So […]

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Travel Review: Refined Japanese Tasting Menu at Nodoguro in Portland

On June 13, 2018 By

PORTLAND, Ore.
My recent Portland weekend was a success because I was able to check off two always-wanted-to-try restaurants off my list. The first was the popular Han Oak, and a couple of nights later it was the Japanese tasting menu at Nodoguro.

One of the reasons it took awhile to get to […]

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Travel Review: Modern Korean Tasting at Han Oak in Portland

On June 10, 2018 By

PORTLAND, Ore.
Han Oak has been on my list for the longest time of places to try whenever I visit Portland. That’s because it’s been on everyone else’s lists, too: from Food and Wine’s Best New Chef (for chef-owner Peter Cho) to Esquire’s Best New Restaurant.

It also takes some advance planning because reservations […]

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The Calculation of Cafe Culture at Algorithm Coffee in Berkeley — CLOSED

On June 3, 2018 By

UPDATE: This cafe closed suddenly in summer 2019. Owners said it was time to move on to a new phase for the business.

This modern Berkeley coffee house on the far end of University Avenue (toward the marina) seems new to me, but it’s actually been open for more than two years. Algorithm Coffee Co. […]

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