Work It, Berk: August 2021

Tuesday, August 31, 2021

Eat in Oakland: Farmhouse Kitchen Thai Cuisine

Samosas stuffed with Red Norland potatoes, caramelized onions, and carrots, wrapped in pastry skin, and served with coconut curry sauce

Pad Kee Mow made with flat rice noodles, bamboo shoots, bell peppers, basil, onions, tomatoes, and pork

Hat Yai Fried Chicken made with Mary’s Chicken, turmeric, herbs, fried shallots, cucumber, pickles, yellow dipping curry with potato, blue rice, and roti

Left: Classic Thai Tea

Right: Summer Spritz made with Aperol, sparkling wine, pressed grapefruit, and lemongrass

For what is most likely my final birthday dinner of the year, I visited Farmhouse Kitchen Thai Cuisine, an excellent Thai restaurant located on Water Street in Jack London Square. Although I've only been to this location and the Mission location once, I knew it was the perfect place to celebrate. Farmhouse Kitchen is known for serving intricate Thai dishes as well as the popular street food we crave in an incredible space with views of the marina and Alameda.

My dining companion and I ordered two drinks: a Classic Thai Tea and a Summer Spritz, one of their perfectly made cocktails. If the mound of shaved ice plopped in the Thai iced tea is any indication, Farmhouse Kitchen wants to dazzle their guests as they keep presentation in mind. The Summer Spritz—made with Aperol, sparkling wine, pressed grapefruit, and lemongrass—was quite refreshing. As for food, we started with the Samosas made with Red Norland potatoes, caramelized onion, and carrots. These were hands down the best samosas I've ever had. The pastry dough crust was so flaky and decadent, while the coconut curry sauce complemented the samosas well.

We then shared two entrees: one a comfort dish, the other more adventurous. The Pad Kee Mow—made with flat rice noodles, bamboo shoots, bell pepper, basil, onion, and tomato—had a more dynamic flavor than I'm used to. The Hat Yai Fried Chicken featured Southern-style fried Mary’s Chicken, fried shallots, cucumber, pickles, yellow dipping curry with potato, blue rice, and roti. The fried chicken would please any fan of the dish, while the roti was on par with others we've enjoyed.

Overall, this was an incredible experience. Since this restaurant is well liked, I'd recommend making reservations ahead of time. Next time I stop by, I'd like to try another cocktail as well as a special like the Basil Bomb or Kai Sam Ros. If you've visited Farmhouse Kitchen Thai Cuisine recently, what do you recommend trying?

Farmhouse Kitchen Thai Cuisine

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Yelp

336 Water St., Oakland, CA 94607

Open: Monday - Thursday 11am - 2pm & 5 - 9pm, Friday 11am - 2pm & 5 - 10pm, Saturday 12 - 10pm, Sunday 12 - 9pm

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Thursday, August 26, 2021

Eat in Oakland: Shakewell

Papas Bravas made with purple majesty potatoes, piquillo pepper sauce, aioli, and rosemary sea salt

Jamón Croquetas with roasted poblano sauce and piment d’espelette

Vegetarian Paella made with Brentwood corn, summer squash, peas, carrot-jalapeño sofrito, saffron, roasted peppers, vegetable stock, sherry, castelvetrano olives, and aioli

Chicken & Churros: fried spice-rubbed chicken breast, served with buttermilk syrup

I visited Shakewell, a hip tapas spot on Lakeshore and Trestle Glen near Lake Merritt, for the first time a few weeks ago for brunch with friends.

With one of my brunch whisperers in tow, we tried a few dishes: Jamón Croquetas, Papas Bravas, Vegetarian Paella, and Chicken & Churros. With four dishes split between the three of us, we almost bit off more than we could chew—not that we regretted it. Served with roasted poblano sauce and piment d’espelette, the Jamón Croquetas had a truly divine texture: crispy on the outside and velvety smooth on the inside. Meanwhile, the Papas Bravas, which were made with purple majesty potatoes, piquillo pepper sauce, aioli, and rosemary sea salt, were perfectly baked and quite a treat.

The paella was made with Brentwood corn, summer squash, peas, carrot-jalapeño sofrito, saffron, roasted peppers, vegetable stock, sherry, castelvetrano olives, and aioli. The perfectly cooked rice provided a crunchy top, while the other ingredients provided layers of delicious flavors within. Somehow we made it to the Chicken & Churros, which featured fried spice-rubbed chicken breast, the thickest churros I've ever seen, and buttermilk syrup. The chicken was very well-seasoned and the churros were just the right amount fried.

This was a truly decadent meal I'll be remembering for a while. Next time I want to stop by for dinner and try their flatbread, with za’atar and Spanish olive oil, and one of their cocktails my friend recommended. If you've visited Shakewell, what do you recommend trying?

