Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Eat in Berkeley: La Note (Pt. 2)


Cote Ouest: three-egg omelette with ratatouille, served with home fries


Salade Nicoise with shredded Albacore tuna, marinated beets, corn, potatoes, carrots, Nicoise olives, hard-boiled eggs, anchovies, tossed greens, and the house Dijon vinaigrette





This is a first for the blog: I'm writing about a restaurant I've shared previously. Yup, it's one of my favorite places in Berkeley, La Note.

I've decided to make a separate post about this visit, instead of adding to the original, for a few reasons. Last time I visited the Provencal French eatery for dinner; I stopped by this past Friday for breakfast / lunch. (I had lunch, while my blogging buddy Anisa of Young and Seamless had breakfast.) I also think that the photos deserved their own spotlight. Plus, it's French food. Who doesn't want to see pictures of delicious French food all the time, especially from La Note?

This time, we sat in their outside patio area in back of the restaurant. I actually did not know this area existed before this visit. They have a great open-air space with umbrellas and tables over a blue-painted, wooden deck. The table settings are equally picturesque, as you can tell from the lively, yellow-patterned tablecloth, personal water pitchers, and use of doilies for the sake of doilies.

Although I never order salad as an entree, I decided to try the only salad ever worth ordering, the Salade Nicoise. I love this salad, and La Note's in particular, because it includes so much non-lettuce stuff like potatoes, carrots, corn, tuna, anchovies, hard-boiled eggs, olives, and beets. Like every other course I've had at La Note, it was perfect. I ordered the small, which was rather large. 

Now that I've done lunch and dinner, brunch is my next target. La Note, à bientôt...

La Note
2377 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley, CA 94704
Open: Monday - Friday 8 - 2:30, Saturday - Sunday 8 - 3, Thursday - Saturday 6 - 10

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Sunday, May 18, 2014

Eat in Berkeley: KoJa Kitchen


Kamikaze Fries made with crisscut fries, minced Korean BBQ beef, sautéed onions, kimchee, green onions, red sauce, and Japanese mayo


Beef KoJa made with Korean BBQ beef, sautéed onions, sesame vinaigrette lettuce, and red sauce, served in toasted handmade garlic rice buns

I finally tried KoJa Kitchen this weekend and I can confirm that it's popular for good reason. The Korean and Japanese fusion restaurant started out as a food truck and has since expanded to a permanent shop on Telegraph and Channing near UC Berkeley.

I tried two of their popular dishes: the Kamikaze Fries and the Beef KoJa. The crisscut fries were topped with their delicious Korean barbecue beef, two types of onions, kimchee, red sauce, and Japanese mayo. In short, they were kind of amazing.

The Beef KoJa was the main event. It's basically a burger made with spicy Korean barbecue beef, sautéed onions, sesame vinaigrette lettuce, and red sauce, sandwiched in between two garlic rice buns. Although it's hard to eat because the pieces of beef are longer than my bites are big and it's spicier than I'm used to, dagnabbit it is tasty. Just get extra napkins and maybe even a fork to pick up the beef that falls out.

You can find their trucks throughout the Bay Area or just up the way on Telegraph Avenue. Be warned that they have long lines.

KoJa Kitchen
2395 Telegraph Ave., Berkeley, CA 94704
Open: Daily 11am - 9pm

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Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Eat in Oakland: Café Colucci




Veggie Combo (azifa, buticha, messer wot, kik-alicha, gomen, and atakilt) and Doro Tibs (marinated chicken sauteed with onions, jalapeno, garlic, and tomato), served with injera flatbread

This weekend, I enjoyed a delicious Ethiopian lunch with a couple of my favorite people. Over the years, I've visited a few Ethiopian restaurants in Berkeley and Los Angeles, and I believe I've found my new spot in Oakland. Café Colucci has a wonderful outdoor seating area with the right amount of sunlight and privacy to accompany an amazing meal.

We ordered the Veggie Combo and the Doro Tibs. The veggies were just as good as I remembered them at similar eateries, but even more so. They were quite fresh and flavorful. The chicken was perfectly seasoned and tender. We scooped up the delicious vegetables and chicken with the spongy injera flatbread that had a subtle flavor of its own. We ordered two dishes for the three of us, and still ended up with a bit extra.