Shakewell

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3407 Lakeshore Ave., Oakland, CA 94610

Open: Tuesday - Friday 4:30 - 9pm, Saturday 11:30am - 9pm, Sunday 11:30am - 7pm

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Wednesday, August 25, 2021

Eat in San Francisco: Suppenküche

Reibekuchen mit hausgemachtem Apfelmus und Schmand: Potato pancakes with apple sauce, sour cream, and chives

Brezel mit Obatzda: Pretzel with obatzda, traditional Bavarian cheese mix

Sauerbraten mit Preiselbeerkonfitüre, Rotkohl und Spätzle: Red wine marinated braised beef with cranberries, served with red cabbage and spätzle

I visited Suppenküche, a casual German restaurant on the corner of Laguna and Hayes in Hayes Valley, for the second time a few weeks ago. We were celebrating my dining companion's birthday, who showed me their sister beer garden Hofkuche in Oakland in February.

We shared two appetizers and one entree: potato pancakes, a pretzel, and braised beef. The potato pancakes were perfectly made and served with apple sauce, sour cream, and chives, while the soft pretzel came with an obatzda cheese mix slightly different from Hofkuche's. The braised beef was marinated with red wine and served with red cabbage and spätzle, a cheesy pasta dish. Overall, we had a hearty meal and a great experience.

If you've visited Suppenküche, what do you recommend trying?

Suppenküche

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Yelp

525 Laguna St., San Francisco, CA 94102

Open: Monday - Wednesday 5 - 9pm, Thursday - Friday 5 - 10pm, Saturday 12 - 10pm, Sunday 10am - 7pm

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Tuesday, August 24, 2021

Work It, Berk: Chloe

You can follow Chloe on Instagram.

Spotted on Dana and 66th.

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Thursday, August 12, 2021

Eat in Berkeley: Imm Thai Street Food (Pt. 3)

Grilled Chicken Satay with coconut milk & turmeric peanut sauce and cucumber relish

Left: Roti Dip with yellow curry sauce

Right: Tom Yum soup made with shrimp, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, cilantro, mushrooms, red onions, and green onions in spicy and sour broth

Pad Kee Mao made with flat rice noodles, egg, green beans, bell peppers, tomatoes, chili, and basil

Thai Fried Rice made with egg, onions, tomatoes, Chinese broccoli, and cucumber

On a food filled birthday weekend, my family and I enjoyed everything from Ethiopian food at Café Colucci to various Thai dishes at Imm Thai Street Food.

Beyond the Pad Woon Sen and Fresh Rolls I've reviewed in the past, this time we ordered a few new dishes on our trip to Imm Thai Street Food, namely the Grilled Chicken Satay, Roti Dip with yellow curry sauce, Tom Yum soup, Pad Kee Mao, and Thai Fried Rice. Everything was as delicious as expected, featuring the dynamic flavors in which I'm accustomed.

The satay came with big pieces of chicken and a peanut sauce made with coconut milk and turmeric. The roti was impeccably made and served with flavorful yellow curry, while the Tom Yum soup came with various vegetables in a tangy broth. The Pad Kee Mao and Thai Fried Rice were perfectly stir-fried and had a great balance of textures and flavors.

With a good amount of seating inside and in the parklet outside, Imm Thai Street Food is a great place to enjoy a surprisingly tasty meal in Downtown Berkeley. If you've visited Imm Thai recently, what do you recommend trying?

Imm Thai Street Food

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Yelp

2068 University Ave., Berkeley, CA 94704

Open: Monday - Thursday 11am - 9:30pm, Friday - Sunday 11am - 10pm

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Wednesday, August 11, 2021

Eat in Oakland: Champa Garden

Champa Sampler with Lao sausages, fried rice ball salad, and fried spring rolls

Pad Se-ew made with thick rice noodles fried with soy sauce, egg, and broccoli

Left: Fried Banana with Ice Cream
Right: Thai Iced Tea

After hearing rave reviews from a few friends, I tried Champa Garden, a Laotian restaurant in the Ivy Hill neighborhood of East Oakland, for the first time a few weeks ago. My friends weren't kidding—Champa Garden is serving incredible, seemingly familiar Thai-sounding dishes with a distinctly Laotian twist.

My dining companion and I ordered a few items, all of which we enjoyed. We started with the Champa Sampler with Lao sausages, fried rice ball salad, and fried spring rolls. The rice ball salad came with a side of lettuce to envelope the crunchy, flavorful rice. The Pad Se-ew was everything we wanted in the dish: thick, floppy noodles served with blanched broccoli and fried egg. Mm-mmm. We tried the Thai Iced Tea and rounded out the meal with Fried Banana with Ice Cream. (Who doesn't want ice cream?)

I would definitely stop by Champa Garden for take-out soon, most likely trying another noodle dish and definitely some sort of fried rice. If you've visited Champa Garden recently, what do you recommend trying?

Champa Garden

Website | Facebook | Yelp

2102 8th Ave., Oakland, CA 94606

Open: Sunday - Thursday 11am - 3pm & 5 - 9pm, Friday - Saturday 11am - 3pm & 5 - 10pm

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