It was a wonderful way to share a Saturday lunch with good friends. They also serve dinner, which I'm sure is just as delightful.

Café Colucci
6427 Telegraph Ave., Oakland, CA 94609
Open: Daily 8am - 10pm

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Monday, May 12, 2014

Eat in San Francisco: Brickhouse Café


The Frenchy with a fried egg, pancetta, swiss, and chipotle aioli, served with sweet potato fries


The SoMa with swiss, caramelized onion, wild mushrooms, and avocado, served with a salad


Before attending the Academy of Art University Graduation Fashion Show last Thursday, we stopped by Brickhouse Café in SoMa on Brannan near 3rd for a bite to eat. I ordered The Frenchy, which came with all the bougie fixin's I want in a burger, including a fried egg, pancetta, swiss, and chipotle aioli. 

The burger was pretty good. It's made with high-quality Angus beef and all the toppings complemented each other well. I sliced the monster of a burger into two and scrunched it down into a Brittany-sized portion, letting the egg yolk make its glorious debut. I would definitely recommend trying the sweet potato fries, which were fried to perfection. 

For someone who doesn't really like burgers, The Frenchy was quite satisfying. Go meat...?

Brickhouse Café
426 Brannan St., San Francisco, CA 94107
Open: Monday - Friday 7am - 10pm, Saturday 10am - 10pm, Sunday 10am - 3pm

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Wednesday, May 7, 2014

Work It, Berk: Emma and Christine


Christine is quite the sartorial star. She was just featured on the Daily Cal.

Spotted at the FAST Spring Runway Show at Clark Kerr.
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Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Work It, Berk: Meet Cindy


Cindy is wearing a top from Goodwill, cardigan from Afterlife, shorts from Urban Outfitters, boots from Melrose Trading Post, and necklace from Savers.

"Spotted" at the FAST Spring Runway Show at Clark Kerr.
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Monday, May 5, 2014

Coffee in Berkeley: Philz Coffee






Mint Mojito Ice Coffee

I've been craving the Mint Mojito Ice Coffee from Philz ever since I heard about it from Anisa of Young and Seamless (and most likely every other fashion blogger or bougie caffeine addict in the Bay Area). I finally tried it last weekend and it was certainly worth the hype. It was minty, sweet, and frothy. These flavors covered up any hint of bitterness coffee is known for, which is A-OK by my cavity-filled sweet tooth.

What should I try at Philz next? I've heard good things about their teas as well.

Also, a poll: Should I title posts about coffee and other drinks as "Drink in [Location]," rather than "Eat in [Location]"? In other words, should the post titles reflect the subject matter or should the current title format indicate an ongoing series?

Philz Coffee
1600 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley, CA 94709
Open: Daily 6:30am - 8:30pm

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I just had the scallop nigiri and Lion King roll from C U Sushi. Talk about nom.

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Friday, May 2, 2014

Work It, Berk: Kathryn and Lejf


Kathryn is wearing a Gap shirt, Old Navy pants, scarf from Morocco, and Teva boots, while Lejf is wearing a Ralph Lauren shirt, Hudson jeans, Lacoste sneakers, and VonZipper sunglasses.

Spotted near the Berkeley Farmers' Market on Center and MLK.
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Thursday, May 1, 2014

Visit in Los Angeles: Echo Park Lake





Last weekend was my first time visiting Echo Park Lake and it probably won't be my last. The lake and the surrounding park were rehabilitated and reopened to the public last June, and it shows. The lake itself looks clean and even boasts a lily pad habitat in one area. 

As for activities, you can rent out a pedal boat for an hour and explore the crystal clear waters with a friend (or three). You can also sit on one of the grassy hills and watch hipsters and families alike pass by. There are also organized yoga classes you can join. 

We visited on a Saturday afternoon and it wasn't crowded at all. This seems like the perfect place to pull out a blanket and be at peace for at least a moment in an otherwise chaotic city. 

Echo Park Lake
Website | Yelp
751 Echo Park Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90026
Open: Daily

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